jacquelynsbookshelf 's review for:

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

5.0

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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 ARC Review 

Release Date July 15, 2025 

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for my free copy of this book. 

Content Warnings: incest, animal abuse, blood, death, and sexual content and assault 

Minerva’s love of horror stories started with her great grandmother Nana Alba telling her stories about witches. This leads to her writing her thesis on Beatrice Tremblay, a female horror author who is not well known. While doing research on Beatrice’s famous novel The Vanishing, Minerva finds that it is actually based on a true story. At a time when Beatrice attended the same college, and her roommate went missing, never to be seen or heard from again. While reading a manuscript of Beatrice’s, Minerva believes that what happened on campus all those years ago might still be happening. And that it seems familiar to a story Nana Alba used to tell, about a witch encounter in 1900s Mexico. How do all of these stories connect? What will Minerva discover in her academic pursuit? 

The way Silvia Moreno-Garcia is able to take three stories and weave them together is amazing. Though this is not your typical tale about witches. It is dark, emotional, and a bit creepy which I absolutely loved! Told from Minerva’s, Beatrice’s, and Alba’s POV, we get to see how these three women go through different lives but that they connect as well. I thought the story was interesting and the author did a good job of making me feel creeped out and unsettled. I did figure out what was happening pretty quickly, but that did not make this any less enjoyable and entertaining. If you enjoyed her book Mexican Gothic you will enjoy this one. But please read the content warning at the top to make sure it is something you will want to read. Overall I loved this book and can’t wait for it to come out so everyone can enjoy it.