Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Gótico Mexicano by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

156 reviews

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

misssleepy's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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? No

3.75

This book was definitely a slow burn. It was certainly spooky and the imagery was disturbing. The main character, Neomí, was very likeable though most of the characters were despicable. I was rooting for Neomí and her cousin the entire book. I think the horror elements were explained in a very interesting way that actually made a lot of sense. The ending came together really well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Vomit, Incest, and Blood

abzster53's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Slow start, but it picked up around chapter 17 or 19 and overall I really enjoyed the book.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Xenophobia, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Torture

arayo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Xenophobia, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide, Gore, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Racism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual content, Infidelity, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence

filipacmiranda's review against another edition

3.0

This is probably the weirdest book I read in 2023 (maybe in my life?). That being said, I don't quite know if I liked it or not... 

For the first two-thirds of Mexican Gothic, I thought the story would run along the lines of historical fiction and mystery. I enjoyed getting to know Noemí Taboada with her witty personality, High Place and its quirks. Suddenly, magical, poisonous mushrooms

- that grow out of a semi-death person -

came into play, and everything became gradually stranger. 

I read this book around Halloween. I appreciated the spooky atmosphere, the patriarch's immortality, and the ancient magic element. Even so, I ended up realising I was still reading it simply because I wanted to know if Noemí, Catalina and Frank would get out alive. 

Not bad at all. I guess it's just not my type of book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Xenophobia, and Gore

Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury

sinaliento's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

5.0

this was my first time reading horror and it was pretty good. 

it’s definitely a slow burn during which i was delighted, distressed and disgusted by the atmosphere the author creates. those dreams… one of them gave me goosebumps.

i also liked that bittersweet last page, tainted with hope and uncertainty.

as mexican, i appreciate that moreno-garcía didn't mention the día de muertos. 

it remembers me of crimson peak and that’s not a complaint at all. /srs

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Racism, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, and Incest

Minor: Cannibalism and Xenophobia

judassilver's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Blood, Gaslighting, Classism, Body horror, Gun violence, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Child death, Incest, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Death, and Misogyny

Moderate: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Forced institutionalization

leanne_miron's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Xenophobia, Racism, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Body horror

Moderate: Murder, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Suicide, and Incest

kcarney86's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Gore, Violence, Blood, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Grief, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Confinement, Rape, Classism, Death, Incest, Murder, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Torture, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual content

Minor: Infertility, Suicide, Xenophobia, Miscarriage, and Cannibalism

skybluespines's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

Very well written.... A mystery with all the Gothic tropes, plus some. I appreciated Moreno's skill in painting images with her words, building tension and foreshadowing, and playing with character relationships. The horror element using colonialism was an intriguing twist. The book seemed well researched as well, using (without spoilers) clever scientific facts in a magical-realism sort of way. 
 I found the ending disturbing. I know, it's a thriller, and it was well done... I think just not my personal taste in books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Racism, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Rape