Reviews

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

labunnywtf's review against another edition

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1.0

Wow.

After so long of hearing amazing things about this book....



moshalala's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

livelylizzzzz's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

* A creepy and poetically dark mystery *

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.

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jaredwill_'s review against another edition

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5.0

Maybe the best fiction book I've read this year, easily in the caliber of Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sky and Madeline Miller's Circe.
Everything you need to know is in the title and anything extra i think would take away the mystery.

michellefre's review against another edition

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3.0

The first half of this book was sooooooooo boring I nearly DNF’d it every page. The second half definitely made up for it. This is an uber slow burn but if the whole book was more like the second half, this would’ve been an easy 5 stars for me. I loved the ending though and I loved the horror aspect of it.

saranies's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a creepy and unsettling delight of a book. Certainly horror, similar to Shirley Jackson and the movie Crimson Peak. Which is to say: not that scary for a wuss like me while I'm reading it, but I'm sure that I'll be thinking of this as I try to fall asleep over the next few nights.

In particular, I loved the author's use of color to convey meaning. I'm not always the most attentive of readers, but I still picked up on it.

Minor spoiler: it's slightly predictable, especially if you've read other books in the "horror house" genre before, but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment. It just makes you scream "get out of there! Don't eat that! STOP BREATHING!" at the narrator as she continues to piece together everything without the benefit of hindsight.

plandocalrisian's review against another edition

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4.0

Fantastic. Had me on the edge of my couch the entire ride and it was a quick read. One star off for a little bit of predictability though. Love Moreno-Garcia’s work.

starlightxs's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

amkozy23'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

3.0

I heard so much about this book and thought I would give it a try. I liked the setting of a creepy, far-away home where the residents rarely leave. I also enjoyed Neomi, the main character. Where this story fell flat for me is that this book could have been about any nationality, there was not anything inherently Mexican about it. Also, nothing happens in the book for the first 75%. It really only gets exciting for the last 25% but it is so convoluted and fast paced that I feel like I have whiplash. I kept reading because I liked Neomi and wanted to know why Virgil was so creepy. 

carter84's review against another edition

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2.0

I like Silvia Moreno-Garcia style and her homages to Mexican history, but after reading Gods of jade and Shadow and The Mexican gothic I’m afraid that I have a lot of problems with her narrative.

Whilst the former at least was quite original, I found The Mexican Gothic really baffling. It manages to be quite slow in the beginning and then going completely off the rails in the last third with a nonsensical story that’s just not really satisfying.