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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received a digital review copy of this book from NetGalley.
I was a little disappointed. In previous books Moreno-Garcia excelled at creating atmosphere and immersive experiences. It's one of her strengths. So I expected The Bewitching to be spooky and pull me into a story filled with dread and horror. But it just seemed so... normal. The story was fine. All three timelines had interesting characters and stories, but nothing really stood out or seemed special.
I was a little disappointed. In previous books Moreno-Garcia excelled at creating atmosphere and immersive experiences. It's one of her strengths. So I expected The Bewitching to be spooky and pull me into a story filled with dread and horror. But it just seemed so... normal. The story was fine. All three timelines had interesting characters and stories, but nothing really stood out or seemed special.
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
From the start, it must be understood that Silvia Moreno-Garcia is my favorite contemporary author. Her books outside of my typical genre tastes are outstanding. The ones within my preferences (Gothic horror, magical realism, etc.)? *chef's kiss*
And as for The Bewitching? Gothic horror with the supernatural told over three overlapping timelines? It's everything I could've wanted.
It makes the case to be right up there with Mexican Gothic (which is my highest praise possible). It's at least in the upper tier of Silvia books with Mexican Gothic, Silver Nitrate (next in my Silvia re-read cycle), Signal To Noise, and Certain Dark Things (not necessarily in that order). Maybe one day I'll outline my rankings, but not today.
I don't want to spoil any more of The Bewitching than the bare minimum I already have (all of which I believe is part of the marketing materials). It's fantastic. It's probably my #1 book on the year. I've done all I can to sell you on it.
Now go read it.
Review on Yesterday's Triumph on Substack.
Review on Yesterday's Triumph on Substack.
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
Another great novel from a titan
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Animal death
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
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
Really enjoyed this one! Like Mexican Gothic but with witches. Following three different storylines in Mexico and a prestigious private college in New England, our main characters deal with the push/pull of the past, difficult family dynamics, snobby rich people with questionable motives...and witchcraft! As a librarian, I appreciated that research is an important part of the story. I was instantly absorbed by the perfect blend of slow build gothic and sensational pulp. I do think the different timelines could have been woven together better, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Thanks to NetGalley and Libro.fm for providing eBook and eAudio copies in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
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
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated