New Arrival: The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

 

Hauntings are as much a part of horror as chocolate is to ice cream. Chocolate isn’t necessarily a requirement, but it’s hard to imagine ice cream existing without chocolate, just as it’s hard to imagine a horror story without its protagonist being haunted in some way. That said, just like there’s Rocky Road, Death by Chocolate, and all the subtle variations of chocolate, there are many variations of hauntings, some of them might be done by ghosts but nearly all of these hauntings are helped along by the protagonist. Married mother of three Alejandra, for example, is a woman haunted by many things in V. Castro’s The Haunting of Alejandra.

Alejandra is nearing a breaking point. Her husband treats her more as hired help than a life partner, and she spends most of her life living for her children, who drain her emotionally. On top of all of that is La Llorna, the murderous mother of Mexican legend who wishes to pull the women of Alejandra’s family into a pit of despair and death. Alejandra discovers her roots, a therapist who doesn’t scoff at her visions of La Llorna, and a mother she never knew, but will it be enough to save her and her family?

(Might be spoilers ahead, but read this book if you like woman protagonists getting stronger)

The book could have easily been called “The Transformation of Alejandra” as its real focus is on Alejandra’s personal and spiritual journey. Rather than explosive phenomena of blood pouring from the walls and furniture flung every which way, this story is more about how Alejandra arms herself for battle from La Llorna and what she represents; the despair of a life lived in quiet, soul-crushing desperation. She takes steps to help her and her family, gathering knowledge about her past and about herself, deciding who she really wants to be. The real vanquishing of the story isn’t so much sending La Llorna back to Hell or wherever she resides; it’s Alejandra vanquishing those elements of her life and personality that are holding back her growth as a person. It might be a different flavor of haunting than some are used to, but the metamorphosis Alejandra undergoes gives a more than satisfying ending.