A review by singalana
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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

4.25

Initial thoughts after reading this book: I’m a little bit grossed out actually. But since this is a horror novel, that’s a good thing, I suppose. A gothic horror novel, to be more exact. The first half of the book is a bit slow, building the mystery and creating the atmosphere, dropping little hints of what’s to come, and I wasn’t bothered by that at all because that’s what it was supposed to do.

The story starts when Noemí’s father receives a deranged letter from Noemí’s newlywed cousin. Noemí is sent to the dilapidated manor house of the Doyles to investigate. It becomes clear rather fast that there’s something seriously wrong in there. The writing style complimented the story well, and the author’s word choices certainly painted a vivid picture. I think whether you like the ending or not depends on your reading tastes, but I found it satisfying enough. But what was more important than the ending were the ‘vibes’ of this book.

I didn’t fall in love with the characters, but they served their purpose. I think Virgil's character was executed the best. The dialogue was good, especially the way the Doyles spoke. The prose wasn’t perfect, in my opinion, but the book kept me hooked and creeped me out enough to make this a very enjoyable read. And the cover is just gorgeous, by the way. 
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