Piñata by Leopoldo Gout is a fantastic grotesque horror steeped in Indigenous lore. This was a genuinely terrifying read, dripping with atmosphere and imagery that burrows under your skin. The shed scene alone was vivid and unforgettable. I’ve gone back and re-read that scene a few times.
But this isn’t just a scare-for-scare’s-sake kind of story. Gout weaves horror through themes of colonization, sexism, and self-identity, grounding the supernatural with real-world wounds that still bleed today. That layer of history and culture amplifies the dread, making the horror feel not only inevitable but relatable.
I loved how the story leaned into Indigenous horror without watering it down for a broader audience. It doesn’t flinch, and it doesn’t apologize. Instead, it forces you to sit with the weight of generational scars while keeping you nearly at the edge of your seat with its relentless pacing.
This book balances the visceral with the intellectual in a way that feels rare. It’s both a gripping nightmare and a confrontation with the uglier parts of history that still shape our present.
A must-read for horror fans, especially those who crave stories that terrify while saying something meaningful.
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