Reviews with content warning for Cannibalism - Mexican Gothic - Mexikói rémtörténet

If you're a fan of gothic literature and/or the works of H.P Lovecraft, but want something more self-aware and critical, I have the novel for you. Mexican Gothic is fully aware of its tropes and conventions and utilizes them in new and interesting ways to tell a uniquely Mexican horror story in the proper context of colonialism and patriarchy.

I have minor nitpicks with the book, I think some of the actual words in the prose and dialogue might be anachronistic. I'm unsure if this is a byproduct of English/Spanish translation, but it was sometimes jarring.

Overall a splendid read.

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lakinlindsey's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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aparker89's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

Read this for book club not knowing what to expect.
There is definitely a great atmosphere to this book. I had dreams specifically about the dread and mystery in this book while reading it. Overall, it's got a decent plot. Is Noemi's cousin insane? Is the house really haunted? Is there more to the story of High Place?
We get all the answers. I personally didn't like the answer to the great mystery but it isn't my book lol. I had two theories as to what it was straight away and one of them was relatively close to the author's chosen path. This is a medium paced book with a SLOW BURN! This book is primarily atmosphere with just a tiny bit of action. The action is ALL at the end. The main character is VERY shallow and not loveable at all but she does want to help her cousin and at least she has a relatable desire to help someone she loves.

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lilybear3's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

4.5

I had a great time with this book. It was a slow burn learning the secrets of the house and inhabitants with Noemi. The characters were interesting and creepy. The environment fit the gothic genre. I could see some of the inspirations from

The Yellow Wall Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I read that earlier this year so it was cool to see those similarities

(i have this in a spoiler in case you've read this work). I also thought it was a good feminist horror. Everything about it was great!

FUNGUS AMONGUS! Honestly, I'll never get tired of fungus

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hnagarne's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

cw: colonialism, colorism, racism, eugenics, sexual assault, incest, cannibalism, murder, body horror, gaslighting, drugging, sexism...

4.5 rounded up.

i finished this book eight days ago and i'm still thinking about it, which is how i know it was a five star read. it was so atmospheric and spooky and horrifying -- not my usual kind of read at all. i did briefly read the plot synopsis before diving in, but sometimes i just pick up a book and see where it takes me, you know? and this one was a journey.

if i had known this book would have incest and cannibalism i am not sure i would have picked it up tbqh, but i am glad i did.

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bookshelfmonkey's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

I'm beginning to think that horror just isn't for me. This was a great book, but it was just making me stressed, and I *really* don't need more stress in my life.

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not_another_ana's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

"The walls speak to me. They tell me secrets. Don't listen to them, press your hands against your ears, Noemí. There are ghosts. They're real. You'll see them eventually."

When young socialite Noemí receives a troubling letter from her newlywed cousin Catalina, she has no choice but to go visit and figure out what seems to be the problem. Everything appears suspicious at the old cumbling estate that belongs to Catalina's new English husband and his family. From the family's insistence on relying only on their own English doctor, to their obsession with eugenics, and general shifty behavior, something is clearly wrong. Whatever secrets they're keeping are affecting Catalina and soon Noemí will have to unravel them to free both cousins from the tangled web they've found themselves in.

Zero notes on this book, it was excellent. The gothic ambiance was masterfully crafted, you could feel the tension from the very first appearance of the house. The beginning was a bit slow but a perfect set up for the events to come. I found the plot to be quite original, but the narration had enough clues that allowed me to put it together in a very satisfying way. Lovely atmosphere and descriptions, I did feel like I was in the story.

Noemí is the perfect heroine. She's educated, she's spunky, she is wordly but still young and willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. Her bond with her cousin Catalina, and the one she builds with Francis, was quite heartwarming. The Doyles were horrendous without coming across as a caricature, sadly those of us from "third world" countries have probably come across people like this in our own land. The juxtaposition of the two, very different, ways of living and beliefs was well executed. And of course, the central mystery of the plot was amazing, well narrated, and handled. I could not put the book down for the last 40% or so.

I will say this: do carefully check the trigger warnings. This book handles a lot of difficult subjects and nobody should put themselves through it if they know they cannot handle it.

Besides horror tropes this book deals with attempted sexual assault, murder, gore, miscarriage, racism, eugenics, suicide, emotional abuse, abuse in every way to be honest, gaslighting, cannibalism, and so much incest, like SO MUCH INCEST.

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