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livelylizzzzz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Mexican Gothic had me hooked from the beginning not only because of the mysterious premise but also the style of writing. The style of writing reminded me a little of something from Mary Shelley. (Although it's been a while since I've read Frankenstein.) The style of writing is very poetic and dark with a nice hint of embedded narrative. This was my first ever Audiobook so I really enjoyed the narration by Frankie Corzo as well, her voice was very soothing and went well with the tone of the book.
Noemi Taboada receives a letter from her cousin Catalina that insists that her newly wed husband is trying to kill her. This immediately gives a sense of urgency and intrigue as Noemi travels outside of her home to help her cousin. Upon arrival she finds her cousin is sick and with her sanity in question. Not only does Noemi seek to help her cousin but also questions just who are the Doyle's, the family in which Catalina has married into so suddenly.
I automatically connected with the protagonist Noemi and found her to be very likeable and sassy. I knew instantly that going through the journey of this mystery, with this character, was going to be entertaining and refreshing. The setting is in 1950s Mexico, the way of life was far different then now, so the topics of racism and sexism held importance within the story. Just these topics alone sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions, with me having to remind myself that back then woman were viewed differently and acted differently as well. This was my first gothic novel in years, so I definitely had to adjust. Not only did those types of topics emerge but also some with much more disturbing natures, such as body horror, gore, incest and assault. So this is a warning to those that might be a little more sensitive to those types of topics and themes.
After adjusting to the raw, yet poetic, nature of the story, I found myself invested deeply into solving the mystery that is the Doyle Family. The novel is extremely character driven which is fascinating yet can drag on at times. This book is definitely a slow burn read, but has a thrilling and exciting, well worth it, ending. If I could change anything I'd like to see more of the facts and folklore of the story that was a bit rushed towards the end, to be fleshed out more in the middle of the story. I feel this would add more to the mystery of the Doyle family and the dark atmosphere the story held.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading my first Gothic and era driven novel in years. I would definitely recommend this story to others and I am looking forward to seeing it's Netflix adaptation.
Graphic: Body horror, Incest, Suicide, and Sexual assault
Minor: Rape
amyiris's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Vomit, Incest, Racism, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Violence, Gore, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Child death, Mental illness, Colonisation, and Gaslighting
garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Medical content, Murder, Incest, Gaslighting, Confinement, Racism, Body horror, and Classism
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Colonisation, Cursing, and Sexism
Minor: Child death, War, Suicide, Rape, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
The r*pe tag is fordeetabz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Death, Murder, Medical content, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Cannibalism, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Death of parent, Sexual content, Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Child death, Incest, Alcohol, and Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
astralatlas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Colonisation, and Body horror
Moderate: Incest, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Miscarriage
esterie's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
the only 2 glaring issues for me:
- the timeline is confusing.
- also with timeline confusion,
i could handwave the second point as
so much of the rest of this book was an absolute hit for me, but these two points (especially the first one) degrades it a least half to three-quarters of a star imo.
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Incest
jamieloraine's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Incest
Moderate: Cannibalism and Incest
chaotic_tumbleweed's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Racism, Death, Body horror, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Gore, Classism, and Confinement
Moderate: Medical content, Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
samosasandpopcorn's review
3.5
Moderate: Rape, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Incest, and Murder
trying_ceratops's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Id recommend this book to people who enjoy a slow build and a touch of spookiness. I wouldn’t consider this horror by any means, but it can be creepy. I can understand the hype this book created and am glad I read it.
Graphic: Classism, Misogyny, and Colonisation
Moderate: Mental illness, Bullying, Body horror, Confinement, Gaslighting, and Racism
Minor: Cannibalism, Body horror, Incest, Blood, Child abuse, and Rape