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A review by caitcoy
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
As someone who has previously enjoyed modern gothic horror, I was so convinced that I would enjoy this (and I'll admit swayed by that gorgeous cover) that I tried to read it three separate times. The third and final time was for a bookclub and forced me to power through my reservations about it.
The writing style for Mexican Gothic reminds me of a more classic style, with the reader feeling more removed from the character and a sort of distant observer of what's happening. The pacing is also very slow, with Noemi arriving at the manor and getting to know her very odd, reclusive in-laws. While I liked Noemi as a character, I really struggled to connect to the writing style and honestly was incredibly bored for the first two thirds of the book.
The final third of the book accelerates rapidly and wildly, to the point that it felt a bit like whiplash. And the third section also had a ton of elements that are a personal ick for me, to the point that I seriously considered not finishing it. There are definitely content warnings to be aware of for this section.There's a fair amount of sexual assault, with the main character being completely powerless to do anything about it. I get that this is horror and that's part of the horror of it, but between that being something that I actively hate and the overall increasing amount of gross with the mushrooms, I about tapped out. Honestly by the end I needed Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery levels of vengeance and while there is some, it just didn't feel worth it to me.
Overall Mexican Gothic is just one of those gothic horror stories that I have to recognize isn't for me. Between it having some content that I honestly hate reading about, the disconnect with the main character and the uneven pacing, I really didn't enjoy most of this. If you like slower paced gothics (particularly classics) and don't have my issues with the content, it might be more your cup of tea than mine. I still really love the ideas about Mexico and colonialism that the author touched on so I'll still probably try something else from her in the future.
The writing style for Mexican Gothic reminds me of a more classic style, with the reader feeling more removed from the character and a sort of distant observer of what's happening. The pacing is also very slow, with Noemi arriving at the manor and getting to know her very odd, reclusive in-laws. While I liked Noemi as a character, I really struggled to connect to the writing style and honestly was incredibly bored for the first two thirds of the book.
The final third of the book accelerates rapidly and wildly, to the point that it felt a bit like whiplash. And the third section also had a ton of elements that are a personal ick for me, to the point that I seriously considered not finishing it. There are definitely content warnings to be aware of for this section.
Overall Mexican Gothic is just one of those gothic horror stories that I have to recognize isn't for me. Between it having some content that I honestly hate reading about, the disconnect with the main character and the uneven pacing, I really didn't enjoy most of this. If you like slower paced gothics (particularly classics) and don't have my issues with the content, it might be more your cup of tea than mine. I still really love the ideas about Mexico and colonialism that the author touched on so I'll still probably try something else from her in the future.