Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

161 reviews

modernmatilda's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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? No

5.0

CHECK YA CONTENT WARNINGS

My sister in law has been trying to convince me to read this book for ages. I finally caved when she invited me to her book club where we'd be reading this book for the first meeting. 

I am FLOORED. This book is a fantastic ride that kept me in a chokehold the last three HOURS of the audiobook. It has a FIERCE female protagonist, the most vial and disgusting villains, a thrilling ending, and the kind of nature-body-horror shiz I love. 

I wouldn't blanket recommend this to everyone because of the content warnings, but I would recommend this to anyone looking for a gothic thrilling horror with a great edge of your seat reading experience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Incest, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Child abuse, Blood, Child death, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Rape, Racism, Violence, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Death, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Body horror

brittanylee0302's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

As this was my first horror novel I dont have much to compare this book to. That being said, I did enjoy it. The beginning (really the whole first half) was very very slow but once you got past that, the second half of the book was super fast. I feel like it could have been paced better. The author did a great job with the imagery in this book and I feel like people think horror means scary (which maybe it does a little) but I feel like lots of times horror is gore & gross with some spooky parts & thats exactly what this book is. I literally cringed while I read it & said yuck out loud & can only imagine how long ill be (unfortunately, but fortunately?) thinking about some of these scenes but I think that's a good thing in terms of a horror novel! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Minor: Child death and Gun violence

andloveistoolong's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Violence, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Incest, Misogyny, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Vomit, and Murder

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Death of parent, Rape, and Gun violence

Minor: Miscarriage

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Classism, Gaslighting, Murder, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Racism, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Cannibalism, Blood, Colonisation, Gore, Incest, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Body horror

Minor: Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Vomit, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, and Mental illness

stvalentine's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this novel falls into a very special category, alongside aciman's 'call me by your name' and de berniere's 'captain corelli's mandolin': books that changed me irrevocably. the language that silvia uses to describe the dread that noemí feels and the hopelessness and rot that consumes her is unparalleled among my (albeit narrow) literary experience, and the characters are (as suits each) perfectly lovable and detestable. if this novel can teach you anything, it is the importance and power of will and self-belief. noemí is able to endure the darkness of the doyle house only through her inner spark. such an excellent novel!!! so excited to see what hulu will do with it :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Incest, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Blood, Drug use, and Vomit

Minor: Rape

jlye's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Death of parent, Incest, and Child death

allena_inwonderland's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was so incredible as an audio book. 
Haunting of Hill House meets The Invitation (movie) but add body horror.
I waited til the hype died down because I was very skeptical. I also read this without much background info!
I thoroughly enjoyed the eire writing style and details. I wouldn’t say it was gothic style. Noemí was a character I immediately felt intrigued by. This book is set in 1950s Mexico and Noemí receives a frantic scattered letter from her newly wed cousin. Upon her arrival to the house where her cousin is, she begins to experience things that make her question reality.
The house itself was the star. Last portion of the book kept me on my toes, I was second guessing my suspicions. It had me on edge; in the best way. 

There are some heavy Content warnings: 
Sexual assault, body horror, cannibalism, incest, suicidal thoughts, murder, drugging
There was discussion of racism, colonization and classism 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Vomit, Colonisation, and Classism

gothmiku's review against another edition

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Incest, and Body horror

Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Vomit

Minor: Colonisation, Confinement, Infertility, and Genocide

lkjones19's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest and Body horror

Moderate: Cannibalism, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Rape, Blood, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Medical content, Violence, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

rewrigh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Amazing read, but definitely mind the content warnings on this one. True to the Gothic and horror genres it gets quite dark and graphic. That said, it was unlike anything else I've read, with more of the intrigue that keeps pulling back to Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Body horror, Rape, Incest, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Cannibalism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Violence, Sexual violence, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Confinement, Blood, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Child death