Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

what's it about? ⬇️

When a sudden tragedy leads to the deaths of Estela's parents and everyone else in the Subway car with them other than Estela and media attention turns her into a spectacle, Estela is checked into a facility to monitor her mental health and, for a while, stuck feeling like she is suddenly all alone in the world. Until a letter arrives from her estranged Aunt who lives in Spain, inviting her to come and live with her in her little village called Oscuro. And though her parents never spoke of any other family members, there is no other choice for Estela but to go along with this relocation plan and make the best of things.

When she arrives, she is met by a tiny village cloaked in the shadow of the castle--actual castle--where she's meant to live, and as if that wasn't already strange enough, things only get stranger from there, from the strange shriveled seed-pod 'pills' her Aunt prescribes for her to the oddly fervent attitude of the village boy teaching her Spanish to the horrific--and hauntingly beautiful--shadow creature that stalks her through the castle at night.

But this is only the beginning of Estela's journey, as Oscuro and la Sombra have far more secrets and mysteries and dangers to reveal as she settles in, and many of them may threaten her safety and even her life.

my thoughts? ⬇️

I had such high hopes going into this book. It seemed like it would be right up my alley, and there was so much promise in the first half of the book. But things very quickly went off the rails, and while I love a good plot twist, there were so many and they were so outlandish each time that it was hard to suspend my disbelief that far and to keep up with the plot as the roller coaster kept getting even crazier.

I considered DNF'ing more than once, but I stuck with it to see Estela through her journey and to see just how wild things got, and by the end...I did end up enjoying it, even though I think I have more complaints than praise.

The inclusion of a vampiric house, a vampire prince from a separate dimension, magical powers connecting only to twins in this one bloodline (that spans multiple dimensions and species), and the struggle between actual sisters to actually kill one another in order to survive was just a lot to swallow. And especially that last bit really got to me personally, since the first mention of Antonella actually excited me and kept me going because I thought their bond would be what saved them both. And then that definitely wasn't what I got.

All in all, it's a 2.5 star rounded up to 3 for me. I wouldn't not recommend it for fans of gothic lit in search of a chaotic, crazy ride, but it's not one I'd recommend for anyone outside that niche.

trigger warnings ⬇️

death of parent(s), child death, blood, murder, death, gore, body horror, violence, grief, injury/injury detail, fire/fire injury, suicidal thoughts, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, self harm, dysphoria, drug use, medical content, forced institutionalization, mental illness, panic attacks, bullying, body shaming, gaslighting, abandonment, child abuse, media abuse, sexual assault, sexual content, eating disorder, body dysmorphia.

womp womp ... noooo :(

i really enjoyed lobizona, i plan to reread it and finish the duology soon and i'm so excited so imagine how excited i am when i get my libby hold for castle of the cursed...

where do i even begin? i couldn't tell you who this is for, it's young adult in the fact our mc estela feels like a young teenager really going through a lot but jokes on me apparently she's suppose to be 1718? okay, getting past that i think estela is an interesting character. she's flawed and has gone through horrible trauma that's completely spun her life upside down. yet, something about the writing or something made it near impossible to like, connect, or care about estela.
but i can read a book when i don't love the mc it's fine. the plot you ask, interesting. there's a family curse and a mystery estela is determined to solve. her aunt beatrice is a bit cold but who cares, spooky castle! i like the gardens and castle imagery in this story. it's gothic, can't go too wrong.
oh but sam why is it rated 2 stars then? well besides some of the weird plot decisions and overall just lack in character motives making sense, THE ROMANCE IS AWFUL! i'm so so so sorry but god it ruined this entire book for me. 13 days and they're IN LOVE!? she's a CHILD??? this would've been such a strong story if it focused on grief, gothic, family, etc etc but instead the romance was star of the show and I HATED IT! they have no chemistry, it felt so forced, and WEIRDLY SEXUAL??? like i wouldn't want to recommend this widely to young adult readers cause i, a full grown adult, couldn't deal with the spice in this (because it's not good primarily even if the insta love and having sexual desires at inconvenient times does suit a teenage mindset) it just really did not work for me and constantly through me out of the story. i LOVE romantasy and this was not a good attempt and i feel so mean for feeling this way!! this felt like a "these tropes are doing well" type of story and that breaks me heart because again i really really enjoyed lobizona! ugh my heart is broken i'm going to dive into another book and hopefully wash this bad taste out :(

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Romina Garber presents Castle of the Cursed, a YA horror centered on the familial curse of the Bralaga lineage. Readers follow Estela, the sole survivor of a mass tragedy on the subway in New York. Estela is hospitalized for mental health treatment until a relative is found in Spain. Her aunt, Beatriz, is willing to allow Estela to come live with her. Estela has learned that her parents were illegally in the United States and that she has no where left to go. Estela is not prepared for la Sombra, the castle that has belonged to her family for centuries. But la Sombra has been waiting for Estela and the castle is always hungry.

Multiple content warnings on this one. The main character is part of a mass death event in which her parents die. She is forced to undergo mental health treatment and is forced to take medication. There is some nonconsensual sexual contact (kissing). And this list is not all-inclusive. The author does include a brief note about the content prior to the beginning of the book.

This YA horror combination of several well-loved tropes: sentient/haunted house, generational curse, twin magic, and enemies to lovers with vampires just to mention a few. The thing that breathes life into la Sombra is the Spanish culture and the manufactured history of the people and the city that is beholden to it. Everything else is, quite frankly, a bit surface level.

I found myself getting through this book quickly when I was reading it as it was accessible and had good pacing for the most part. However, I was never particularly motivated to pick it back up. I wasn't dissatisfied or anything, but overall just felt pretty mid about the experience.

I would still happily recommend this to interested readers, despite the apparent mismatch for me personally. I am grateful for the opportunity to have read Castle of the Cursed early and wish the author much success.