Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

46 reviews

sarah984'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? No

5.0

Wow! This is a play on classic gothic revival novels combined with a modern horror sensibility and Mexican history. This book has atmosphere in spades, and Noemí is a great character. Her voice is snappy and fun, and I love seeing a character doing her best to take charge even in the situation she's in. 

Once the twist hits this book swings for the fences, and while I did think the last couple of chapters dragged on a bit too long overall I really liked this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gaslighting, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Cannibalism, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Violence

Minor: Ableism, Grief, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicide, Vomit, and Terminal illness

slvt4b00ks's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

If I could give this book more stars I would. I honestly don’t understand why this book has such low ratings. Maybe some just aren’t cut out for gothic tales. I was weary about this being set in the 50s but the time period didn’t seem it was as much of a contributing factor to most parts of the story. Of course there is racism and some bat shit crazy people who believe in eugenics and of course the misogyny but that seems to really be all that indicates a less modern setting. This book was incredibly atmospheric and creepy, though I wasn’t quite stuck sitting up all night like I thought I would be. I fell in love with Francis. He must be protected at all costs. Noemi felt incredibly relatable, her flightiness and inability to settle down is portrayed as a flaw but I found it endearing. I don’t think anyone should settle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Medical content, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Cancer, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Vomit, Violence, Sexism, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

kels24's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, War, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexism, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, and Gore

hannahbailey's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

It lost me in parts with the 3rd person narration. I didn't feel connected enough to the characters, although this could have been intentional. With the nature of the plot I feel like 1st person would have been a great opportunity for the readers to access Noemi's fear and horror.

Creepy enough that I couldn't read it before bed (two days in a row I had related nightmares), but overall a bit anticlimactic. The themes of colonialism and eugenics were done well and added much-needed depth to the narrative. Definitely worth a read for something different, and I'm glad I went out of my comfort zone to read this one.

TW: body horror, gore, sexual violence, death

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Confinement, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia

wandsoflight's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Rape, Colonisation, Incest, Medical content, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, and Gaslighting

stellaauream's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Classism, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Body horror, Death of parent, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Infertility

Minor: Pregnancy

the_sapphic_witch's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Death, Kidnapping, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Genocide, Infidelity, Medical content, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, Violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, and Torture

Moderate: Abortion and Medical trauma

becca_w_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Incest, Medical content, Murder, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Body horror

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

theirgracegrace's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Racism, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Torture, Slavery, and Fire/Fire injury

There are two instances of attempted sexual assault in this book but one is

later discovered to have been a dream

and the other is

fought off

.

kingsteph's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Classism, Murder, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Suicide, Medical content, Violence, Drug use, Racism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Incest, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Terminal illness