Piñata: A Novel

Written by Leopoldo Gout

Narrated by Krysta Gonzales

A Head Full of Ghosts meets Mexican Gothic in Piñata, 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 home in New York, malevolent and unexplainable happenings seem to swarm the Sanchez family, throwing their lives into chaos. And it might be too late for them to escape what's been awakened...

Inspired by the true, horrific history of how the Spanish conquistadors used piñatas to force Aztec children to break their gods, Piñata is a possession horror story about how the sinister repercussions of our past can return to haunt us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks
• Release date: Mar 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667073774

Leopoldo Gout

Leopoldo Gout is a filmmaker, writer, and visual artist from Mexico City. He studied contemporary art at Central Saint Martins in London and has shown his sculpture and paintings in galleries and museums around the world. Leopoldo lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Reviews for Piñata

[Charles Jones · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! The Mexican mythology was so fascinating to learn about and the writing style and pace were perfect. The horror portrayed in this novel was excellent and I really think this book would make a great movie. I personally would love to see the visuals of the ancient demons come to life along with the cray body horror and possession described in the novel.

Overall a great story, compelling characters, and great horror made this a really great read.

[Lauren Kelsen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an incredible story of the Nahua people and their struggles in current days to remember their ancestors past in modern day Mexico. I absolutely loved the cultural references both of the past Nahua people, but also of the current struggles in modern Mexico. This will forever be a favorite book!!

[krystal tiger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Whoa..
This was dark and creepy and just the right amount of folklore. It was brilliantly written and researched, amazingly thought out. Loved it!!

[tee. · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

* a SLOW burn but learned a lot about the Mexican and Aztec culture/teachings that I had no idea about so that was nice

* some scary spooky parts for sure.

* I can see this turning into a movie almost.

* but overall I really liked the story telling of this book and wouldn’t mind reading another novel by this author again!

* rating: 4.5 stars

[Harrison Tescher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A thrilling story about history and what it means to live on

[cheryl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really want to like this book, but there were some things that rubbed me the wrong way. The author spends a lot of energy talking about misogyny and what it’s like to be a woman for a man who has never lived this experience. It came off uncomfortably for me and I (as a woman) felt pandered (mansplained?) to. My next point of contention was the implication that our main protagonist is a struggling single mother in a multi generational household…. Who takes her theater-interested daughter to Disney, Broadway, and off-Broadway shows… He seems disconnected with what it’s actually like to be a financially struggling single parent. As much as I wanted to like it and was interested in the cultural context, I wasn’t able to finish it because the author kept pulling me out of the story with his own privileged perspective being forced onto a supposedly less privileged character

[AliveInBooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had such a blast reading this! Following the Sanchez family we watch as a work trip to Mexico turns this family upside down. Luna, the youngest member of the family, is slowly possessed by the angry spirits of her ancestors. Using Luna as a gateway to enter the world of the Living, the vengeful spirits of indigenous Mexicans return for revenge for the erasure and destruction of their culture, traditions, language, and land.

I love the lore, history, and native language this story incorporated to build the tension and horror that is unleashed upon the world. The imagery is gruesome and this is the first time I've read a book that could turn butterflies and pinatas scary. Absolutely loved this story!

[paul · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love learning of other cultures through their horror stories and this is a perfect example of why. Such a great compelling story

[Tatyana Ring · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Meh. The cultural stuff was so valuable and neat to learn but the rest was so so
Are there any books where adult women actually behave like a person really would? Not over the top dramatic about everything

[krambow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An exceptional story, very vivid and the narrator was awesome

[Briana Riggs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing performance by Krysta Gonzales! Definitely did this superb horror novel justice. One of my favorite horror reads/listens of 2023

[Karla Herrera · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Honestly i couldnt stand the book… felt like it needed to end half way into it :/