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khander84's review against another edition
4.0
spine-tingling, vivid, suspenseful, interesting historical details!
anotherbooklady's review against another edition
5.0
A perfectly haunting, perfectly creepy, and perfectly scary novel. Part Rebecca, part Jane Eyre, and part The Shining, this story is a horror tapestry woven together by Moreno-Garcia’s brilliant writing.
I loved the obviously gothic feel of the story. The writing is beautifully descriptive and unsettling. It’s not a book for the faint of heart-it’s scary and gory and takes a few unexpected turns. I’m a fan of the spooky genre and SMG fully delivered here.
Set in 1950’s Mexico in the mountains of Hidalgo, Noemí Taboada leaves her socialite life in Mexico City to check-in on her newlywed cousin, Catalina Doyle.
Catalina has sent a bizarre letter to her family asking them to rescue her from the remote estate known as High Place. Noemí doesn’t know what to expect, but is surprised by the decrepit mansion, the catatonic state of Catalina, and frustrated by her cousin’s mysterious new husband, Virgil-and the other Doyle family members who reside in High Place.
Strange dreams began to plague Noemí and she starts to feel the walls of the moldering home closing in on her. One thing becomes increasingly clear-Noemí needs to get Catalina away from High Place as quickly as possible before it’s too late for both women.
If you’re an audiobook reader, you will really enjoy Frankie Corzo’s narration; she reads in a clear, beautiful tone and her pronunciations made me wish the book used more Spanish phrasing. Definitely worth the credit!
I loved the obviously gothic feel of the story. The writing is beautifully descriptive and unsettling. It’s not a book for the faint of heart-it’s scary and gory and takes a few unexpected turns. I’m a fan of the spooky genre and SMG fully delivered here.
Set in 1950’s Mexico in the mountains of Hidalgo, Noemí Taboada leaves her socialite life in Mexico City to check-in on her newlywed cousin, Catalina Doyle.
Catalina has sent a bizarre letter to her family asking them to rescue her from the remote estate known as High Place. Noemí doesn’t know what to expect, but is surprised by the decrepit mansion, the catatonic state of Catalina, and frustrated by her cousin’s mysterious new husband, Virgil-and the other Doyle family members who reside in High Place.
Strange dreams began to plague Noemí and she starts to feel the walls of the moldering home closing in on her. One thing becomes increasingly clear-Noemí needs to get Catalina away from High Place as quickly as possible before it’s too late for both women.
If you’re an audiobook reader, you will really enjoy Frankie Corzo’s narration; she reads in a clear, beautiful tone and her pronunciations made me wish the book used more Spanish phrasing. Definitely worth the credit!
girlontheverge's review against another edition
5.0
Whew! What a read! From the start I was completely captivated and in some ways ensnared by this twisting, gothic tale.
Isolated location? Tick. Creepy house? Tick. Even creepier inhabitants? Tick. A likeable and plucky protagonist drawn into something which may or may not be supernatural? Tick. Tick. Tick.
The atmosphere created here is palpable, and, if you’ve read any of my other reviews you know I’m a huge fan of atmosphere. Even reading this, as I did on a warm and sunny May day; I could still feel the damp and gloomy mist that sits high on the mountain overlooking El Triunfo.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia doesn’t exactly hide what is causing the trouble at High Place but she takes the obvious answer and twists it in such a way that is so deliciously grotesque that’ll it’ll definitely have you thinking twice about reaching for the Hongos Saltados.
P.S Noemí stan for life!
aponthier's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.25
thatmeddlingkid's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
crloken's review against another edition
4.0
Delightfully weird. Noemi is a Mexican socialite who is expected to go to parties and find a husband, but, while she does enjoy parties and men, she is more interested in attending grad school than she is in getting married. Her father agrees to think about grad school if she will first go and check on her cousin who recently got married and has been sending some odd letters. So before long Noemi finds herself staying in a huge Gothic manor called High Place with her cousin's husband and family and her sickly cousin. So far, so Gothic, but from there the story branches in some weird and nasty directions as Noemi realizes the truth of High Place.
Noemi is a great protagonist; at first glance flighty and flirty, but with an equal interest in anthropology as she has in dancing and gambling. She is exactly the kind of character who can convincingly stay in a dangerous situations because she doesn't like giving up, and who can believably win over the loyalty and affections of others with little effort. The other characters, while not as vividly drawn, are also convincing and believable characters. Most importantly for the genre, High Place is a vivid setting so realized that you can almost hear the creaks and groans and smell the musky fungal odor.
Mexican Gothic understands the history and tropes of Gothic Horror and plays with them with a fascinated fervor, but it has more to it than just a fun remix on an old genre. Similar to Get Out, Mexican Gothic has a satisfying fantastical explanation for events, while saying more about the effects of colonial power and it's legacy than a non-genre story would be able to. Noemi is constantly drawn to the intoxicating allure of this colonial power, one that would offer her power and influence at just the cost of her freedom and her soul. Mexican Gothic is far more than just a delightful play on an old genre, but rather speaks to hard hitting themes without ever losing the sight of its increasingly surreal and haunting narrative.
Noemi is a great protagonist; at first glance flighty and flirty, but with an equal interest in anthropology as she has in dancing and gambling. She is exactly the kind of character who can convincingly stay in a dangerous situations because she doesn't like giving up, and who can believably win over the loyalty and affections of others with little effort. The other characters, while not as vividly drawn, are also convincing and believable characters. Most importantly for the genre, High Place is a vivid setting so realized that you can almost hear the creaks and groans and smell the musky fungal odor.
Mexican Gothic understands the history and tropes of Gothic Horror and plays with them with a fascinated fervor, but it has more to it than just a fun remix on an old genre. Similar to Get Out, Mexican Gothic has a satisfying fantastical explanation for events, while saying more about the effects of colonial power and it's legacy than a non-genre story would be able to. Noemi is constantly drawn to the intoxicating allure of this colonial power, one that would offer her power and influence at just the cost of her freedom and her soul. Mexican Gothic is far more than just a delightful play on an old genre, but rather speaks to hard hitting themes without ever losing the sight of its increasingly surreal and haunting narrative.
silkemaria's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
katsoa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
karalew's review against another edition
5.0
Wow... just wow.
I haven’t been into reading thrillers recently but I loved Gods of Jade and Shadow by this author and this popped up on my BOTM list so I jumped at it without reading the blurb.
Such an interesting read that kept me on the edge of my seat! Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.
I haven’t been into reading thrillers recently but I loved Gods of Jade and Shadow by this author and this popped up on my BOTM list so I jumped at it without reading the blurb.
Such an interesting read that kept me on the edge of my seat! Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.
heart_palpitations's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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? No
3.25