Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“There are things that eat you alive. You don’t see them, but they’re there, always, nibbling.”
Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia
This is a masterful blend of atmosphere, dread, and beauty - a book that feels like Daphne Du Maurier’s "Rebecca" collided with the dark, surreal imagination of Guillermo Del Toro. It’s both elegant and terrifying, a story that unsettles as much as it enchants.
The novel follows Noemí Taboada, a glamorous and strong-willed young woman from Mexico City who is sent to check on her newly married cousin, Catalina, after receiving a troubling letter. Catalina lives in High Place, a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside, where something sinister lurks in the walls and in the family who inhabits it. What begins as a rescue mission quickly turns into a struggle against an ancient, horrifying force tied to the house and its inhabitants. Moreno-Garcia draws heavily from gothic tradition with moldering estates, oppressive atmosphere, family secrets, while infusing it with Mexican history and folklore, making the story feel both classic and brand new.
Reading "Mexican Gothic" in September feels especially timely. It is a perfect read for Hispanic Heritage Month, as it celebrates Mexican culture and history in a genre that has long been dominated by European settings. At the same time, it’s an ideal novel to ease into the spooky season, with its creeping sense of dread, eerie imagery, and themes of decay, power, and resilience.
This book is more than a haunted house story, it’s a tale of survival, inheritance, and the strength of women written into a genre that too often sidelines them. Moreno-Garcia writes with lush detail and cinematic imagery, making "Mexican Gothic" a novel that is as dazzling as it is chilling.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug use, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Self harm, Excrement
