Author: Leopoldo Gout
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Released: March 14, 2023
Received: ARC

Book Summary:

Carmen Sanchez is finally home again, working in her birth country of Mexico. Granted, she’s only here for the summer, but still! The good news is that this means she can expose her daughters to the same culture and history she grew up in.

Unfortunately, things aren’t going quite as planned. Workers are resisting Carmen’s input, and there’s a dark, dangerous entity lingering around her youngest daughter, Luna. However, it will take time before Carmen understands the depth of this danger.

My Review:

Yikes! Piñata is one heck of a read, guys. It’s dark and thrilling yet painfully grounded in history. Leopoldo Gout did a brilliant job of tying supernatural horror with the horror that stems from humanity, weaving the two together until you cannot tell where one begins and the other ends.

The prologue is one of those introductions that immediately grabs the reader’s attention. It also sets the scene – and the tone of the story. I knew this book would leave me chilled from the start, and it did not disappoint.

The historical elements were a huge plus to this tale, and I like how they worked their way into the more mundane story of family drama. I’m officially adding Leopoldo Gout to my “auto-read” list!

Highlights:

• Paranormal Horror
• Ancient Gods
• Human Monsters

Trigger Warnings:

• Colonialism
• Sexism/Misogyny
• Racism/Xenophobia
• Strong Horror Elements

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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