Reviews tagging 'Cannibalism'

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

727 reviews

jovanh's review against another edition

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

4.5

This was exactly what you'd expect from a Gothic horror story:
  • Moldering Victorian mansion
  • An aristacratic family with secrets
  • Gaslighting
  • Creepy dreams

If you enjoy this genre, as I do, this book will fit the bill. That said, I felt like I knew what was going on pretty early. That could be because I've a bit too much Gothic horror. Or it could be due to the author's repeated description and motifs. Regardless it's was a fun read.

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mnmooonchild's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

The first half of the book is a little slow, redundant, however once it gets to the second half it's so inmersive I couldn't stop reading (although the first past took me more than a year to get through) 


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lou_loo's review against another edition

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

3.0

I had very high hopes for this book and I have to say I'm a bit disappointed.
By no means was it bad, but it wasn't as good as I expected. 
I would say my main takeaway was the atmosphere. I'd been told this book had a distinct eery and gothic atmosphere, yet I couldn't find it, it felt like the only atmosphere there was to see was mould and mouldy wallpaper.
The writing style wasn't bad by any means (I had already read Gods of Jade and Shadow by S. Moreno-Garcia, and I loved it), but it didn't feel adequate for the mood she was trying to construct.
 The plot and the intrigue were super interesting though, I was trying to understand what was going on and felt compelled to read until the end to find out even with the lack of the atmosphere I was searching for. I also feel like the characters were well-developed at first, but didn't evolve much throughout the book. The situation Noemi was in was getting increasingly worse and worrying, yet she didn't seem much troubled by it.

Even if these elements took me out of the story and the vibes during my read, I have to say that I still enjoyed reading it and I will read more books by Silvia Moreno Garcia. I could recommend this book, but not for someone looking for a gothic and eerie vibe.

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emybems's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A slow burn with many twists

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thatbreebaum's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No

3.25


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wishbea's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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hunterlovesneilperry's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0


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mypoormeatball's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a truly excellent example of horror exploring patriarchy, white supremacy, imperialism, cycles of abuse both personal and systemic, AND how those cycles can begin to be broken. All wrapped up in a deliciously intriguing mystery with a touch of romance — a truly epic haunted house story. I think this book will be taught in colleges someday to students studying  postcolonial and intersectional novels. 

While some of the symbolism is a bit on the nose, I think that’s in the legacy of great haunted house novels!  

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ameronie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

first 60% were awfully slow but the rest made up for it. eerie and thrilling but overall structurally unbalanced (which seems to be a general issue i tend to have with moreno-garcias novels)

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frostedpetals's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Absolutely loved it. I haven't felt this enamoured with a book since I was a tween. 

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