I love a dark gothic read and Weep, Woman, Weep fits into this character beautifully. The writing and setting is gorgeous and it's not too scary. I would've loved for this to be developed into a longer read.

Sometimes you need the kind of that book that sweeps you into the story, and keeps you from wanting to let go. Weep, Woman, Weep is that kind of story. Told from the POV of Mercy, this short book is about La Llorona, generational trauma, and the desire to escape the strongholds of your past.

Life is full of sorrows for the women in Sueño, New Mexico. La Llorona stalks the nearby river, and claims any girl who comes too close, baptising and marking them. Mercy survives an encounter with La Llorona, but her best friend is lost, changing into the type of woman both girls promised they wouldn’t turn into. Mercy, however, is determined not to let La Llorona win, and against the whisperings of the town and the seemingly bad luck that plagues her, she is determined to live her life on her own terms.

There’s a really lovely fairy tale/storyteller quality to this, and Maria DeBlassie does a great job with making you feel like Mercy is talking directly to you. The novella feels almost designed to be read out loud, and it matches well with the themes and plot.

I loved Mercy. It’s the type of POV that really stands out because you become so immersed in it, and eager to see Mercy escape La Llorona’s clutches. And there’s an element of bending reality, too – is La Llorona a real, physical threat, or is she Mercy’s manifestation of something else? Because of the intimacy of the POV, it’s honestly hard to tell, but it feels deliberate and works really well. Mercy and her best friend quickly grow apart, and Mercy discovers her own kind of power, one that could cause a great deal of harm, and she goes out of her way to stop it from doing so.

Weep, Woman, Weep deals with generational trauma, but specifically looking at the impact on women such as Mercy, who removes herself to the edges of society to escape the same fate she’s others succumb to. It’s about toxic mothers and mothers who will do anything to protect their children, and it’s about the way a white, patriarchal society forces itself on everyone.

Above all, it’s an evocative, impactful book, and one that’ll linger in my head for a long time to come.

I don't have a whole lot to comment on with this one. It was deeply okay. I loved the layers of culture, the exploration of generational trauma, but the voice itself fell a little flat to him. It felt like our narrator was always on the verge of repeating things in the same way in which she'd mentioned them at first. It's by no means a bad book and I'm glad I read it, but not one I think I'll revisit in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Weep, Woman, Weep by Maria DeBlassie is a horror novella that retells the La Llorona legend. The story revolves around Mercy, who lives in the town of Sueño, New Mexico. In this town, La Llorona haunts the women, attracted by their sadness and heartbreak. Since she lost her best friend to La Llorona, Mercy has been more cautious than before. She's trying to do what she can to survive and heal.

Here is a captivating excerpt from the opening chapter:

"I am built for tears.
It's in my blood. The women in my family didn't know how to have a life without sorrows. If they couldn't find any, they made them.
I was always finding ways to punish myself if I got too happy. I'd get excited about the paperbacks - bodice rippers, mostly - that I'd buy from the used bookstore on the corner of Main Street, and if I liked the ending of one too much, I'd throw it out. Can't do with too much happiness in the house."

Overall, Weep, Woman, Weep is a horror novella that will appeal to fans of #ownvoices books. The author describes herself as a native New Mexican mestiza. As a Person of Color myself, I am happy to support this author and diversity in the book industry. Unfortunately, I just wasn't drawn into this book. A lot of the book was told in past tense narration, and there wasn't enough action to interest. me. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy books in general, you can check out this book, which is available now!

Lovely enjoyable gothic fairytale. Bittersweet to the end, with great characters - i would definitely recommend it.

Weep, Woman, Weep is a beautifully written tale of a woman, Mercy, and her desire to be free from curses, society, and her own trauma. The setting is vivid, and I love that the existence of La Llorona is explained matter-of-factly, just another part of life in Sueño, New Mexico. I also liked the description of life for the women in town, and how much they have to fight to survive.

However, I feel like the book could have been longer because at times it felt like a recap of Mercy's daily life. Certain moments are skimmed over so I couldn't really feel the terror of the situation. I also wish the book had delved more into La Llorona and her effects on the community. I felt like I was waiting for something to happen but when something does, it just gets glossed over. The second half of the book revolves around Mercy's love life and I have to admit I lost my interest. It's a typical story of a rich boy with a heart going after the farming woman who doesn't care about the way she looks. While I liked that Mercy eventually realise that her life can be open and indulgent, I wish it didn't take a man for her to come to that conclusion.

This was an absolutely gorgeous little book, and very much read like a folklore tale. I know some probably wouldn't class it as horror, and I suppose by the traditional definition it might not be. But it explores themes that are horrific- racism, domestic abuse, feeling trapped by who you are and where you came from- all wrapped up in the legend of La Llorona.

While beautiful, it was also bittersweet. The entwined stories of Mercy and Sherry are parallels that highlight how both our born-into circumstances and what choices we make can change our fate.

This is definitely a book I'd recommend, including to younger readers. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Loved this little gothic novel about a gal tryna escape the persistent clutches of La Llorona! We've got a fast and compelling read, horror elements, breaking generational trauma, female friendships + so much more. It's smart, feminist, sensitive horror that's 100% my kinda thing so if its yours - def pick this up!

Big big thanks to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and the author for the e-ARC. Available to buy now!

I really enjoyed this gothic style fairytale. I really think it was a true feminist horror plot and what’s not to love about that? It is a novella so it’s short but still packs a punch! This is one I would reread. This was dark, spooky, and emotional. Tied in family ancestry and the path of buja magic.

Not exactly what I was hoping for, but not so bad either.
It was a solid, enjoyable read, but I would have wished for more. More in every aspect.

I would recommend this book for people who enjoy magical realism, strong witchy women, and horror that's not too scary. It's also a fairly short and quick read that still has an emotional punch.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OH, this one was gorgeous. Definitely not horror, which was a surprise because it's so heavily marketed that way; I'd say it's more magical realism than anything. That's not a bad thing at all; I loved the fantastical elements here, the questions about La Llorona's malevolence and influence, and Mercy's bold, powerful narration. The voice here is just wonderful. The central relationship between the protagonist, Mercy, and her old best friend was heartbreaking and so realistically drawn. I loved every character in this and the gentle kindness that exists between so many of them. It felt like a real community.

I do think some of the lore needed sketching out a bit more, as it wasn't always clear exactly what La Llorona's powers were, and some of the things in the text seemed to directly contradict each other (such as near the end, where Mercy explicitly says she's thinking of all the ways in which La Llorona hasn't controlled her life, and that the power in this is because she's not thinking about La Llorona - well, she quite literally IS thinking about her!) but that's a minor quibble. For such a short novella, this is perfectly paced and not a word was wasted, but it feels entirely complete. I'd love to read more of it, but I don't need to. I loved it entirely.

I didn’t have any expectations when I picked up this book but I was blown away. What a beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful story about breaking patterns and thriving despite all odds. It has a dose of magical realism but works on several levels. Super excited to pick up something else by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a short but wonderful read featuring the classic tale of La Llorona. I loved the feminist underpinnings of this novella, and Mercy was a wonderful character. The story is haunting and lyrical but not conventionally scary. I devoured it within a day and wanted more! I hope the author continues to write more feminist novels because I think I would really enjoy more of her work!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
At first I was annoyed by the format of the book. It’s one chapter with page breaks. I quickly got over it as I became involved with Mercy’s story. Her emotions and depth grow so much throughout the story. I loved watching her slowly learn how to trust some people throughout the book and how forward and unfiltered she is with the other characters.
The author is able to weave a tale that show’s magic as a real force that steals women’s ability to stand up for themselves due to the evil of men. But the author also shows that there are good men who fight against the evil and that a women’s ability to be unapologetically herself might be the strongest power of all.

Trigger warnings: alcohol abuse, domestic violence

This may be a short read, but it packs a good punch. Perfectly paced - it kept me wondering what was next and also worried about what was going on. I loved the lore and the creepy feel of the crying woman. Good read, so glad I gave it a try

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

The only reason I finished this is because it's so short, but unfortunately its brevity is also its downfall. There is just not enough time in 120 pages to develop a story like this. Events I thought would be interesting were glossed over and things I didn't care about at all were repeated ad nauseum. It was also really hard to place the time period; it mostly seemed like the 80s/early 90s but then there was talk about social media and hipsters with sustainable farms. And I never fully understood if there was supposed to be actual magic happening here, but it wasn't written like the author tried to leave it up for interpretation.

There were glimpses of really good writing here, which I ended up finding frustrating because most of it is written with a very juvenile voice. I think this was just in need of a good editor. It's written as though the main character is telling a story directly to the reader and I very much didn't enjoy that. There was a lot of "I know what you're thinking, I don't owe you an explanation" in the narration and it was super cringey.

Mostly, though, this just didn't really have a plot. There was no real conflict, no villain that posed more than a vague, half-effort threat, no tension whatsoever. It was nice for the most part, and kind of comfy but when I'm reading a book advertised as gothic horror, nice and comfy are not what I'm looking for.

About 200 more pages, more in depth world building, and a good developmental editor would've done wonders for this book.

2.5/5 stars, rounded up because I'm too nice

What this book did best was how it pulls you in slowly and then begins to subtly bring in the gothic elements throughout. It was a little bit of a slow burn, but once I finished the book, I did appreciate this element and I ended up really enjoying it. I was also surprised at this because usually when I read a novella, because of its short length, I end up feeling unsatisfied and left wanting more from it. Although, I wouldn’t have complained if this was a full novel and not just a novella.

This book on the surface is about La Llorona and how she takes the women who are sad and unable to keep their sadness hidden from her, with her then baptizing her victims. While reading it though, I found myself going a little deeper and looking at it as a way that women are controlled when it comes to their emotions. The way that La Llorona is used in a way that tries to prevent women from being sad and showing weakness in their emotion, having to try and push all of those negative feelings down, because otherwise there are consequences. The struggle to find happiness in a world full of grief.

Horror and folklore go together so well. Just look at how Midsommar (2019) mingles shattering grief with a "folksy" festival, or how Carmen Maria Machado employs it in her stories in Her Body and Other Parties, specifically in 'The Husband Stitch'! The stories that are told from generation to generation always carry a specific trauma and I adore it when authors explore that to the extent that DeBlassie does in Weep, Woman, Weep. Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love the scary side of folklore, the dead women that haunt particular bends in rivers, the little lights hat confuse your path in the woods, the stones that call you and then entrap you. I'm about it, especially because Northern European folklore is full of them. But there is so much more to explore, so many other cultures full of the scary and the awe-inspiring. And that brings me to Weep, Woman, Weep, a Horror novella that doesn't so much put a spin on the La Llorona tale, but rather draws it to a conclusion. La Llorona, or the 'Weeping Woman', is a big part of Latin American folklore and has become so well-known that Hollywood tried to incorporate her into their Conjuring franchise. As is natural with folklore, there are a variety of stories about her, but central elements remain the white dress, the midnight wailing, the drowning of children and women, and the crushing weight of the patriarchy. All these come to play in Weep, Woman, Weep, where crying is dangerous, openly expressing sadness is dangerous, and where men and their desires and expectations are dangerous. The content warnings in the blurb should be taken into account, as DeBlassie does not pull her punches when it comes to the horror. But thankfully she also doesn't shy away from beauty, magic and the slow journey of healing.

Mercy's life is marked by the sorrow of those around her and the growing sorrow within herself. The women of her town carry their sorrow wherever they go, especially once La Llorona has baptized them in her river. Sometimes it seems that the only way to survive is to give in, to let her drag you down into the watery depths and emerge wet-haired and red-eyed. Mercy has lost her friend to La Llorona, but she is determined she won't be dragged down herself. You see, Mercy is a fighter. Not in the traditional, almost cliché, way, where everything becomes a battle and heroism is worn like a cape. Instead, Mercy takes one step after another, moves forward without looking up; survives day by day, letting time pass and her flowers grow. It is a seemingly small act of rebellion and yet it feels epic. Through sumptuous language, a casual yet sharp tone, a down-to-earthness that belies the magic, Weep, Woman, Weep tells of recovery, of restraint, of the difficulty of opening up, and of the beauty of a fulfilling life.

DeBlassie almost seamlessly weaves a whole set of heavy themes into her story without interrupting its flow. Despite the horrors it describes, Weep, Woman, Weep never loses faith in its own main character. It never undercuts her power, even when she is at her lowest. Mercy's journey throughout the novella is one that utterly gripped me as I accompanied her from her teenage years to solid middle-age. DeBlassie shapes her growth well, the way in which the world moves around her but she doesn't let its movements affect her core. There is loneliness there, but also beauty, a balance I believe is at the core of good horror. Magic is something elemental in Weep, Woman, Weep, not in that it is linked to the elements, although it is, but that it is something normal in Mercy's life. She speaks to her plants, just like her mother buried protection charms. I loved how DeBlassie balanced the inheritance of trauma with this inheritance of skill and understanding. I can't wait to read more by Maria DeBlasie!

I raced through Weep, Woman, Weep, engrossed by Mercy's story and fascinated by the folklore and details that DeBlassie weaves throughout her story.

I went into this novella knowing nothing except that the cover was amazing but it was a really nice surprise diving in this beautiful story. The only issue I faced it was the pacing, that I thought was a bit slow, however, at the end it didn't bother me at all, because this story wasn't something to read super fast and be done with... it's to be savoured. Summing up, this is a quiet story about grief, overcoming sadness and a violent past, about being strong despite the fears. It has a touch of witches, folklore, love and everyone should give this one a try.
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Quando decidi ler esta novela, não sabia de nada, exceto que eu gostava muito da capa, mas foi uma ótima surpresa mergulhar nessa linda história. O único problema que eu tive foi o ritmo, que achei meio lento, porém no final não me incomodou em nada, porque essa história não é para ler super rápido e seguir em frente ... é para ser saboreada. Para resumir, a história traz sobre o luto, a superação de uma tristeza passada de geração em geração, sobre ser forte apesar dos medos. Também tem folclore, bruxas, amor de mãe, de amizade, de romance, e todos deveriam dar uma chance para esse livro. .