Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Gótico Mexicano by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

163 reviews

angelfireeast24's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Classism, Colonisation, Drug use, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Bullying, Child death, Violence, Slavery, and Murder

Moderate: Terminal illness, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Vomit, Alcohol, and Miscarriage

Had me on the edge of my seat. I both wanted to throw the book across the room due to the unsettling nature of the subject matter and read another page to know what will happen.

I like that in the end, there was no one person being the grand hero. Everyone had their moment. All I'm thinking at the end of the story is they better not have kids together. Cause I know that it will come again down the bloodline. Also, all three of their bodies better be burnt when they die

celery's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Body horror, Classism, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Infertility, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Violence, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Vomit, Terminal illness, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

nmwolfe's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was haunting and unsettling, but I found myself having trouble putting it down. There are so many facets to the story and I enjoyed them all — the way Moreno-Garcia conveyed and wrote this story was beautiful. I’m not a frequent horror reader, so parts of this book caught me by surprise and were pretty unsettling, but it all in all was a great story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Death, Murder, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Violence, Death of parent, and Physical abuse

moonlightjuju's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

"Mexican Gothic" presents a compelling narrative reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" (although I have not seen many make this connection) albeit set in Mexico and intertwined with underlying race issues. Throughout the story, the gripping plot held my attention, although it received a rating of 4 stars due to certain areas that left me wishing for further exploration.

Firstly, I longed for more depth into the character of Catalina, the cousin at the center of the tale. While glimpses of her backstory and personality were provided through flashbacks and Noemí's commentary, they proved insufficient. Strengthening the narrative could have been achieved through dual perspectives, offering insights from both Catalina and Noemí or by dedicating several chapters—perhaps 5 to 10— to Catalina's experiences post-marriage, leading up to her pivotal letter to Noemí.

Additionally, greater insight into Francis would have enhanced comprehension surrounding his motivations, particularly concerning his

betrayal of his mother

. While Noemí's burgeoning feelings for him were evident, his own sentiments remained unclear. Did he reciprocate her affection, or was there another driving force behind his actions?

Overall, "Mexican Gothic" delivers a captivating narrative with echoes of classic literature, but the potential for deeper character exploration leaves room for improvement. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Racism, Death, Suicide, Sexual assault, Murder, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Incest, Gore, Gaslighting, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Body horror

slavic_bookworm'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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Violence, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Gun violence, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Sexism, Mental illness, Gore, Torture, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Stalking, Death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Incest, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Cannibalism and Rape

taylortome's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful 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? No

4.5

I wonderful gothic horror novel. The writing is incredible and the imagery that is developed through this is beautifully bone-chilling. The ending was very fast but appropriate for the events that occurred leading up to it. There are some unanswered questions but I am not upset that they all weren’t answered. A mystery still exists and the reader can determine for themselves what they think. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism and Incest

Minor: Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Misogyny, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

sophieamreacher's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Dark and disturbing fantasy that grossed me out. Interesting setting, plot and characters but a little slow at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Rape, Violence, Incest, Confinement, Classism, Child death, Vomit, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Alcohol, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Gun violence, Death, Cannibalism, Blood, Medical content, Infertility, Gore, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent

jaydeecepticon's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Incest, Child death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Confinement

Minor: Suicide, Vomit, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, War, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Pandemic/Epidemic

rachelly's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Body horror, and Rape

fkshg8465's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. I'm starting to understand the appeal of the horror genre. When it's done well, it has a way of creeping into the tiniest recesses of my mind and poke around in each one. That's what it felt like to read this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racism, Confinement, Kidnapping, Slavery, Pandemic/Epidemic, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Incest, and Sexual assault