Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of The Bewitching in exchange for an honest review.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia may very well be one of the most masterful horror writers working today. This is the first of her novels I’ve read—and it absolutely will not be the last. Mexican Gothic and Silver Nitrate have been immediately bumped to the top of my TBR after this unforgettable experience.
The Bewitching gripped me from its opening line—“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”—and did not let go. I stayed up reading into the early hours of the morning, entirely consumed by the story and desperate to uncover its secrets. Even hours after finishing, I can’t stop thinking about it.
The novel begins in 1998, with Minerva, a Mexican student studying at a college in New England, reflecting on her great-grandmother Alba and struggling through her thesis. Though I’ve never visited New England, Moreno-Garcia’s atmospheric prose made the setting vivid and immersive. Her ability to layer lore, tension, and emotional nuance in just a few pages is nothing short of extraordinary.
The pacing is striking—echoing the emotional states of the characters. When they feel stagnant or unmotivated, the narrative mirrors that, not in a way that slows the book, but in one that deepens its realism. In contrast, moments of tension and danger are fast-paced and electric. This rhythm reminded me of Atonement in its emotional precision and shifting tone.
What’s especially impressive is how Moreno-Garcia weaves together three distinct yet intricately connected narratives. First, we meet Alba in 1908, a young woman dealing with devastating personal losses and harsh realities in the wake of her father’s death. Alba’s storyline is haunting and powerful, and her transformation into a resilient, brave woman is both moving and believable.
Then there’s Beatrice Tremblay, a student at the same college Minerva will attend decades later. Her chapters are written in first person, offering a tender, introspective look at her life, loneliness, and the lingering effects of grief. Like Minerva, Beatrice is an outsider—navigating an elite world through her own hard-won intellect and perseverance.
Each woman’s story is compelling on its own, but it’s the way they intertwine that makes this novel truly remarkable. Moreno-Garcia drops clues and red herrings with expert precision, letting the reader feel the same uncertainty and urgency the characters experience. The mystery isn’t just what connects these women—it’s how the answers slowly unfold, sometimes misdirecting you, sometimes revealing unexpected truths. That sense of chasing something just out of reach is beautifully executed.
Uniting three protagonists across vastly different time periods, identities, and societal roles is a bold challenge, and Moreno-Garcia does it with elegance and emotional clarity. The result is a chilling, layered, and deeply satisfying story—one of the most compelling horror novels I’ve read in a long time.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia may very well be one of the most masterful horror writers working today. This is the first of her novels I’ve read—and it absolutely will not be the last. Mexican Gothic and Silver Nitrate have been immediately bumped to the top of my TBR after this unforgettable experience.
The Bewitching gripped me from its opening line—“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”—and did not let go. I stayed up reading into the early hours of the morning, entirely consumed by the story and desperate to uncover its secrets. Even hours after finishing, I can’t stop thinking about it.
The novel begins in 1998, with Minerva, a Mexican student studying at a college in New England, reflecting on her great-grandmother Alba and struggling through her thesis. Though I’ve never visited New England, Moreno-Garcia’s atmospheric prose made the setting vivid and immersive. Her ability to layer lore, tension, and emotional nuance in just a few pages is nothing short of extraordinary.
The pacing is striking—echoing the emotional states of the characters. When they feel stagnant or unmotivated, the narrative mirrors that, not in a way that slows the book, but in one that deepens its realism. In contrast, moments of tension and danger are fast-paced and electric. This rhythm reminded me of Atonement in its emotional precision and shifting tone.
What’s especially impressive is how Moreno-Garcia weaves together three distinct yet intricately connected narratives. First, we meet Alba in 1908, a young woman dealing with devastating personal losses and harsh realities in the wake of her father’s death. Alba’s storyline is haunting and powerful, and her transformation into a resilient, brave woman is both moving and believable.
Then there’s Beatrice Tremblay, a student at the same college Minerva will attend decades later. Her chapters are written in first person, offering a tender, introspective look at her life, loneliness, and the lingering effects of grief. Like Minerva, Beatrice is an outsider—navigating an elite world through her own hard-won intellect and perseverance.
Each woman’s story is compelling on its own, but it’s the way they intertwine that makes this novel truly remarkable. Moreno-Garcia drops clues and red herrings with expert precision, letting the reader feel the same uncertainty and urgency the characters experience. The mystery isn’t just what connects these women—it’s how the answers slowly unfold, sometimes misdirecting you, sometimes revealing unexpected truths. That sense of chasing something just out of reach is beautifully executed.
Uniting three protagonists across vastly different time periods, identities, and societal roles is a bold challenge, and Moreno-Garcia does it with elegance and emotional clarity. The result is a chilling, layered, and deeply satisfying story—one of the most compelling horror novels I’ve read in a long time.
dark
mysterious
tense
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
dark
mysterious
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:
No
Overall a fine book! I did think it was pretty obvious from the start who was doing the bewitching in each timeline—I’m not sure the author was really trying to hide it, but it was strange since that was the central mystery of each timeline. It made the ending much less satisfying. Since you kind of already know who did it, the mystery becomes how, and when the answer is to how is magic…it’s not really a mystery.
I really liked the author’s writing style, though! I found myself pretty creeped out at times and found the text easy to read.
I really liked the author’s writing style, though! I found myself pretty creeped out at times and found the text easy to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
slow-paced
First of all - incest. I should have DNF'd the second I got a hint of that. Also, this is the slowest book I've ever read. It could have easily been cut in half. Also the 3 timelines took away from each other. The whole thing would have been better if it was one story with little summaries of the past timelines. But that still probably wouldn't have saved this book. I was going to give this author one more chance but as this book went on I decided it's best to call it quits here.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2025: 4.25
