The writing of this novel was superb (I understand it's a translation so I should add the translation was also superb), however I found a distinct lack of empathy for the characters themselves. I'm not usually a stickler for fast-paced stories in any way, but this tended to drag in places. Perhaps this comes from a lack of familiarity with many of the cultural references, but overall this one did not connect with me as well as I had hoped (the number of awards the book has garnered may have raised or skewed my expectations, too).

I have been waiting for this one to release for quite awhile!

Our main character, Noemi Taboada, receives a confusing and mysterious letter from her cousin, Catalina, who has recently married an Englishman and is residing in the Mexican countryside. Noemi arrives at the home to find her cousin in a much more perilous state, a house full of secrets, and she begins uncovering something much more sinister among her cousin's new family.

The writing in this book is wonderful, and the characters are rich. I'll be honest, the "big reveal" was not what I was expecting, and I wasn't a fan of the answers that tied up the story. That said, it was beautifully written thriller worth the read!

-Posted on Instagram @woodfordgirlsread on 7/13/2020

I'm currently reading this book and I can't put it down! I will write a full review and post the links when I'm done. This is the first book written by Moreno-Garcia, I've read, but it will not be my last!

A truly gothic tale, that delivers creep factor and credible stakes that keeps the read invested in the outcomes of the main character's due concern for her cousin.

I can see why this one was such a hit last year. Well constructed. Atmospheric. Unexpected. I cannot wait until her next book drops in my lap.

I actually got an ARC for this before it came out, but I didn't get a chance to read it. My life a year ago was hectic to the extreme, with very little time for reading. I kept trying to get the audiobook, but I never got around to listening to it. But I realized that was really a blessing because this was the right time to read this wonderful book.

Going in, I had no idea what was going on and what to expect, and I will endeavor to write a review that allows anyone who reads it to have the same advantage. Therefore, I will have to be exceedingly careful in my gushing.

I have to highly recommend getting the audiobook. The narrator was fantastic. I have a feeling she speaks Spanish fluently because her accents were excellent and authentic. I enjoyed her pitch, and the manner in which she was able to deftly switch to different characters, male and female. When a narrator understands the immersive capabilities they bring to product, it enhances the reading experience significantly. The narrator is Frankie Corzo, and I give her kudos.

What really strikes me about this book is the lush, opulent, oh so entrancing descriptive imagery of Moreno-Garcia. This book was a feast for my senses. It was beautiful and strange, but also there were parts that were unnerving or just plain disgusting. I was fully engaged by the narrative. I was seduced by this book. There were times I was afraid to keep listening, but I couldn't turn it off at the same time. In my opinion, the book is very well written in that it is not at all predictable. And each time I thought I knew what was going to happen next, I found myself surprised at where the story went.

Noemi is hard to describe in a few words. I suppose it's easiest to just say that she is a delightfully complex and fully fleshed out character. The beginning of the book she seems spoiled and shallow, but there is something about her that immediately made me realize I cannot underestimate her or easily categorize her. She has an inner resilience and steel that makes her unbreakable. But like good composite steel, she is strong enough to resist the forces that work on her to tear her down. Despite that, there's an inner darkness and turmoil that she had to fight to see her way through this narrative. She acknowledges that dark side of her psyche but doesn't give into to it. I like that her character subverts the gothic story heroine. It's good, because that house, it hides hungry secrets.

I also appreciated Francis quite a bit. He is a character that subverts archetypes and stereotypes in a brilliant way.

Oh there's one aspect of the book that I really loved, but I can't talk about it because I don't want to spoil anyone reading this book. It's just perfect for me.

This book was thrilling and some parts are just so freaking weird and skin crawling. It really drives home how disgusting racism really is. It's hard to say to much about that, because it's so important to the story, but suffice it to say that the book takes a very sharp examination into colonialism, eugenics and white supremacy in a well-integrated and thoughtful way.

There's so much to love about this book. I cherished the last lines of it, and I had this joy when I finished it, which revitalizes my bibliophilic juices. When you read a fantastic book, it just energizes you and makes you clamor for more. For me, Mexican Gothic is one of those books.

*Just as a side note, I absolutely adore this cover..so much!

Five stars. I am 100% obsessed with Mexican Gothic. It's moody, smart, and full of unexpected curve-balls. I was fascinated after the first page and still don't really know how to describe it other than to say it is pure magic and I need more.

Noemi Taboada is summoned to High Place by her cousin who has recently married and appears to be in distress. Noemi is a sophisticated young woman who is unpleasantly surprised to arrive at her destination and find a dilapidated house with no electricity or modern conveniences. And as it turns out her cousin is ailing from a mysterious illness.

Noemi is skeptical at first at her cousin's claims that something supernatural is going on, but in time she discovers the truth about the house and its very creepy inhabitants. As smart and resourceful as she is, she faces powerful forces that she might not be able to defeat. This is the essence of the Gothic novel, the old dark house with strange goings on. At the core (as with Gothic novels) is the imprisonment, the madness, and the realization that dawns on the heroine that she might meet the same fate.

The family that inhabits Hight Place are trapped into repeating a cycle while living out a generational curse. Women are drawn into this world to fulfill a purpose and it's not one to their benefit. In her quest to uncover the mysteries of the house and her cousin's illness, Noemi learns the history of this family and discovers how far they're willing to go to protect their position. Gothic novels with their mix of mystery, horror and romance are ideal for exploring the shadow side that exists in everyone. In this case the heroine has to confront her own suppressed desires because if she doesn't, she might not be able to escape.

The secrets hidden in High Place originate from an act of evil and desperation. The reveal is powerful, unnerving and horrific. It's an image that explains the frustration of the inhabitants, the women who were ensnared and the destruction that has slowly been eating away at the house. The action and the emotions are ramped up as the story comes to its conclusion. But even though Noemi (and her cousin's) freedom is never assured, there's also hope that the sins of the past can finally be put to rest.

This wonderfully dark, creepy book is peak Gothic horror! It's rare that I really can't put a book down, and this one hooked me from the first page. It wastes no time in whisking our heroine away to a forlorn and decaying manor in the country, and from there, horrors abound!

This novel started out very interesting. It seemed like it was a haunted house with a family of secrets. However, the story started taking a weird turn. The were many disturbing scenes. There were no horror scenes, but instead it showed the appalling actions of a deranged family. The reason for the family’s madness was not original. The plot has been done before. Thus, this was a very disappointing novel with a depressing end.

As a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher I write this review of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic. This book was worth the wait for its sharp writing, gothic atmosphere, and engaging storyline. This novel follows Noemí Taboada and her journey in unraveling a mystery at High Place mansion , Noemi has been summoned by a close family member to High Place, for they have recently married its owner, The mansion, and supernatural elements rooted in reality held my interest as Noemi experienced more symptoms of the supernatural that could be easily explained with science. Garcia’s fine line between the natural and supernatural was something I appreciated as elements of “magical realism” became apparent. I appreciated the ending but would have liked Garcia to have kept the elements that made me appreciate the novel be part of the ending that transpired. Overall I liked the book for the above reasons and give it 3.5 stars . On goodreads, I give this four stars.

I inhaled this book. It was so atmospheric and had such amazing gothic vibes. Perfect to read during the Fall.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing is just amazing. The way she could transport you into the story and just absolutely unsettle you with her words is unbelievable.

There's a reason this is going to be Kade into a movie, and that's because this book needs to be seen, and not just read. I loved it!!

I wanted to love this SO BADLY, but I think gothic novels just aren't for me. I enjoyed the setting (I'm a sucker for books that have houses as characters, apparently) but it was hard for me to get into. This could be a book that was just TOO literary for me, because as much as I tried I just didn't understand what all the fuss was about. And the last 50 pages just completely fell apart for me. PLEASE read other reviews before deciding if this is for you. I know so many who loved it and have just resigned myself to the fact that this genre doesn't work for me.

I absolutely adored this book. Noemi was a fun character and easy to sympathize with. High Place did not fail to deliver on the spooky factor, with its candlelit atmostphere, silent dour servants, mushrooms on the walls, and creepy inhabitants with ominous behaviors. The prose was lush and the gradual buildup of the frightening and strange to the climax where the mystery as to why people were acting the way they were and what the sinister family's motives were was a fun journey. I would definitely read more of this author.

Unfortunately this just didn’t work for me and I had to stop reading. The gorgeous cover caught my eye but this is not the right book for me. It’s not the book it’s clearly me.

The book is fast paced and brilliant at first, but slows as Silvia spins webs around the reader, getting more and more complicated, drifting away from the mystery and more into a typical explanation of horrors instead of something that could have been darker and more frightening. In all honesty, there's a fear of Mexican Americans that perhaps even the author feels as we dive deeper into her work. I liked the book, but I sensed there were a lot of thoughts lying beneath the surface of the writing that bothered me, and when consulting with peers it bothered them too. The real trouble for readers here is how to see past Silvia's voice, not the voice of the protagonist. Yes, the book slows down as it becomes bogged down in supernatural explanation and really explaining away, two different things, and so a great book becomes just OK by its conclusion. There are fantastic moments though--like the career of Joss Whedon...

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Velvet was the Night. Due to her recent tweets about reviewers I cannot review this book in an unbiased manner.

Mexican Gothic is a mesmerising gothic horror that defies expectations. The story is reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca (1938), centered around a haunted house, a dead wife and an Englishman whose motives are clearly suspect. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's skillful painting of 1950s Mexico, both the city and the countryside, adds splashes of bright colour to the traditionally dark gothic novel. Noemí is a sparkling protagonist: witty, charming, flirtatious and head-strong and she has _all_ the pretty dresses.

As the story progresses, I was reminded of Jeff VanderMeer's Annihiliation: the same hypnotic horror overcame me. Moreno-Garcia's Lovecraftian scholarship paid off in spades as the mushroom-infested house began to haunt my nightmares while I was reading.

This is a fantastic novel and shows Moreno-Garcia's talent off to great effect. I highly recommend this to all fans of gothic horror.

I was given a free copy of this novel for consideration for the 2020 Nebula awards.