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A review by gabibrose
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Mexican Gothic has all the ingredients for an alluring gothic horror; a strong-willed heroine, a spooky house, a reclusive family and a hidden secret. When Noemí Taboada receives an alarming message from her cousin Catalina, stating an impending doom, she sets off to the Mexican countryside to ensure her cousin’s health and safety. Noemí arrives at High Place, the ancestral home of Catalina’s new English in-law’s, and what she finds during her stay incites horrors beyond her imagination.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia weaves insightful historical tidbits of 1950’s Mexico with disturbing imagery that slithers through the mind to paint a nightmarish gallery. Perhaps the story’s most unforgettable moments come from the acutely crafted atmosphere, extending off the page and allowing readers to experience a chilly draft or disorienting fog along with the characters. Moreno-Garcia took care with the construction of our heroine, Noemí, who could have been written off as a frivolous socialite but instead possesses a ferocity and self-awareness that bring her to life. The finale of this novel is not to be overlooked, as it incites some of the most ghoulish and heart racing storytelling I’ve read.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia weaves insightful historical tidbits of 1950’s Mexico with disturbing imagery that slithers through the mind to paint a nightmarish gallery. Perhaps the story’s most unforgettable moments come from the acutely crafted atmosphere, extending off the page and allowing readers to experience a chilly draft or disorienting fog along with the characters. Moreno-Garcia took care with the construction of our heroine, Noemí, who could have been written off as a frivolous socialite but instead possesses a ferocity and self-awareness that bring her to life. The finale of this novel is not to be overlooked, as it incites some of the most ghoulish and heart racing storytelling I’ve read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Body horror, Incest, Violence, Blood, Child death, Death, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness