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±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹
A Head Full of Ghosts meets Hereditary in ±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹, a terrifying possession tale by author and artist Leopoldo Gout.
Carmen Sanchez is back in her home country of Mexico, overseeing the renovation of an ancient cathedral into a boutique hotel. Her teen daughters, Izel and Luna, are with her for the summer, and left to fill their afternoons unsupervised in a foreign city.
The locals treat the Sanchez women like outsiders, while Carmen's contractors openly defy and sabotage her work. After a disastrous accident at the construction site nearly injures Luna, Carmen's had enough. They're leaving.
Back in New York, Luna begins acting strange, and only Izel notices the chilling changes happening to her younger sister. But it might be too late for the Sanchez family to escape what's been awakened...
±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ is a bone-chilling story about how the sinister repercussions of our past can return to haunt us.
Carmen Sanchez is back in her home country of Mexico, overseeing the renovation of an ancient cathedral into a boutique hotel. Her teen daughters, Izel and Luna, are with her for the summer, and left to fill their afternoons unsupervised in a foreign city.
The locals treat the Sanchez women like outsiders, while Carmen's contractors openly defy and sabotage her work. After a disastrous accident at the construction site nearly injures Luna, Carmen's had enough. They're leaving.
Back in New York, Luna begins acting strange, and only Izel notices the chilling changes happening to her younger sister. But it might be too late for the Sanchez family to escape what's been awakened...
±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ is a bone-chilling story about how the sinister repercussions of our past can return to haunt us.
293 pages, Hardcover
First published March 14, 2023
327 people are currently reading
18208 people want to read
About the author
Leopoldo Gout
11Ìýbooks252ÌýfollowersLeopoldo Gout, author of Genius, is a writer, artist, and filmmaker who hails from Mexico. After studying in London, Gout produced the award-winning film Days of Grace, which A. O. Scott of the New York Times called “potent and vigorous.â€� He is the executive producer of the number one new show of the summer, sci-fi drama Zoo on CBS and is partnered with James Patterson Entertainment to produce Maximum Ride. Leopoldo Gout resides in New York City with his wife and two children.
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November 6, 2023
±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ is about an architect that uncovers an ancient tomb in an archeological dig site in Mexico that ends up following her and her daughters home to New York and strange things start to happen.
I have to say, the prologue was one of the most gripping openings that I have read in quite some time. It instantly grabs you and I like hell yeah here we go, but this story does struggle with pacing unfortunately. Things get SLOOOOWWW. It’s still an interesting read and you will learn ALOT, but yeah, things do lag a bit.
This is full of rich history and folklore with vivid characters, and also has some gory bits that I couldn’t get enough of.
Overall I most definitely recommend, but beware it’s not as fast paced as the prologue might lead you to believe!
I have to say, the prologue was one of the most gripping openings that I have read in quite some time. It instantly grabs you and I like hell yeah here we go, but this story does struggle with pacing unfortunately. Things get SLOOOOWWW. It’s still an interesting read and you will learn ALOT, but yeah, things do lag a bit.
This is full of rich history and folklore with vivid characters, and also has some gory bits that I couldn’t get enough of.
Overall I most definitely recommend, but beware it’s not as fast paced as the prologue might lead you to believe!
March 22, 2023
4.0 Stars
Video Review:
I loved the author's previous book, Ghost Radio, so I went into this book with high expectations which thankfully were not misplaced. While I prefer his previous books this is a solid four star novel.
Despite being written by a male author, this was a wonderfully female centric novel, focusing on a mother and her two daughters. The female characters were completely on point as dynamic, full fleshed out people.
The strength of this novel really pulls from the Mexican cultural influences. The narrative makes some interesting commentary as it shows the differences between Mexican and American culture. As a Canadian reviewer, I know I missed some of the nuances of these references so I suspect readers of Mexican heritage will get even more out of this book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this horror, which played with my favorite subgenre of horror� possession stories! I would recommend this novel to any horror reader looking for a new story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I review books on YouTube:
Video Review:
I loved the author's previous book, Ghost Radio, so I went into this book with high expectations which thankfully were not misplaced. While I prefer his previous books this is a solid four star novel.
Despite being written by a male author, this was a wonderfully female centric novel, focusing on a mother and her two daughters. The female characters were completely on point as dynamic, full fleshed out people.
The strength of this novel really pulls from the Mexican cultural influences. The narrative makes some interesting commentary as it shows the differences between Mexican and American culture. As a Canadian reviewer, I know I missed some of the nuances of these references so I suspect readers of Mexican heritage will get even more out of this book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this horror, which played with my favorite subgenre of horror� possession stories! I would recommend this novel to any horror reader looking for a new story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I review books on YouTube:
March 10, 2023
Serving up a story about ancient, nearly forgotten gods, Leopoldo Gout distinguishes himself as an author to watch, with his latest: PINATA.
Carmen and her two daughters come to Mexico as Carmen is serving as lead architect during major renovations of an old abbey. During the course of the work, a room is uncovered, a room containing ancient artifacts and from that point on, nothing about her job as an architect, nor her job as a mother, remains easy. As strange occurrences begin to pile up, Carmen takes her daughters and returns home. Unfortunately,whatever was happening there in Mexico only gets worse once they arrive home. Will Carmen be able to figure out what is going on? Will Carmen and her daughters survive? You'll have to read this to find out!
I enjoyed learning more about Mexico's rich history and the different cultures that have ruled there over the centuries. Perhaps I didn't need to know quite that much, because there were some points where the story lagged for me. I'm not saying this novel is full of boring history, but it did drag at times.
Where this story shined for me was with its characters. Carmen's struggles as a mom and as a professional woman, directing crews of male workers, really hit home with me. Her daughters and Carmen herself felt fully fleshed out and I cared for them.
Leopoldo Gout is a new to me author and even though this book didn't knock my socks off, I have an niggling feeling that Mr. Gout is only just getting started. I am on board for whatever he writes next.
*Thank you to Tor Nightfire for the paperback ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Carmen and her two daughters come to Mexico as Carmen is serving as lead architect during major renovations of an old abbey. During the course of the work, a room is uncovered, a room containing ancient artifacts and from that point on, nothing about her job as an architect, nor her job as a mother, remains easy. As strange occurrences begin to pile up, Carmen takes her daughters and returns home. Unfortunately,whatever was happening there in Mexico only gets worse once they arrive home. Will Carmen be able to figure out what is going on? Will Carmen and her daughters survive? You'll have to read this to find out!
I enjoyed learning more about Mexico's rich history and the different cultures that have ruled there over the centuries. Perhaps I didn't need to know quite that much, because there were some points where the story lagged for me. I'm not saying this novel is full of boring history, but it did drag at times.
Where this story shined for me was with its characters. Carmen's struggles as a mom and as a professional woman, directing crews of male workers, really hit home with me. Her daughters and Carmen herself felt fully fleshed out and I cared for them.
Leopoldo Gout is a new to me author and even though this book didn't knock my socks off, I have an niggling feeling that Mr. Gout is only just getting started. I am on board for whatever he writes next.
*Thank you to Tor Nightfire for the paperback ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
March 16, 2023
PIÑATA by Leopoldo Gout
Release Date: March 14th, 2023
General Genre: Horror, Occult & Supernatural, Historical Fiction
Subgenre/Themes: Historical Fiction, Human Monsters, Gods/Goddesses, Nahua culture, colonization, subjugation, revenge, possession, Religion, Strong Women
Writing Style: Multiple POV, Character-Driven, Cinematic, Brisk Pace
What You Need to Know: The publisher comps are: A Head Full of Ghosts + Hereditary but my feeling is that this book is more like, Goddess of Filth (V. Castro) + Poltergeist. I mean, listen to this quote from the book:
"Do you remember, Father, all those horror movies with spirits and angry ghost visiting vengeance on an otherwise innocent family? Have you ever noticed that most times they're set in homes and towns built on sacred Native burial grounds?"
That's pretty much all you need to know going into this book. The prologue is the perfect set up.
My Reading Experience:
This book is vivid and colorful--so cinematic! The prologue sets the tone with graphic depictions of the brutal colonization of the Nahua people and a front row seat to a specific, disturbing, act of dishonoring Nahua tradition through the subjugation of the children. Right away I was assuming that desecrating ancient, sacred deities will not go unpunished.
Chapter one takes us to Mexico City to meet our family of protagonists. Single mother, Carmen who is an architect on assignment to transform an old abbey into a hotel, and her two daughters, Izel and Luna. The author does an excellent job with setting. I felt like I was "on location" all the detailed descriptions like a little movie in my mind.
The cast of characters are fully fleshed out and essential to the story. As soon as conflict is introduced, the side characters, Father Verón, Yoltzi, Quauhtli, are engaged and fully equipped with their unique gifts to assist the family in their crisis. This kind of investment in secondary characters is so key to good horror. I love to care about what happens to people, not just the main characters. Gout also shares the POV narrative with these characters so that readers can absorb insight straight from them instead of seeing them through the eyes of one or two protagonists. Everyone gets a little intimate time with the reader.
I also enjoyed the classic tension of those that believe easily in the supernatural and those who question everything. That age old conflict of waiting for the doubting characters to finally experience enough horror to accept what's going on and join in the fight.
Gout does an incredible job of infusing this story with rich culture and history. Just like I did with the novella, RING SHOUT by P. Djèlà Clark I am advocating for readers to enjoy this on their eReaders so you can highlight words, places, and names in order to get a quick history lesson.
"tzitzimimeh"- a female, skeletal deity in Aztec mythology characterized by the sun, stars, fertility, and wears a skirt made of shells or bones.
again, this story is so cinematic! Anytime the demonic activity was front and center, I was in bliss! It's so refreshing to encounter dark entities from another culture.
There are scenes involving swarms of black butterflies, manifestations of demonic rage, and epic descriptions of catastrophic evil--seriously scary and unique! Just like V. Castro did her twist on demon possession horror by bringing in unique cultural themes and imagery, Leopoldo Gout is right here joining her with PIÑATA. It's very exciting!
Final Recommendation: Horror fans who show up for any demon possession horror, strong women, colorful characters you can invest in, and a celebration of Mexican heritage/culture, this will check all those boxes and more. A must have for the library.
Comps: Poltergeist (1982), Goddess of Filth by V. Castro, Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias
Release Date: March 14th, 2023
General Genre: Horror, Occult & Supernatural, Historical Fiction
Subgenre/Themes: Historical Fiction, Human Monsters, Gods/Goddesses, Nahua culture, colonization, subjugation, revenge, possession, Religion, Strong Women
Writing Style: Multiple POV, Character-Driven, Cinematic, Brisk Pace
What You Need to Know: The publisher comps are: A Head Full of Ghosts + Hereditary but my feeling is that this book is more like, Goddess of Filth (V. Castro) + Poltergeist. I mean, listen to this quote from the book:
"Do you remember, Father, all those horror movies with spirits and angry ghost visiting vengeance on an otherwise innocent family? Have you ever noticed that most times they're set in homes and towns built on sacred Native burial grounds?"
That's pretty much all you need to know going into this book. The prologue is the perfect set up.
My Reading Experience:
This book is vivid and colorful--so cinematic! The prologue sets the tone with graphic depictions of the brutal colonization of the Nahua people and a front row seat to a specific, disturbing, act of dishonoring Nahua tradition through the subjugation of the children. Right away I was assuming that desecrating ancient, sacred deities will not go unpunished.
Chapter one takes us to Mexico City to meet our family of protagonists. Single mother, Carmen who is an architect on assignment to transform an old abbey into a hotel, and her two daughters, Izel and Luna. The author does an excellent job with setting. I felt like I was "on location" all the detailed descriptions like a little movie in my mind.
The cast of characters are fully fleshed out and essential to the story. As soon as conflict is introduced, the side characters, Father Verón, Yoltzi, Quauhtli, are engaged and fully equipped with their unique gifts to assist the family in their crisis. This kind of investment in secondary characters is so key to good horror. I love to care about what happens to people, not just the main characters. Gout also shares the POV narrative with these characters so that readers can absorb insight straight from them instead of seeing them through the eyes of one or two protagonists. Everyone gets a little intimate time with the reader.
I also enjoyed the classic tension of those that believe easily in the supernatural and those who question everything. That age old conflict of waiting for the doubting characters to finally experience enough horror to accept what's going on and join in the fight.
Gout does an incredible job of infusing this story with rich culture and history. Just like I did with the novella, RING SHOUT by P. Djèlà Clark I am advocating for readers to enjoy this on their eReaders so you can highlight words, places, and names in order to get a quick history lesson.
"tzitzimimeh"- a female, skeletal deity in Aztec mythology characterized by the sun, stars, fertility, and wears a skirt made of shells or bones.
again, this story is so cinematic! Anytime the demonic activity was front and center, I was in bliss! It's so refreshing to encounter dark entities from another culture.
There are scenes involving swarms of black butterflies, manifestations of demonic rage, and epic descriptions of catastrophic evil--seriously scary and unique! Just like V. Castro did her twist on demon possession horror by bringing in unique cultural themes and imagery, Leopoldo Gout is right here joining her with PIÑATA. It's very exciting!
Final Recommendation: Horror fans who show up for any demon possession horror, strong women, colorful characters you can invest in, and a celebration of Mexican heritage/culture, this will check all those boxes and more. A must have for the library.
Comps: Poltergeist (1982), Goddess of Filth by V. Castro, Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias
March 27, 2023
They were worshiped by our ancestors.
Now they are forgotten.
Soon, they’ll make us remember.
Carmen Sanchez and her two daughters travel to Mexico to supervise the renovation of an old historic abbey to be made into a modern and beautiful tourist hotel. The job site is more difficult than Carmen realized with her all men crew who haven't the respect or trust in a woman boss as their leader so every day is a constant battle. There are so many traditions, superstitions and legends in Mexico which make for fascinating history lessons and Carmen's younger daughter Luna can't absorb the stories fast enough. Luna is like a sponge soaking in every tidbit of information she can find on the internet but her abundant, innocent energy is making her a target for unseen supernatural forces that want to break through from the underworld and she happens to be the perfect human specimen they have been waiting for.
When Carmen and the girls must return back to New York earlier than planned Carmen also realizes something is wrong with Luna but she thinks the girls just need to be back home where they feel safe and secure because there were several disturbing events that were occurring around them in Mexico. Little does Carmen know that when they fly home on the plane they are not alone. Something has also traveled with them and it has already attached itself to Luna who has no clue what is happening and after they arrive home all three of their lives will never be the same again as they will be surrounded by an evil and vengeful darkness causing death and destruction everywhere they turn for help.
This was an ambitious and terror filled horror book that also included the beauty of historic Mesoamerica and the ancient Aztec gods that were worshipped during that time and their legends and superstitions which were passed down through the generations. I truly enjoyed the book taking place in Mexico which made the stories come to life with the vivid cultural background and being able to imagine the gorgeous and atmospheric scenery of the small towns and the people who still lived quaint and tradition filled lives filled with respect for their ancestors.
The story gets very scary at the fifty percent mark and just doesn't let up with so many unspeakable horrors taking place. There were many enjoyable and likeable characters and I also loved the daughters but I was conflicted with Carmen in many aspects during the story. Sometimes she overreacted too quickly and impulsively and other times she seemed to let things linger out of control and didn't react appropriately in several situations and I was troubled by that, although her unrelenting love for her daughters was always undeniable. This was quite a different story of possession, demons and other monstrosities that were well executed and very frightening to imagine and visualize. I definitely recommend this spooky book to all horror readers!
I want to thank the the author "Leopoldo Gout", the publisher "Tor Publishing Group" and Net alley for the opportunity to read this terrific horror novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 HORRIFIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
Now they are forgotten.
Soon, they’ll make us remember.
Carmen Sanchez and her two daughters travel to Mexico to supervise the renovation of an old historic abbey to be made into a modern and beautiful tourist hotel. The job site is more difficult than Carmen realized with her all men crew who haven't the respect or trust in a woman boss as their leader so every day is a constant battle. There are so many traditions, superstitions and legends in Mexico which make for fascinating history lessons and Carmen's younger daughter Luna can't absorb the stories fast enough. Luna is like a sponge soaking in every tidbit of information she can find on the internet but her abundant, innocent energy is making her a target for unseen supernatural forces that want to break through from the underworld and she happens to be the perfect human specimen they have been waiting for.
When Carmen and the girls must return back to New York earlier than planned Carmen also realizes something is wrong with Luna but she thinks the girls just need to be back home where they feel safe and secure because there were several disturbing events that were occurring around them in Mexico. Little does Carmen know that when they fly home on the plane they are not alone. Something has also traveled with them and it has already attached itself to Luna who has no clue what is happening and after they arrive home all three of their lives will never be the same again as they will be surrounded by an evil and vengeful darkness causing death and destruction everywhere they turn for help.
This was an ambitious and terror filled horror book that also included the beauty of historic Mesoamerica and the ancient Aztec gods that were worshipped during that time and their legends and superstitions which were passed down through the generations. I truly enjoyed the book taking place in Mexico which made the stories come to life with the vivid cultural background and being able to imagine the gorgeous and atmospheric scenery of the small towns and the people who still lived quaint and tradition filled lives filled with respect for their ancestors.
The story gets very scary at the fifty percent mark and just doesn't let up with so many unspeakable horrors taking place. There were many enjoyable and likeable characters and I also loved the daughters but I was conflicted with Carmen in many aspects during the story. Sometimes she overreacted too quickly and impulsively and other times she seemed to let things linger out of control and didn't react appropriately in several situations and I was troubled by that, although her unrelenting love for her daughters was always undeniable. This was quite a different story of possession, demons and other monstrosities that were well executed and very frightening to imagine and visualize. I definitely recommend this spooky book to all horror readers!
I want to thank the the author "Leopoldo Gout", the publisher "Tor Publishing Group" and Net alley for the opportunity to read this terrific horror novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 HORRIFIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
December 24, 2023
Another creepy kids story that reminded me of The Exorcist mixed with Poltergeist.
I thought it was really interesting hearing the history of piñatas and the meaning of them in Nahuatl/Aztec culture. There was also really great commentary on colonization and the erasure of cultures through forced religious assimilation. This was represented really brutally in the prologue chapter which made me so angry to read. It also touches on the epidemic of missing and murdered Mexican girls which was also deeply sad and heartbreaking.
On to some of my personal gripes with this book....
Right from the start I was noticing that the dialogue read a bit cheesy. I had a hard time believing what the characters were saying and it just seemed kind of choppy or clipped. Perhaps this was impacted by the speaking style of the audiobook narrator but it really took me out of the story.
I also thought some of the characterizations didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. For instance there is a moment early in the book where the mother Carmen is describing her youngest daughter Luna as being an odd child. She describes how her and her husband were creeped out by the fact that the daughter asked for a telescope for a birthday present (...that's right a telescope. A fairly normal kid thing to want).
The parents asked her if she wouldn't rather have an iPad to look at pictures of constellations (...which seems like the most bizarre reaction two parents can have, discouraging their young daughter from being interested in science and astronomy). The daughter Luna explains she wants to "look into the past" because the lights in space are sometimes those of dead stars. This statement gives the parents the creeps. Which again was so bonkers to me. I swear that was the worst example to show how this girl is weird because it seemed to me like innocent curiosity and a sign of her intelligence.
Maybe I'm zeroing in on really nitpicky details but it happened again towards the end of the book where character reactions made no sense to me.
I also had a huge problem with the first 40% of the book reading through the mother Carmen's POV. Her character was deeply infuriating to me. When she is being warned about the potential danger that her youngest daughter may be in she reacts in the most extreme and cringe way (again...this could have been exacerbated by the audio narrator who may have over acted out the dialogue). I found her stubbornness really frustrating. She goes on to be even more annoying as the book continues (the scene where her daughters are walking to the job site because they are bored out of their minds stuck at home alone all day....like why did she even bring them to Mexico...and she FREAKS out and goes running down the street screaming and gets lost and has a panic attack).
The book is quite slow to start but I thought it did get more interesting once they return back to NY and we stop following the book through Carmen's perspective. There was a lot more mystery introduced and I felt actually creeped out at times.
Then comes my biggest issue that is making me want to rate this book lower. I really did not like the ending. I thought it was very unrealistic and strange. (Upon writing this review I am lowering my rating from a 3 to a 2 star).
There is a section where we see two characters crossing the Mexico/US border which honestly felt very off-topic. It felt like a different book had started to play out on the sidelines. I also found it so weird that the two of them were risking so much for this one girl (Luna) that they barely knew who's not even from their city. That was unbelievable to me.
Next, there's no way Yultzie would be able to get to NYC by herself...how would she even know where to go and what busses to take? She even says that she isn't very good at the language but somehow she has enough American currency and understands the bus route systems and is able to travel from the Mexico border all the way to the east coast and find Luna's house?
THEN, wait... so Yultzie accomplishes her mission with Luna and then just waddles away with bleeding feet and no more money to get home and no way to cross the border again safely? What on earth...
That did not sit right at all. (ESPECIALLY after she went out of her way and people's lives were sacrificed for this kid and Yultzie is just left out on her own to figure out how to get home safely....Um WHAT?!).
Overall, I feel like the author was trying to illustrate "The pain of erasure" that comes from colonization and I thought that was really thought-provoking. Unfortunately, I felt like the point for me was a bit missed as I had such a difficult time believing the characters and their actions.
(I also read this book for a vlog on my YouTube channel : )
I thought it was really interesting hearing the history of piñatas and the meaning of them in Nahuatl/Aztec culture. There was also really great commentary on colonization and the erasure of cultures through forced religious assimilation. This was represented really brutally in the prologue chapter which made me so angry to read. It also touches on the epidemic of missing and murdered Mexican girls which was also deeply sad and heartbreaking.
On to some of my personal gripes with this book....
Right from the start I was noticing that the dialogue read a bit cheesy. I had a hard time believing what the characters were saying and it just seemed kind of choppy or clipped. Perhaps this was impacted by the speaking style of the audiobook narrator but it really took me out of the story.
I also thought some of the characterizations didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. For instance there is a moment early in the book where the mother Carmen is describing her youngest daughter Luna as being an odd child. She describes how her and her husband were creeped out by the fact that the daughter asked for a telescope for a birthday present (...that's right a telescope. A fairly normal kid thing to want).
The parents asked her if she wouldn't rather have an iPad to look at pictures of constellations (...which seems like the most bizarre reaction two parents can have, discouraging their young daughter from being interested in science and astronomy). The daughter Luna explains she wants to "look into the past" because the lights in space are sometimes those of dead stars. This statement gives the parents the creeps. Which again was so bonkers to me. I swear that was the worst example to show how this girl is weird because it seemed to me like innocent curiosity and a sign of her intelligence.
Maybe I'm zeroing in on really nitpicky details but it happened again towards the end of the book where character reactions made no sense to me.
I also had a huge problem with the first 40% of the book reading through the mother Carmen's POV. Her character was deeply infuriating to me. When she is being warned about the potential danger that her youngest daughter may be in she reacts in the most extreme and cringe way (again...this could have been exacerbated by the audio narrator who may have over acted out the dialogue). I found her stubbornness really frustrating. She goes on to be even more annoying as the book continues (the scene where her daughters are walking to the job site because they are bored out of their minds stuck at home alone all day....like why did she even bring them to Mexico...and she FREAKS out and goes running down the street screaming and gets lost and has a panic attack).
The book is quite slow to start but I thought it did get more interesting once they return back to NY and we stop following the book through Carmen's perspective. There was a lot more mystery introduced and I felt actually creeped out at times.
Then comes my biggest issue that is making me want to rate this book lower. I really did not like the ending. I thought it was very unrealistic and strange. (Upon writing this review I am lowering my rating from a 3 to a 2 star).
There is a section where we see two characters crossing the Mexico/US border which honestly felt very off-topic. It felt like a different book had started to play out on the sidelines. I also found it so weird that the two of them were risking so much for this one girl (Luna) that they barely knew who's not even from their city. That was unbelievable to me.
Next, there's no way Yultzie would be able to get to NYC by herself...how would she even know where to go and what busses to take? She even says that she isn't very good at the language but somehow she has enough American currency and understands the bus route systems and is able to travel from the Mexico border all the way to the east coast and find Luna's house?
THEN, wait... so Yultzie accomplishes her mission with Luna and then just waddles away with bleeding feet and no more money to get home and no way to cross the border again safely? What on earth...
That did not sit right at all. (ESPECIALLY after she went out of her way and people's lives were sacrificed for this kid and Yultzie is just left out on her own to figure out how to get home safely....Um WHAT?!).
Overall, I feel like the author was trying to illustrate "The pain of erasure" that comes from colonization and I thought that was really thought-provoking. Unfortunately, I felt like the point for me was a bit missed as I had such a difficult time believing the characters and their actions.
(I also read this book for a vlog on my YouTube channel : )
August 18, 2023
I hate it here ðŸ˜
January 24, 2025
💛🧡🖤💛🧡🖤💛🧡🖤💛
Pinata is a spooky, toe-curling and thought-provoking Possession Horror story from the mind of Leopoldo Gout.
My initial attraction was to the cover. I mean, look at it!
Then I read the synopsis and knew it was something I wanted to pick up as soon as possible. I'm so happy I did.
In this story we follow single-mom, Carmen, and her two daughters, Izel and Luna. Carmen works for a prestigious New York design firm, who have projects all over the globe. Carmen has been assigned the role of site manager for a renovation project in Tulancingo, a city in the Mexican state of Hildago.
Specifically, the project is the renovation of an ancient abbey into a modern hotel, while trying to adhere to the original beauty of the space. A project Carmen is passionate about.
Carmen is excited for the project for a number of reasons. It's a challenging renovation and a big step-up in responsibility for Carmen. Additionally, she gets to bring her daughters, so it's a chance for them to be exposed to the culture of their ancestors.
As they move into their little rental, Carmen is excited with the possibilities the summer holds for them. There's trepidation too, of course, it's a city after all and the girls will be home alone during the day while she is working.
With this in mind, Carmen does set up some ground rules for the girls. They know not to leave the house on their own, or to open the door to strangers.
We follow Carmen as she deals with the girls, the local workers and the stress of her job. We also see how the girls are adjusting to their new environment and we meet a few of the local characters with ties to the abbey and its history.
On a day that the girls visit Carmen at work an accident occurs, which ends up exposing a hidden tomb packed full of mysterious, ancient artifacts. Unfortunately, that incident changes everything for Carmen and her girls.
Although her employer doesn't necessarily blame Carmen for the accident, they need to pull her from the project, for optics, thus cutting Carmen and the girls' trip short.
As they return to New York, Carmen's concerned about the future of her job. What if she does end up getting fired? How will she provide for them?
Additionally, the girls seem to be taking the change hard. Particularly, Luna, normally bright, bubbly and out-going, now is distant and morose. What's going on there?
Things go from bad to worse for the stressed family, as violent incidents occur both at school and at home. People are getting hurt, worse even. Carmen begins to suspect that something is seriously wrong with Luna.
When Izel opens up and shares her concerns about her sister with her Mom, Carmen can no longer ignore it. They need help. They need to free Luna from whatever has taken hold of her before it's too late for them all.
I loved the way Gout told this story. The settings were distinct and I enjoyed getting to know the characters, particularly Carmen and her girls. It's a very family-centered story and I was definitely along for their journey.
I felt the writing was descriptive in a way that helped me to picture everything perfectly in my mind. I would love to see this adapted to film. I think it could really translate well to that format.
The tension builds rather nicely and as you get closer to the end, it starts to get quite anxiety inducing. Things definitely snowball quickly once they get back to New York and actually, for me, that did throw the pace off a little.
The initial build-up, the family's stay in Mexico, it takes its time. The stage is set in a slow-burn fashion, but then the conclusion almost feels too rushed in comparison.
With this being said, I still feel like the concept, character work and themes explored were all really well done. I loved how Gout included the historical and cultural aspects to the story. For me, that made it stand out from other Possession stories I have read.
Overall, I feel like this is a memorable and engaging story that I am proud to have displayed on my shelves. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a solid Possession story, or dark fiction involving heavy historical, or cultural, components.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a highly anticipated release for me and it did not disappoint!
Pinata is a spooky, toe-curling and thought-provoking Possession Horror story from the mind of Leopoldo Gout.
My initial attraction was to the cover. I mean, look at it!
Then I read the synopsis and knew it was something I wanted to pick up as soon as possible. I'm so happy I did.
In this story we follow single-mom, Carmen, and her two daughters, Izel and Luna. Carmen works for a prestigious New York design firm, who have projects all over the globe. Carmen has been assigned the role of site manager for a renovation project in Tulancingo, a city in the Mexican state of Hildago.
Specifically, the project is the renovation of an ancient abbey into a modern hotel, while trying to adhere to the original beauty of the space. A project Carmen is passionate about.
Carmen is excited for the project for a number of reasons. It's a challenging renovation and a big step-up in responsibility for Carmen. Additionally, she gets to bring her daughters, so it's a chance for them to be exposed to the culture of their ancestors.
As they move into their little rental, Carmen is excited with the possibilities the summer holds for them. There's trepidation too, of course, it's a city after all and the girls will be home alone during the day while she is working.
With this in mind, Carmen does set up some ground rules for the girls. They know not to leave the house on their own, or to open the door to strangers.
We follow Carmen as she deals with the girls, the local workers and the stress of her job. We also see how the girls are adjusting to their new environment and we meet a few of the local characters with ties to the abbey and its history.
On a day that the girls visit Carmen at work an accident occurs, which ends up exposing a hidden tomb packed full of mysterious, ancient artifacts. Unfortunately, that incident changes everything for Carmen and her girls.
Although her employer doesn't necessarily blame Carmen for the accident, they need to pull her from the project, for optics, thus cutting Carmen and the girls' trip short.
As they return to New York, Carmen's concerned about the future of her job. What if she does end up getting fired? How will she provide for them?
Additionally, the girls seem to be taking the change hard. Particularly, Luna, normally bright, bubbly and out-going, now is distant and morose. What's going on there?
Things go from bad to worse for the stressed family, as violent incidents occur both at school and at home. People are getting hurt, worse even. Carmen begins to suspect that something is seriously wrong with Luna.
When Izel opens up and shares her concerns about her sister with her Mom, Carmen can no longer ignore it. They need help. They need to free Luna from whatever has taken hold of her before it's too late for them all.
I loved the way Gout told this story. The settings were distinct and I enjoyed getting to know the characters, particularly Carmen and her girls. It's a very family-centered story and I was definitely along for their journey.
I felt the writing was descriptive in a way that helped me to picture everything perfectly in my mind. I would love to see this adapted to film. I think it could really translate well to that format.
The tension builds rather nicely and as you get closer to the end, it starts to get quite anxiety inducing. Things definitely snowball quickly once they get back to New York and actually, for me, that did throw the pace off a little.
The initial build-up, the family's stay in Mexico, it takes its time. The stage is set in a slow-burn fashion, but then the conclusion almost feels too rushed in comparison.
With this being said, I still feel like the concept, character work and themes explored were all really well done. I loved how Gout included the historical and cultural aspects to the story. For me, that made it stand out from other Possession stories I have read.
Overall, I feel like this is a memorable and engaging story that I am proud to have displayed on my shelves. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a solid Possession story, or dark fiction involving heavy historical, or cultural, components.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a highly anticipated release for me and it did not disappoint!
March 17, 2023
In struggling a bit with writing this review.
The story was very easy getting invested into and I was surprised that I enjoyed the family aspect as much as I did. By the end I was fully emersed in the story and it felt very intense. Didn't know what kind of horror story this was going to be so went in rather blind but highly enjoyed it.
The story was very easy getting invested into and I was surprised that I enjoyed the family aspect as much as I did. By the end I was fully emersed in the story and it felt very intense. Didn't know what kind of horror story this was going to be so went in rather blind but highly enjoyed it.
March 18, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book!
±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ was one my most anticipated novels of 2023, and I am so very sad that it ended up not working for me.
From a craft standpoint, the novel felt clunky and oddly paced. The book is halfway through by the time we get the family leaving Mexico to go back to New York, so there's a lot of front loading before we get to the actual plot. Now, I wouldn't mind this, because I love slow character novels. However, that requires me to care about the characters, and Carmen, Luna, and Izel all felt like stock characters to me--like they were characters in a Blockbuster horror movie rather than thought out, complex, complicated characters.
I could have gotten past that to enjoy the novel, but my biggest issue was in the representation of Nahua cultures and customs. I am not Nahua, so I would love to see what Indigenous folks in Mexico think of the representation here, but it very much gave me the same uncomfortable feeling that I've had reading novels released by non-Indigenous folks in the US that feature Native characters. It felt like the entire book was catered to the white gaze and used stereotypical tropes that we see in horror movies, like "the mystical, wise Indian." The book has conversations around the violence of colonization and the wiping away of tradition, but also relegates Nahua people to that of the dead and the gone with forgotten customs and forgotten people and...I don't think that's the case?
This might be a spoiler, but I think it's important to know for Indigenous readers who are sensitive to this type of portrayal.
In the end, I just felt uncomfortable reading a vast majority of this novel, as an Indigenous reader. It reminded me so much of all the bad tropes I've waded through in the horror genre regarding Indigenous and Native peoples. It's so important to have the conversations about colonization and its brutality and its aftermath, but to then sort of reinforce that colonial thinking is so odd to me.
Again, I'd love to hear what Indigenous folks from Mexico think about the novel.
±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ was one my most anticipated novels of 2023, and I am so very sad that it ended up not working for me.
From a craft standpoint, the novel felt clunky and oddly paced. The book is halfway through by the time we get the family leaving Mexico to go back to New York, so there's a lot of front loading before we get to the actual plot. Now, I wouldn't mind this, because I love slow character novels. However, that requires me to care about the characters, and Carmen, Luna, and Izel all felt like stock characters to me--like they were characters in a Blockbuster horror movie rather than thought out, complex, complicated characters.
I could have gotten past that to enjoy the novel, but my biggest issue was in the representation of Nahua cultures and customs. I am not Nahua, so I would love to see what Indigenous folks in Mexico think of the representation here, but it very much gave me the same uncomfortable feeling that I've had reading novels released by non-Indigenous folks in the US that feature Native characters. It felt like the entire book was catered to the white gaze and used stereotypical tropes that we see in horror movies, like "the mystical, wise Indian." The book has conversations around the violence of colonization and the wiping away of tradition, but also relegates Nahua people to that of the dead and the gone with forgotten customs and forgotten people and...I don't think that's the case?
This might be a spoiler, but I think it's important to know for Indigenous readers who are sensitive to this type of portrayal.
In the end, I just felt uncomfortable reading a vast majority of this novel, as an Indigenous reader. It reminded me so much of all the bad tropes I've waded through in the horror genre regarding Indigenous and Native peoples. It's so important to have the conversations about colonization and its brutality and its aftermath, but to then sort of reinforce that colonial thinking is so odd to me.
Again, I'd love to hear what Indigenous folks from Mexico think about the novel.
May 14, 2023
Very very very very sloooooow. The pacing is odd because the beginning is too slow and the ending is too fast, had that been different, it could have been 5 stars.
I love the history and folklore we get in the story and the non religious possession, which is not the typical possession storyline.
I think the imagery and visuals were really great and this book would honestly be better as a film.
I love the history and folklore we get in the story and the non religious possession, which is not the typical possession storyline.
I think the imagery and visuals were really great and this book would honestly be better as a film.
April 15, 2023
In an unpopular opinion, I thought this was just an average read. I thought the story was too slow, but once the horror set it was better.
September 4, 2022
Thanks @NetGalley and @TorNightfire for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t overstate how excited I’ve been to read this one! I’ve had this title sitting on my want to read shelf since I first heard about it and read the synopsis, and I definitely did a little happy dance when I was approved.
Unfortunately this one was hard for me to get into(aside from the killer prologue of an Aztec village being completely defiled by Spanish invaders)� there’s a lot of mundane details of everyday life with the family we’re following that don’t go anywhere. It was a little overly-done for my tastes and left me wishing for more of the action from the prologue. The pacing is pretty slow, and every new plot point is super “this is a horror tale, so this is the order of operations� predictable. The only thing that elevates this above just another cliche possession story is the vibrant Nahua history and lore that’s baked into this story.
Gout’s writing style was a miss for me—I felt the over-explanatory, dry nature of the prose took away from my interest in the story as opposed to adding to it. It didn’t “flow� well for me and was a bit tedious to read. There was never a point that I was really itching to get back to the story after putting it down.
I’ve seen this novel compared generously to Hereditary, A Head Full of Ghosts and Mexican Gothic…Please PLEASE, for the love of god, stop comparing average stories to big, buzzy, masterful horror works. Doing so just sets novels like this up for failure. This story is NOTHING like any of what it’s being compared to, so fans of any of these works are going to be disappointed.
I had such high hopes for this one, which is why it absolutely KILLS me to say that, despite being such a culture-rich story, it was just ok in its execution. I don’t think I’d take the time to read it again. IM MAD ABOUT THAT, because I’d been so looking forward to reading this baby.
Unfortunately this one was hard for me to get into(aside from the killer prologue of an Aztec village being completely defiled by Spanish invaders)� there’s a lot of mundane details of everyday life with the family we’re following that don’t go anywhere. It was a little overly-done for my tastes and left me wishing for more of the action from the prologue. The pacing is pretty slow, and every new plot point is super “this is a horror tale, so this is the order of operations� predictable. The only thing that elevates this above just another cliche possession story is the vibrant Nahua history and lore that’s baked into this story.
Gout’s writing style was a miss for me—I felt the over-explanatory, dry nature of the prose took away from my interest in the story as opposed to adding to it. It didn’t “flow� well for me and was a bit tedious to read. There was never a point that I was really itching to get back to the story after putting it down.
I’ve seen this novel compared generously to Hereditary, A Head Full of Ghosts and Mexican Gothic…Please PLEASE, for the love of god, stop comparing average stories to big, buzzy, masterful horror works. Doing so just sets novels like this up for failure. This story is NOTHING like any of what it’s being compared to, so fans of any of these works are going to be disappointed.
I had such high hopes for this one, which is why it absolutely KILLS me to say that, despite being such a culture-rich story, it was just ok in its execution. I don’t think I’d take the time to read it again. IM MAD ABOUT THAT, because I’d been so looking forward to reading this baby.
November 3, 2023
First off, the prologue *chefs kiss*. Super effective in pulling me into the story and getting me hyped for the rest of the book. I felt like it set the tone SO well. Really loved all of the Mexican history & cultural topics woven throughout the book. I love when a horror story has a deeper underlying message, and this one definitely did. It gave the horror elements to the book layers. Overall I did find my reading experience pretty enjoyable and would recommend it to fans of possession stories, but not everything 100% worked for me unfortunately, so I did have to knock my star rating down a bit.
I do feel like the pacing was a bit off for what I like, personally. The build up took SO much of the book, and personally I didn't mind the length of time it took, but I would have liked that amount of time and attention given to the ending and that wasn't the case. The ending felt super rushed. It just read very lopsided to me. I also didn't really love the characters that were the main POV's. I would have loved more from the daughters and less from mom & the seer. I don't think their perspectives were all that interesting in comparison.
Possession is one of my fave types of stories in horror and as such I've read & watched a pretty good amount of what's out there so it takes something special and unique to really hold my interested and feel fresh & fun. So while I enjoyed a lot of aspects about the book and wouldn't say the story is wholly traditional possession (there are unique elements to it), unfortunately I found the base of the story to read very similar to a traditional possession structure (how the possession starts and the events that occur as a result) which made the book read pretty predictable for me.
But overall I think a lot of people will enjoy this one. The gore & horror aspects are super well done. LOVED the supernatural elements and the flash backs. Those scenes were definitely my favorite.
3.5 stars. rounding up to 4 stars for Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
Thank you so much to Netgalley & Tor Nightfire for access to the galley in exchange for an honest review!
I do feel like the pacing was a bit off for what I like, personally. The build up took SO much of the book, and personally I didn't mind the length of time it took, but I would have liked that amount of time and attention given to the ending and that wasn't the case. The ending felt super rushed. It just read very lopsided to me. I also didn't really love the characters that were the main POV's. I would have loved more from the daughters and less from mom & the seer. I don't think their perspectives were all that interesting in comparison.
Possession is one of my fave types of stories in horror and as such I've read & watched a pretty good amount of what's out there so it takes something special and unique to really hold my interested and feel fresh & fun. So while I enjoyed a lot of aspects about the book and wouldn't say the story is wholly traditional possession (there are unique elements to it), unfortunately I found the base of the story to read very similar to a traditional possession structure (how the possession starts and the events that occur as a result) which made the book read pretty predictable for me.
But overall I think a lot of people will enjoy this one. The gore & horror aspects are super well done. LOVED the supernatural elements and the flash backs. Those scenes were definitely my favorite.
3.5 stars. rounding up to 4 stars for Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
Thank you so much to Netgalley & Tor Nightfire for access to the galley in exchange for an honest review!
May 3, 2023
±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ is a book that I was looking forward to reading for a long time. Having been delayed before release, my anticipation kept building. Unfortunately, after reading the material, I ended up feeling let down. Despite the excellent cover and intriguing premise, I found myself bored for the first 85% of the novel. The writing was wordy and repetitive. There was a lot of exposition, mostly around the history of the area and the Indigenous peoples. The information was good, but the way Gout tried to fit the exposition into the dialogue of the story felt off-putting for me, unnatural and jarring. And the regular dialogue of the characters felt so unrealistic. No one talked like people actually talk. As I was reading it, my brain just kept going "bullshit" to everything the characters were saying. On top of that, none of the characters felt particularly interesting. Most came off as caricatures or loose outlines. I never felt like any had real depth to them. Towards the end of the book, things began to get interesting. The chapter revolving around the deaths of three separate characters was particularly cool. The description of the antagonist in the final chapters was also grotesque and badass. Neither helped to overshadow the quick resolution or the other problems that the book had though. I was pretty bummed with this one. And though I do not count it against the book, it would have been nice to have a pronunciation guide included.
Read
February 17, 2023DNF @ 20%
I wanted to love this. I did love the cultural and historical aspects, but the book moved so slowly for me. May revisit in the future.
I wanted to love this. I did love the cultural and historical aspects, but the book moved so slowly for me. May revisit in the future.
June 11, 2024
Okay, this book started off with a bang! Absolutely loved that, then it got really slow with character building until about halfway, then the action really started again. Besides the slump, I did appreciate the way the world oriented around the Mexica indigenous religion prior to the conquistadors. The mom ANNOYS me by the way she treats others. The kids are brats but mean well. Loved the priest. The book itself I think played out like a movie with everything coming together in the end. Gory scenes are always fun.
February 16, 2023
Review in the January 2023 issue of Library Journal:
Three words That Describe This Book: vengeance is mine, horrors of colonialism, immersive dread
Draft review:
A New York architect originally from Mexico, Carmen Sanchez has raised her family in the states, but when her firm needed someone to oversee the renovation of an old Mexican church into a hotel, Carmen jumped at the chance to bring her 11 and 16 year old daughters for the Summer. However, from the start of their trip, an angry force from ]seems drawn to Luna, the younger daughter. When the renovations open up a hidden room, revealing an ancient piñata, made of pottery and filled with viscera, part of the complex religious practices of the conquered Nahua, the wronged spirit is able to seep out into the modern world with very real consequences. A slow burn where the omniscient narration is spread around allowing the characters and historical details to realistically build and laying a strong foundation for the dread that permeates every page. Gout succeeds in presenting a thought-provoking, violent and immersive revenge horror story, but he excels in restoring the rich history of an erased people.
Verdict: A great choice for readers who enjoy novels where the true horrors of colonization and human rights atrocities are corrected in gruesomely riveting fashion while retaining the utmost respect to the victims as seen in the works of V. Castro, Stephen Graham Jones and Tananarive Due.
Three words That Describe This Book: vengeance is mine, horrors of colonialism, immersive dread
Draft review:
A New York architect originally from Mexico, Carmen Sanchez has raised her family in the states, but when her firm needed someone to oversee the renovation of an old Mexican church into a hotel, Carmen jumped at the chance to bring her 11 and 16 year old daughters for the Summer. However, from the start of their trip, an angry force from ]seems drawn to Luna, the younger daughter. When the renovations open up a hidden room, revealing an ancient piñata, made of pottery and filled with viscera, part of the complex religious practices of the conquered Nahua, the wronged spirit is able to seep out into the modern world with very real consequences. A slow burn where the omniscient narration is spread around allowing the characters and historical details to realistically build and laying a strong foundation for the dread that permeates every page. Gout succeeds in presenting a thought-provoking, violent and immersive revenge horror story, but he excels in restoring the rich history of an erased people.
Verdict: A great choice for readers who enjoy novels where the true horrors of colonization and human rights atrocities are corrected in gruesomely riveting fashion while retaining the utmost respect to the victims as seen in the works of V. Castro, Stephen Graham Jones and Tananarive Due.
March 23, 2023
3.5 rounding up
Super slow and I did want a bit more but I enjoyed this overall
Super slow and I did want a bit more but I enjoyed this overall
January 26, 2023
Slow burn horror novels are such an interesting thing. Initially I'm all like c'mon already, get to the good stuff because I know it's in here... but then once the good stuff finally gets going I'm all like whoaaaaa there, slow down, why are you in such a rush all of a sudden?!
Also, mothers, how well do you know your daughters?
In Pinata, we find ourselves following Carmen Sanchez and her daughters Izel and Luna as they travel to Mexico so that Carmen can keep an eye on the renovation that's taking place on the site of an old Abbey. Carmen's excited to introduce her kids to some of thier cultural history, but things take a weird turn when some scaffolding comes loose and exposes a hidden alcove containing some ancient clay pots and other detritus. During the commotion Luna, ever the curious girl, sneaks one of the strange pots out of the room and manages to smuggle it back to their home in New York, unbeknownst to Carmen, when word of the accident at the abbey gets back to her boss.
Little by little, Luna begins to withdraw inside herself and strange things start to happen at a water's boil sort of pace. Small things that Carmen and Izel could easily brush aside without much second thought, like the sounds of Luna speaking to someone in her room when no one else is in there with her and the creepy drawings she's been sketching, soon become more worrisome until eventually there's too much to ignore, like waking up to a dog sized cricket at the foot of your bed, and uhm hello, NOW you realize that a very pissed off ancient entity is attempting to use your child's body as a gateway for the apocalypse? Really?!
While there were some head-shaking, eye-rolling, shoulder-shrugging moments of really bad parenting, it was quite a unique and wild ride. I see it being compared to both The Exorcist and A Headful of Ghosts and that's actually a pretty good way to describe this book. I was highly anticipating this one and it didn't let me down.
Also, mothers, how well do you know your daughters?
In Pinata, we find ourselves following Carmen Sanchez and her daughters Izel and Luna as they travel to Mexico so that Carmen can keep an eye on the renovation that's taking place on the site of an old Abbey. Carmen's excited to introduce her kids to some of thier cultural history, but things take a weird turn when some scaffolding comes loose and exposes a hidden alcove containing some ancient clay pots and other detritus. During the commotion Luna, ever the curious girl, sneaks one of the strange pots out of the room and manages to smuggle it back to their home in New York, unbeknownst to Carmen, when word of the accident at the abbey gets back to her boss.
Little by little, Luna begins to withdraw inside herself and strange things start to happen at a water's boil sort of pace. Small things that Carmen and Izel could easily brush aside without much second thought, like the sounds of Luna speaking to someone in her room when no one else is in there with her and the creepy drawings she's been sketching, soon become more worrisome until eventually there's too much to ignore, like waking up to a dog sized cricket at the foot of your bed, and uhm hello, NOW you realize that a very pissed off ancient entity is attempting to use your child's body as a gateway for the apocalypse? Really?!
While there were some head-shaking, eye-rolling, shoulder-shrugging moments of really bad parenting, it was quite a unique and wild ride. I see it being compared to both The Exorcist and A Headful of Ghosts and that's actually a pretty good way to describe this book. I was highly anticipating this one and it didn't let me down.
August 22, 2024
Me han gustado mucho todos los componentes de folk horror mejicano, pero la parte de la posesión no me ha terminado de encajar sobretodo por como acaba. Que alguien haga una pelÃcula basada en esta novela, por favor!
March 25, 2024
This started off great. Carmen is an architect who goes to Mexico to oversee a renovation of an old church into a hotel. Her two daughters are with her and she is excited to show them her home country. Even though she is treated as an outsider she is determined not to screw this job up and fail. When she discovers an ancient hidden room inside the church, she decides to close it up and not disturb anything, except her youngest daughter, Luna, takes something right before they do. This seemingly safe artifact, however, becomes something sinister. When they arrive back home in New York, Luna begins to act strange and things begin happening that are out of their control. Whatever they disturbed in that church is looking for a chance to awaken.
I enjoyed the majority of this book especially the idea of a child possession. The characters and history of the culture are well developed and the evil intent behind the pinata emerges as a fantastic villain. But other than that, the story didn't progress like I hoped and it began to drag. By the end I wasn't really invested any longer. I was hoping to be pulled in by whatever was possessing Luna but I was disappointed. Maybe Carmen not realizing what was happening was taking too much time. I feel like if they had stayed in Mexico for the entire story and maybe visited the church's hidden room more would have helped with the tension.
Great start but unfortunate ending.
I enjoyed the majority of this book especially the idea of a child possession. The characters and history of the culture are well developed and the evil intent behind the pinata emerges as a fantastic villain. But other than that, the story didn't progress like I hoped and it began to drag. By the end I wasn't really invested any longer. I was hoping to be pulled in by whatever was possessing Luna but I was disappointed. Maybe Carmen not realizing what was happening was taking too much time. I feel like if they had stayed in Mexico for the entire story and maybe visited the church's hidden room more would have helped with the tension.
Great start but unfortunate ending.
April 6, 2024
This was an absolutely fascinating horror novel! It was a good but tough read. I wasn’t familiar with a lot of the terms and indigenous acts and ceremonies, so I kept setting the book down to go research some more because I wanted to fill gaps in my knowledge base. That said, you don’t need to do that, this book gives you plenty of information. It’s just a me thing I think. The writing drew me in and the whole plot line was great. With history and religion full of their own horror stories, it was a great read taken from those areas of our past and blended with our present.
Carmen has always been the odd woman out as an architect and being a woman and from Hispanic origins. So when an opportunity arises to go to Mexico to direct a build, she jumps on the chance to show her daughters about who their family is and where they are from. But something attached itself to her youngest and came back with them.
Carmen has always been the odd woman out as an architect and being a woman and from Hispanic origins. So when an opportunity arises to go to Mexico to direct a build, she jumps on the chance to show her daughters about who their family is and where they are from. But something attached itself to her youngest and came back with them.
January 8, 2023
Fast read- build up just needed a bit more climatic- LOVED the concept and theme of the book- it was just missing those sparks for me
January 8, 2025
The build up to this story stretched out a bit too long. I almost lost interest. Glad I hung in there as the last third of the book was crazy.
March 14, 2023
Carmen travels to Mexico to oversee the renovation of an old church that is being turned into a hotel. The locals are not very welcoming and the men who work under her are resentful. Her eldest daughter is also resentful of being taken away from her friends and their plans for the summer. Her younger daughter is enjoying the trip and soaking up the culture, but something otherworldly has its eye on this little girl. After an accident occurs Carmen and her daughters leave Mexico but something has attached to her daughter and follows.
Mexican folklore and a bit of history combine with the supernatural in this chilling tale by Leopoldo Gout.
Did you know that piñatas were originally clay pots made as sacrifices to the gods hundreds of years ago? I didn't.
There were lots of spooky moments in this book and I loved Carmen and her daughters. I did feel the story was a little longer than it needed to be, making it slow in some spots, but overall well worth a read.
If you are in the mood for a slow-burn horror this is for you.
My thanks to Tor Nightfire
Mexican folklore and a bit of history combine with the supernatural in this chilling tale by Leopoldo Gout.
Did you know that piñatas were originally clay pots made as sacrifices to the gods hundreds of years ago? I didn't.
There were lots of spooky moments in this book and I loved Carmen and her daughters. I did feel the story was a little longer than it needed to be, making it slow in some spots, but overall well worth a read.
If you are in the mood for a slow-burn horror this is for you.
My thanks to Tor Nightfire
May 29, 2023
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum
In a unique take on the classic possession story, ±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ by Leopoldo Gout is a simmering horror that draws upon indigenous myths while incorporating a bloody colonial past. The plot follows Carmen Sanchez, a New York architect who is back in her home country of Mexico to oversee the transformation of an old cathedral into a luxury hotel. Tagging along for the summer are her daughters, Izel and Luna, taking this opportunity to learn about their heritage.
But even from the start, the renovation has been plagued with issues. Carmen is so busy that her daughters are left on their own most of the time. The three of them are treated as outsiders, and teenager Izel is especially having a tough time fitting in, missing her friends from school. Carmen is also locked in a power struggle with the local foreman and his workers who don’t respect her or follow her orders, despite her being the lead architect on the project. Then one day, the crew uncover a hidden room at the construction site containing a trove of ancient artifacts. An accident involving Luna which also ends up jeopardizing Carmen’s position on the project is the last straw, and she is ready to head back to New York with her girls.
Unbeknownst to her, however, something else comes home with them. Carmen begins having nightmares and frightening visions. Luna begins behaving strangely, acting out at home and at school with violent results. Carmen knows her daughter needs help, but getting it may mean opening her mind to the seemingly impossible.
±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ was an enjoyable read, but maybe not as enjoyable as I’d hoped—after all, when it comes to horror, possession stories can be some of the scariest, but I simply did not get that from this one. Granted, there were some downright gory scenes described in graphic detail, involving plenty of disturbing situations, but these were relatively shallow, throwaway frights.
As it often is in these cases, I feel it was the pacing that threw off the flow. There was a rather long leadup following Carmen and her daughters as they settle in for their summer in Mexico, though this was actually my favorite part of the book. I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of the sights and sounds, as well as reading about the characters� cultural shock of being in a place where the local attitudes, beliefs, and values are so different from their own. As the story progresses, Gout also inserts flashes from the past, exploring the country’s complex history and the lives of those who have conquered or been conquered there over the centuries. Fascinating as they are though, some of these sections were admittedly overlong, dwelling protractedly on certain details that, at the end of the day, did not seem to add much value to the plot.
Which brings me to the possession arc itself. While I agree with other reviews that call ±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ a slow-burn horror, when we do reach the boiling point, things steam out way too quickly. One of my favorite parts about this book is the focus on Carmen’s attempts to balance her roles as a mother and a working professional while the family was in Mexico, along with all the turbulent emotions that they bring: love, guilt, pride, worry, etc. However, when it came to the ordeal with Luna, I thought her feelings were oddly muted, and the resolution felt cold and rushed as a result.
In sum, ±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ featured an interesting twist on a familiar premise, taking the supernatural elements from a possession story and presenting them through a historical, cultural, and mythological lens. I think some extra polish to iron out the pacing issues and to dial up the atmosphere would have made this a solid 4-star read. As it is, it’s close, but not quite there.
In a unique take on the classic possession story, ±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ by Leopoldo Gout is a simmering horror that draws upon indigenous myths while incorporating a bloody colonial past. The plot follows Carmen Sanchez, a New York architect who is back in her home country of Mexico to oversee the transformation of an old cathedral into a luxury hotel. Tagging along for the summer are her daughters, Izel and Luna, taking this opportunity to learn about their heritage.
But even from the start, the renovation has been plagued with issues. Carmen is so busy that her daughters are left on their own most of the time. The three of them are treated as outsiders, and teenager Izel is especially having a tough time fitting in, missing her friends from school. Carmen is also locked in a power struggle with the local foreman and his workers who don’t respect her or follow her orders, despite her being the lead architect on the project. Then one day, the crew uncover a hidden room at the construction site containing a trove of ancient artifacts. An accident involving Luna which also ends up jeopardizing Carmen’s position on the project is the last straw, and she is ready to head back to New York with her girls.
Unbeknownst to her, however, something else comes home with them. Carmen begins having nightmares and frightening visions. Luna begins behaving strangely, acting out at home and at school with violent results. Carmen knows her daughter needs help, but getting it may mean opening her mind to the seemingly impossible.
±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ was an enjoyable read, but maybe not as enjoyable as I’d hoped—after all, when it comes to horror, possession stories can be some of the scariest, but I simply did not get that from this one. Granted, there were some downright gory scenes described in graphic detail, involving plenty of disturbing situations, but these were relatively shallow, throwaway frights.
As it often is in these cases, I feel it was the pacing that threw off the flow. There was a rather long leadup following Carmen and her daughters as they settle in for their summer in Mexico, though this was actually my favorite part of the book. I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of the sights and sounds, as well as reading about the characters� cultural shock of being in a place where the local attitudes, beliefs, and values are so different from their own. As the story progresses, Gout also inserts flashes from the past, exploring the country’s complex history and the lives of those who have conquered or been conquered there over the centuries. Fascinating as they are though, some of these sections were admittedly overlong, dwelling protractedly on certain details that, at the end of the day, did not seem to add much value to the plot.
Which brings me to the possession arc itself. While I agree with other reviews that call ±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ a slow-burn horror, when we do reach the boiling point, things steam out way too quickly. One of my favorite parts about this book is the focus on Carmen’s attempts to balance her roles as a mother and a working professional while the family was in Mexico, along with all the turbulent emotions that they bring: love, guilt, pride, worry, etc. However, when it came to the ordeal with Luna, I thought her feelings were oddly muted, and the resolution felt cold and rushed as a result.
In sum, ±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ featured an interesting twist on a familiar premise, taking the supernatural elements from a possession story and presenting them through a historical, cultural, and mythological lens. I think some extra polish to iron out the pacing issues and to dial up the atmosphere would have made this a solid 4-star read. As it is, it’s close, but not quite there.
March 18, 2023
Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! It was a horrifically chilling story, that checks all the right boxes.ÌýWe meet Carmen and her daughter's on what was supposed to be the perfect work trip/summer vacation.ÌýLeopoldo Gout finds a way to take a fun kids' party game, add in ancient traditions, and turns it into a terrifying nightmare.Ìý
February 18, 2023
I was very excited to read ±Ê¾±Ã±²¹³Ù²¹ and overall I found it to be a unique, entertaining story. It wasn’t the possession horror I was expecting, and I found the pacing to be a little slow. However, the book is filled with some really horrific and gruesome imagery â€� I just wish there was more of it throughout the story.
I loved the mother/daughter relationships and I enjoyed learning about the cultural aspects of the story. It was just a very slow burn, and there were aspects of the story that dragged for me. I am really interested in checking out more from this author. I do think it’s worth a read, but I think you should temper your expectations a bit.
I loved the mother/daughter relationships and I enjoyed learning about the cultural aspects of the story. It was just a very slow burn, and there were aspects of the story that dragged for me. I am really interested in checking out more from this author. I do think it’s worth a read, but I think you should temper your expectations a bit.
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