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A review by booksteastories
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It took me longer than necessary to start this novel, a fact I regret. It is, most definitely, haunting.
I do not know anything about cinematography but I would say that this book has a cold open in the sense that it does not give you any time to prepare for what is to come -- you are right in Alejandra's head as she struggles with her will to live. In fact, the book starts so viscerally that I had to put it down for a while because of how permeating her feelings were. The book continues to be this visceral for the duration of the story as it details Alejandra and her ancestors suffering.
That is another thing I had not been prepared for: this is not a single POV book. It weaves between perspectives and times, which is something that felt necessary and worthwhile. I found the other perspectives fascinating as they provided a wealth of insight not only into history but also Alejandra's ancestry, giving the readers a much deeper glance into her as a character and making the theme feel incredibly fleshed out.
The word building was effective, the horror that the hauntings induced nauseating to read but I would still argue that this book is more literary than horror. The supernatural aspects are more of a vehicle to explore the generational trauma Alejandra has as she works through it, which was marvellously executed. I admired the author for allowing Alejandra to get mental health aid, it should be more common in the genre and as a whole. So that was great.
The writing felt a little bit too passive at certain moments, there was a lot of stating what the characters felt and what was happening, as well as them reciting things we hadn't seen. However, I think that's just the author's style and it is something that is easily accustomed to. Although I do wish we'd seen more emotion from some scenes.
The other thing is that sometimes it felt as though the story likened being a woman to being a mother. I think this is just because the story heavily focuses on the nature of motherhood in combination with generational trauma but nevertheless it was something that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. But maybe it's just me.
Overall, a haunting story of resilience and the strength it takes to overcome generational trauma.
I do not know anything about cinematography but I would say that this book has a cold open in the sense that it does not give you any time to prepare for what is to come -- you are right in Alejandra's head as she struggles with her will to live. In fact, the book starts so viscerally that I had to put it down for a while because of how permeating her feelings were. The book continues to be this visceral for the duration of the story as it details Alejandra and her ancestors suffering.
That is another thing I had not been prepared for: this is not a single POV book. It weaves between perspectives and times, which is something that felt necessary and worthwhile. I found the other perspectives fascinating as they provided a wealth of insight not only into history but also Alejandra's ancestry, giving the readers a much deeper glance into her as a character and making the theme feel incredibly fleshed out.
The word building was effective, the horror that the hauntings induced nauseating to read but I would still argue that this book is more literary than horror. The supernatural aspects are more of a vehicle to explore the generational trauma Alejandra has as she works through it, which was marvellously executed. I admired the author for allowing Alejandra to get mental health aid, it should be more common in the genre and as a whole. So that was great.
The writing felt a little bit too passive at certain moments, there was a lot of stating what the characters felt and what was happening, as well as them reciting things we hadn't seen. However, I think that's just the author's style and it is something that is easily accustomed to. Although I do wish we'd seen more emotion from some scenes.
The other thing is that sometimes it felt as though the story likened being a woman to being a mother. I think this is just because the story heavily focuses on the nature of motherhood in combination with generational trauma but nevertheless it was something that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. But maybe it's just me.
Overall, a haunting story of resilience and the strength it takes to overcome generational trauma.