Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
I could not put it down!!! So good, so many turns and thrills. I love it ❤️
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have so many conflicting feelings.
Definitely was creepy horror story but had so many cringy things in the end wish didnt read it
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
My interest pecked for Mexican Gothic as I saw it all over social media, tiktok, Instagram, twitter nonstop news articles everywhere I went I saw this book, so I finally gave in and picked it up and I was rewarded. Mexican Gothic fuses several threads to weave a wondrously creepy, spooky story that is both forward-thinking and true to its roots a Jane Eyre' Meets 'Dracula, the story follows Noemí, a young, glamourous debutant who leaves her lovely home in the city to rescue her beleaguered cousin Catalina, who is being kept prisoner in a gloomy, isolated hilltop mansion by her new husband and in-laws.
The novel follows Noemí, an anthropology student and a socialite from Mexico City, but Noemi is ahead of her time in 1950s Mexico City, Noemi knows she is attractive, and she owns it, she is liberated and clever, hard-headed, even to a fault but that’s what makes her an interesting character to assume the sleuthing role in this story. Noemí intense loyalty to her family is what brings her to High Place, but it is always what makes her refuse to leave. When the book begins Noemí is foolish, arrogant and shallow, but Noemí is not punished for having these traits. She is allowed to survive and persevere without compromising these parts of herself. Noemí can outlast her enemies and demand to be taken seriously without changing as a person. Noemí is allowed to keep her femininity while also being intelligent and making sensible decisions. She is a wonderfully, canny heroine.
There is a sense of foreboding that is enforced by the atmosphere of the narrative and setting. High Place is described as an old Victorian with broken shingles, elaborate ornamentation, and dirty bay windows with an English cemetery, full of statues and unmarked plots coved in fog. When Noemí first enters she describes the house as a dress lined with lead, so silent you could heart each heart beats, a library filled with rotting books, molding wallpaper; the windows locked, and curtains drawn. While the characters have their distinct mystery that adds a constant feeling creep. The Doyle Family give off an unsettling vibe every time they’re in a scene. The first half of this book is slow, but it adds to the sombre mood of the book. As the book picks up it keep me on my toes page after page.
If Noemí is a heroine worth rooting for, there’s also the horrifying spectre of the Doyle Family in their cruelty, deception, and predatory behaviour. You learn of Howard Doyle love of eugenics as he brings it up during most conversation with Noemí. These conversations lead the reader to believe that the Doyles’ have a long history of colonialism, as the Doyle’s owned a now-defunct silver mine in which countless local Mexican workers perished, issues of race, class and power charge nearly every interaction, every discovery, every secret. The way these issues play out in the twisty plot feels both unexpected and inevitable, and Moreno-Garcia shows a deft hand in managing the plot’s many revelations at just the right pace to keep the reader riveted.
Mexican Gothic is a sharp, glittering page-turner and it is absolutely, wonderfully scary. But it’s something else, too first and foremost, it’s a novel at the crest of the new wave of horror.
The novel follows Noemí, an anthropology student and a socialite from Mexico City, but Noemi is ahead of her time in 1950s Mexico City, Noemi knows she is attractive, and she owns it, she is liberated and clever, hard-headed, even to a fault but that’s what makes her an interesting character to assume the sleuthing role in this story. Noemí intense loyalty to her family is what brings her to High Place, but it is always what makes her refuse to leave. When the book begins Noemí is foolish, arrogant and shallow, but Noemí is not punished for having these traits. She is allowed to survive and persevere without compromising these parts of herself. Noemí can outlast her enemies and demand to be taken seriously without changing as a person. Noemí is allowed to keep her femininity while also being intelligent and making sensible decisions. She is a wonderfully, canny heroine.
There is a sense of foreboding that is enforced by the atmosphere of the narrative and setting. High Place is described as an old Victorian with broken shingles, elaborate ornamentation, and dirty bay windows with an English cemetery, full of statues and unmarked plots coved in fog. When Noemí first enters she describes the house as a dress lined with lead, so silent you could heart each heart beats, a library filled with rotting books, molding wallpaper; the windows locked, and curtains drawn. While the characters have their distinct mystery that adds a constant feeling creep. The Doyle Family give off an unsettling vibe every time they’re in a scene. The first half of this book is slow, but it adds to the sombre mood of the book. As the book picks up it keep me on my toes page after page.
If Noemí is a heroine worth rooting for, there’s also the horrifying spectre of the Doyle Family in their cruelty, deception, and predatory behaviour. You learn of Howard Doyle love of eugenics as he brings it up during most conversation with Noemí. These conversations lead the reader to believe that the Doyles’ have a long history of colonialism, as the Doyle’s owned a now-defunct silver mine in which countless local Mexican workers perished, issues of race, class and power charge nearly every interaction, every discovery, every secret. The way these issues play out in the twisty plot feels both unexpected and inevitable, and Moreno-Garcia shows a deft hand in managing the plot’s many revelations at just the right pace to keep the reader riveted.
Mexican Gothic is a sharp, glittering page-turner and it is absolutely, wonderfully scary. But it’s something else, too first and foremost, it’s a novel at the crest of the new wave of horror.
Stop what you’re doing and read this book immediately!!! With this book and The Ghost Woods, I guess Mushroom Gothic Horror is my new favourite genre. This story is the perfect combination of spooky, suspense, thriller, and gothic horror. The reveal of what is truly going on in the house had me screaming. I loved Noemí, Catalina, and Francis so much, and the rest of the central character were completely and wonderfully revolting. As a sociology gal, I loved the inclusion of discussions of eugenics because it made everything all the more disturbing for Noemí and the reader. Absolutely loved this one.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No