4.5 Stars

V. Castro's The Queen of the Cicadas is a gorgeously written, atmospheric tale that seamlessly blends horror & fantasy elements together with searing social justice commentary.

This was such a fresh & unique take on the classic urban legend trope - I loved how Castro weaved Aztec mythology all throughout the book, it was fascinating learning about Mictecacíhuatl & seeing how she'd play into the overall story. I'd consider this to be a slower burn, but Castro really draws you in with her beautiful prose, both haunting & lyrical. I truly had no idea where this was going to go, at all, & really enjoyed how the story kept peeling back layers to reveal deeper meanings behind everyone's role in Mictecacíhuatl's plan. & Castro wasn't afraid to go all out with the creep factor, either - there's a ton of great body horror here. I've said it before & will say it again, I love when horror is multifaceted & brings forth real world issues. This touches upon colonialism, conditions & treatment of migrant workers, femininity & sexuality (loved the queer rep here!), racism, religion - all issues still very prevalent throughout our world today.

I'd highly encourage everyone to give this a read, Castro is such a talented storyteller & I'm really looking forward to reading more of her work!