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celery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Body horror, Classism, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Infertility, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Violence, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Vomit, Terminal illness, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
lizdaniii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Mexican Gothic’s premise is intriguing enough. A beautiful young woman enters a crumbling mansion to check on her cousin at the bequest of her father and discovers a family’s ancient grotesque secret. At times it feels like a classic black and white horror film, but as the story unfolds it leans into gore and gruesomeness of a more modern variety.
To start, this book was not easy to get into. The first five chapters dragged, with a great deal of time spent setting the scene and describing the appearances of characters. Although the plot does eventually pick up, the book continues to remark on what certain characters look like in detail, often repetitively. For example, it seems impossible for the author to write a paragraph involving the men in the story without also mentioning what clothes they are wearing, their hair color, or how attractive they are.
The author’s detailed visual descriptions are thankfully not entirely limited to describing a man’s handsomeness or lack thereof. Certain passages conjure exceedingly grotesque images more than fitting of the horror genre, which although repulsive, do stand out in an otherwise unexceptional novel. One scene describing a diseased man on a bed made me want to gag in disgust, which I suppose could be a strength or deterrent depending on how committed one is to the feeling of immersion.
Unfortunately, a plot is not made off descriptions of bile and boils alone, and Mexican Gothic falls short in one crucial way. The story and characters, although initially promising, ultimately fail to be either engaging or likeable. When faced with the final chapters, I realized how little I cared about even the main characters whose fate I should be thoroughly invested in. Overall, for a story with such dark themes and imagery, there is little below the surface, leaving only distaste without any greater meaning.
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Classism, Sexual content, and Incest
moonlightjuju's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Firstly, I longed for more depth into the character of Catalina, the cousin at the center of the tale. While glimpses of her backstory and personality were provided through flashbacks and Noemí's commentary, they proved insufficient. Strengthening the narrative could have been achieved through dual perspectives, offering insights from both Catalina and Noemí or by dedicating several chapters—perhaps 5 to 10— to Catalina's experiences post-marriage, leading up to her pivotal letter to Noemí.
Additionally, greater insight into Francis would have enhanced comprehension surrounding his motivations, particularly concerning his
Overall, "Mexican Gothic" delivers a captivating narrative with echoes of classic literature, but the potential for deeper character exploration leaves room for improvement.
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Racism, Death, Suicide, Sexual assault, Murder, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Incest, Gore, Gaslighting, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Body horror
taylortome's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Racism and Incest
Minor: Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Misogyny, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
rheam1224's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault and Misogyny
Moderate: Cannibalism, Incest, and Body horror
meecespieces's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Incest
laratboulos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Misogyny, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Gaslighting, Suicide, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual violence and Child abuse
sophieamreacher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Rape, Violence, Incest, Confinement, Classism, Child death, Vomit, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Alcohol, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Gun violence, Death, Cannibalism, Blood, Medical content, Infertility, Gore, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent
summerlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, and Suicide
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Racism, and Misogyny
Minor: Pregnancy
mariabacterium's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Incest, Gore, Racism, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Misogyny