Mexican Gothic - by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This book will have you on your tippy toes! I love it !! The way Silvia writes it’s unique. Though it took me a while to actually open it and read it, I regret not reading it when I bought it. It may not be for everyone but give it a try!!

I will preface this review by stating horror is not my genre of choice. In all honesty, I first picked this book up because I was drawn to the beautiful cover and was lured in with the alluring promise of haunting story set in glamorous 1950s Mexico. As such, this review may better serve outsiders to the genre who were interested like me, rather than those who knew exactly what kind of ride they were in for. Mexican Gothic’s premise is intriguing enough. A beautiful young woman enters a crumbling mansion to check on her cousin at the bequest of her father and discovers a family’s ancient grotesque secret. At times it feels like a classic black and white horror film, but as the story unfolds it leans into gore and gruesomeness of a more modern variety. To start, this book was not easy to get into. The first five chapters dragged, with a great deal of time spent setting the scene and describing the appearances of characters. Although the plot does eventually pick up, the book continues to remark on what certain characters look like in detail, often repetitively. For example, it seems impossible for the author to write a paragraph involving the men in the story without also mentioning what clothes they are wearing, their hair color, or how attractive they are. The author’s detailed visual descriptions are thankfully not entirely limited to describing a man’s handsomeness or lack thereof. Certain passages conjure exceedingly grotesque images more than fitting of the horror genre, which although repulsive, do stand out in an otherwise unexceptional novel. One scene describing a diseased man on a bed made me want to gag in disgust, which I suppose could be a strength or deterrent depending on how committed one is to the feeling of immersion. Unfortunately, a plot is not made off descriptions of bile and boils alone, and Mexican Gothic falls short in one crucial way. The story and characters, although initially promising, ultimately fail to be either engaging or likeable. When faced with the final chapters, I realized how little I cared about even the main characters whose fate I should be thoroughly invested in. Overall, for a story with such dark themes and imagery, there is little below the surface, leaving only distaste without any greater meaning.

This book should be made into a mystery game.

Maybe it dragged a bit in the middle, but I still really enjoyed reading this book!

3rd Person POV, Check CW/Triggers Listen… I know that I’m late to the game on this book but WOW!!!! I’m not sure what I expected from this book but it’s definitely not what was given. This book blew my mind and I NEVER would have guessed the way that this story would unfold. It’s eerie, mysterious, and has a twist that you won’t see coming. A great gothic novel. One of my favorite this about story was how High Place itself was like a character. There’s something about a creep run down house that’s given a life of its own within a gothic story.

It's true that this storyline takes a while to build up... But it's worth it. It was not what I expected! Also, it's an easy read and once you get into it, it's hard to put down. Overall, I'd say it's worth a read.

I really wanted to like this, I had heard really great things, but it just fell a little flat for me. Great intro, kind of a slow burn leadup, ending in what I thought was a disappointing (and kind of boring) climax.

Almost 100 pages in and still just a really slow storyline. It wasn’t making me want to keep reading it. Will be returning :/

I love this book, each chapter left me wanting more, I loved it from the begging to the end.

It took 200 pages, when the book is only 300 pages to pick up. Slow slow slow! The premise was cool and I liked the writing style. But needed for it to be better paced

Beautiful cover and description of book really pulled me in. It was good until about half way through and then it became fantasy-like. A friend and I both read it at the same time and had the same thoughts. I would not recommend it.

This was my most highly anticipated book of Summer 2020, and it did not disappoint! The first half of the book is a very slow burn. Similar to Rebecca, our heroine Noemi can’t shake the feeling that something is not right in the home she is visiting. She explores the nearby town to learn more about the home and the family who owns it. Once Noemi discovers the shocking truth, the book quickly picks up the pace until we reach the heart-pounding conclusion. If you love Gothic horror or supernatural/magical aspects, this novel is a must-read!