Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Mexická gotika by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

143 reviews

mvlee's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I don’t know what to say about this book that hasn’t already been said so, I’ll write my review for others who also don’t usually like to read/watch horror books/movies. 

The introduction sets up the story and the characters. Like others have pointed out, this is the only time you can see/feel that the book is set in Mexico. I would have been more interested in this story if the plot was based on real, local/cultural superstitions than what the actual plot was. Maybe Moreno-Garcia wanted the story to be more universal? I don’t know. But the beginning was the most interesting part of this book IMO. 

As a person who avoids horror (in books, TV, and movies) 99% of the time, I was able to finish this book through sheer willpower and the ability to listen to the audiobook at 2x speed. I was able to understand what was going on even at that speed and didn’t have to linger too long on the horror and gore scenes, thankfully. That being said, the story actually wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be - again, thankfully. There were lots of creepy moments and I definitely got creeped out but overall, it wasn't too bad. Also, as many others have pointed out, you’ll probably finish this book with a distaste in mushrooms. I sure did. I already don’t like mushrooms (they taste awful!… don’t @ me) but, after reading this, I also don’t want to hear the word mushroom for at least a month. 

What I liked: 
I did find the “lore” behind the house/mushrooms interesting but, that  only had a minor scene and was not the focus of the story. I also appreciated that the main character, Noemi, was smart and strong enough to persevere and stuck to her goal (save her cousin). Hooray for a smart and capable main character!

What I didn’t like:
Aside from the gross and horrific stuff, there wasn’t really anything I thought was “bad.” Everything was written in a way to further the plot and set things up for the ending. 

Overall, I’d recommend it since it’s not too scary and does have a pretty interesting story overall. Personally though, it’s not one of my favorites and I’d probably never re-read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use

thekinkykid's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Racism, Misogyny, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, and Incest

Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Dementia, Drug use, Cannibalism, Death, Torture, and Toxic relationship

twalker28's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

The book is very dark and slightly horrifying. A little too much for me. But, it was very suspenseful and tense. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, and Incest

qamidala27's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

soundlysmitten's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

In a decadent, decaying manor, high above the rural town of El Triunfo, lives a strange English family. The year is 1950 and the mines the Doyles came to exploit have been in disrepair for decades, but still, the standoffish brood remains isolated a top the hill. Noemí Taboada, a socialite from Mexico City, is an unwelcome visitor. Having received a chilling letter from her cousin Catalina, who recently married into the Doyle family, Noemí arrives at High Place concerned for her wellbeing. The Doyles claim that Catalina is ill with tuberculosis and experiencing feverish delusions, but they are suspiciously controlling and prevent Noemí from spending more than a few minutes with Catalina at a time. As the days drag on, Noemí clashes with the family and feels increasingly powerless to help her cousin. When she starts having disturbing visions of her own, Noemí becomes even more desperate to sort things out and depart. But things get a whole lot weirder before the dark reality of Catalina’s illness and the house’s horrific secrets are finally revealed.

Mexican Gothic combines Latin American magic realism and historical suspense with mystery, horror, and a hint of romance. The narrative is told in third person. The beginning mostly details the dreary aspects of life at High Place. But then a series of abnormal events occur, and bizarre supernatural circumstances ultimately bring the story to a head.

This book is full of beautifully crafted depictions of unsettling things that freaked me out to the point of sleeping with the lights on. It might not be the best read for those who prefer a faster paced novel, but the writing is so atmospheric that I personally found even the instances of monotony engrossing. I did not so enjoy the most grotesque horrors, but I’m a wimp and I get sleep paralysis so I’m surprised I even picked this story up… still, no regrets.

Although most of the cast is unlikeable, I was rather fond of the main character. Capable, clever, outspoken, and flirty, Noemí is a strong heroine, but not in a stereotypical way. People underestimate her, but she challenges the standards that say to be feminine is to be weak and that a woman who fancies fashion and fun is just silly or slutty or shallow. As the author has pointed out, we don’t see many Mexican characters portrayed as anything other than maids and laborers in spite of the different socio-economic classes that exist. But Noemí comes from a degree of privilege, and her position also helps embolden her in dealing with the Doyles.

At the start, it seems like the Doyles all have relatively flat personalities. But what lies beneath the family’s austere demeanor is a sadistic ruthlessness. Shy, kind Francis is the only one with any redeemable qualities. Despite being raised up in a household of white supremacists with misplaced humanity, he does not see the world their way or behave like the rest of them. He stays passive far too long, but abuse is all he’s ever known, and it’s important to recognize how hard such things can be to escape.

In terms of messaging, Mexican Gothic contrasts the use of old gothic tropes with a modern discourse on the state of the world, broaching issues like colonialism, racism, and eugenics. The setting makes use of a less referenced part of Mexico's history. And while examining the limits of a woman’s autonomy in 1950s Mexico, the narrative also touches upon the violations women have faced across the world for millennia. I just wish it didn’t depend on repeated descriptions of sexual harassment and assault to get its point across. Certain parts felt a bit excessive to me and I’m not sure all of the graphic content was necessary.

The only other thing I wish was different is the exploration of Catalina’s character. I would’ve liked her to play a bigger role in the story, seeing as she was the whole reason Noemi ended up at High Place.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

Minor: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Vomit

jodielk93's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Incest, and Cannibalism

maryjames's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Incest, Murder, Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Liked this much more than the author's previous book. The mystery was compelling, and the author made this nice and creepy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Violence

Moderate: Colonisation, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, and Miscarriage

Eugenics, Saneism

carodonahue's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The writing in this was beautiful and the setting and characters well-drawn. I thought I’d try something spooky around Halloween, and while the ghost and haunted elements were quite engaging, I found the sexual violence, or more accurately the threat of it, incredibly disturbing and at several points considered setting the book aside. I was curious enough to finish, but I found this further into real life terror rather than otherworldly horror and would not have chosen it had I known it was intense in that way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content

Minor: Rape, Torture, and Violence

linesiunderline's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Brilliant atmosphere, creepy stuff, a crumbling mansion, dark family secrets, so much gothic ambiance, strong sisterly bonds, and straight up horror - this is Mexican Gothic.

I put off reading this for ages because it was so heavily hyped. I can see why it is compared to Rebecca. It is PERFECT for someone who loves that classic but feels up for something a little bonkers and at times, downright gross. An ideal October read that got a little too out there towards the end for me, but was still ultimately a very satisfying and memorable yarn.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Death

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Vomit, and Violence