bookishashley 's review for:

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

3.0

dark tense slow-paced

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

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This one’s a tricky book to pin down. Mexican Gothic absolutely nails the eerie, unsettling atmosphere—it’s got that creeping dread and decaying mansion aesthetic down pat. The writing is lush and descriptive, maybe too descriptive at times. Some passages felt like they lingered a little too long, making it easy to drift.

I appreciated the originality of the story, and the gothic horror vibes were strong, but something about it just didn’t click for me. I couldn’t quite connect with the characters, and by the time I got to the ending… well, I kind of forgot it. Literally. It wrapped up in a way that didn’t leave much of an impression, which is wild considering how bizarre the plot is.

Maybe it was the pacing, maybe it was the characters, maybe it was the fungus. Either way, while I liked the idea of it, the execution left me a bit underwhelmed.

Would I recommend it? Sure—especially if you’re into weird, slow-burn gothic horror. Just don’t expect it to stick with you like mold on a wall.