4.5 stars.

My favorite part of this novel is hands down Noemí Taboada, our perspective character. I was enamored with her from page one. She is a glamorous socialite that loves flirting and a good party, but she's also clever, determined, and well-studied. She agrees to travel immediately to check on her cousin in exchange for her father lettering her go back to university for anthropology. Her inner monologue was so well written, it felt very authentic especially during scenes where she is conflicted about other characters motivations or intentions. She's starts the book fighting her instincts because social expectation and propriety but slowly allows herself to act impulsively for her own survival and that transition throughout the book is perfect.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia nails the atmosphere in this book which is so important in the horror genre, especially in any take on a "haunted house" story. From the moment Noemí arrives at the mansion she describes a formerly beautiful but now stale and rotting house. She quickly starts having nightmares that are a perfect combination of vivid description and vague feeling. The mystery unfolds slowly and the end of the story is wild. Of course, good horror is always more than just "ooh scary" and Moreno-Garcia accomplishes this by weaving in themes of colonialism, exploitation, racism and eugenics.

Unrelated to the story - this cover is STUNNING.

My only cons for this book are that there is a definite lull in the pacing around 1/3rd of the way through. I believe it coincided with Noemí's first visit to the nearby town. The mood was so far removed from the atmosphere of the mansion that it felt disruptive.

Initial Thoughts:
First of all, I'd like to say, I SCREAMED when I got the notification for this ARC because this was my MOST anticipated arc of 2020 and I didn't realize I even had a chance to get it. Secondly, one of the only good things to come out of this social distancing isolation is that I've had time to pick up my arcs and start reading again. I'm a HUGE fan of gothic stories and I'll admit I'm getting tired of the eurocentric focus most gothic novels have. This book was a fresh and diverse take on a genre I adore. It did get a 5-star rating from me, so my review format will be a little different than the usual since I want to highlight the biggest strengths of the novel.

Atmosphere:
Any writer can tell you that setting up a good atmosphere is important to a book. However, for gothic stories, the atmosphere is VITAL. Readers must be able to picture themselves wandering in the moldy, old mansion and feel the main character's confusion or terror throughout the story. Otherwise, what's the point of walking around a moldy old house?

My point is that Mexican Gothic DELIVERS when it comes to atmosphere and arguably I'd say that it's my favorite element of Garcia-Moreno's writing. As a reader, you feel completely absorbed in the environment, the descriptions are so vivid and creepy; there were many times my skin crawled and I felt like I was the one being watched, even though I was in my own home. Don't you love that feeling when a book is so evocative that you get absorbed in reading it and 3 hours go by, but you haven't even realized it? I sat down at 11 am to read a few chapters of Mexican Gothic and by 2 pm I had finished it and was just sitting there stunned.

Interesting Characters:
I'm a huge fan of writers taking the pretty girl/party girl character and making them the hero of the story. As the leading lady of the story, Noemí quickly wins you over with her smarts and charm. She smokes, drinks and gambles, everything a "good lady" shouldn't do… I love her so much. While the story itself does focus on this terrifying house, there's a deeper discussion of society's expectations of women and the story explores how Noemí uses the power she does have to flaunt these expectations. It's an interesting dynamic and you will LOVE watching Noemí defy the rules to save her cousin.

Another character that proved far more interesting than I initially expected was Noemí's cousin, Catalina. She plays the role of the damsel in distress convincingly but she was far more clever then I realized, Catalina is 100% that bitch. The other characters in the story were hard to root for because they all seemed to have ulterior motives. So half of my reading experience was me trying to figure out who could be trusted, which added to the suspense of the story.

The Plot:
The story itself was paced incredibly well. When the story got slow, it was to draw out a spooky scene or a dream sequence and it added to the atmosphere of the story. In regards to the plot in general, I LOVED it. My favorite gothic trope is the decaying house and the dysfunctional family living in it (listen we're not going to analyze too closely why I like this trope I just do).

The twists the plot took me through were INTENSE and I could predict a few but some still took me by surprise. When an author writes a story and I can guess the twist, I'm satisfied because that means it was a logical progression. However, when I can guess a plot twist and then the author throws one more I didn't even see coming… That's the good stuff. Looking back now, I realize that there was plenty of foreshadowing, I just didn't know at the time; it's one of those books I'm going to buy and re-read because I want to savor it and catch all the little things I missed.

Incredibly Gothic:
Technically, Mexican Gothic checks off almost every box that a "classic" Gothic book should have. Was I reading this to check off a list? No. However, as more crazy things started happening it occurred to me that this story includes almost all the elements of a classic Gothic story. There's a gloomy and decaying atmosphere, an unreliable narrator, supernatural occurrences and brooding characters. It was so perfect dreamy sigh and yet there was also some intense body horror, cannibalism, and incest, so if any of that squicks you out just beware.
Despite some of the intense events happening, they all were vital to the plot. Nothing was there as a shock factor, each event helped move the story along. I reveled in the creepiness of the story. Each terrifying dream sequence and shadowy figure had me wide-eyed and curling up closer into my blankets for safety. I don't know how many times I can state that this book was just the best in every way. It's taken the spot of #1 in my 2020 favorites shelf, I'm not sure if anything else will be able to top it.

Commentary on Eugenics Movement:
If you're familiar with Silvia Moreno-Garcia's works, you know she likes to add commentary on relevant issues throughout her novels. In this novel, the family living in the mansion is obsessed with genealogy and family bloodlines, to the point where the patriarch makes multiple racist comments towards the main character, who is Hispanic. It gets increasingly disturbing as they obsess more over her bloodline and begin explaining that even though she isn't "ideal" they think she's strong enough to marry into the family to "supplement their bloodline". However as the book nears its end, it becomes apparent that this family is weak because of this obsession and it gives Naomí room to use this weakness against them and emerge victoriously.
It's a common trope in Gothic literature, especially Southern Gothic literature, to see racism and sexism intersect in a story. So I will say, I was so happy to have Silvia Moreno-Garcia take charge and write a book that subverted both of those tropes by having a woman of color save the day and torch White supremacy at the same time. Iconic.

A creeping gothic fairy tale meets the slow dread of unfolding suspense. This book made me swoon! I would recommend reading at night if you really want to scare yourself...but if you are like me...you'll be too obsessed with the story to stop yourself from reading in the daylight. I absolutely devoured this book.

I've read a lot of gothic fiction and even taken a few gothic literature classes, and this book surpassed all my (very high) expectations. I can see this book being assigned in courses in the place of classics like The Haunting of Hill House or Rebecca. Mexican Gothic elevates the gothic genre to a whole new level.

4.5

I am surprised by how much I ended up enjoying Mexican Gothic. The first half is definitely an homage to the pulpy gothic suspense novels and takes a turn into weird horror that I loved. I enjoyed the use of Weird horror to talk about colonialsim. Noemi is also a very likable protagonist. She's strong and questions what is going on more than usual gothic heroines, which I appreciated. As a sleep-deprived mom of a newborn, I enjoyed how compelling this story was and how well it was paced. The main conflict is presented right away and by chapter two Noemi is on her way to High Place to visit her cousin. Recommend

This novel has a lot of potential. That cover for starters! There's also the fascinating history that ties Brits to mines in central Mexico, botany, anthropology and eugenics, and a thrilling spooky vein through it all. However, the novel felt a little slapdash to me. Our heroine is a 'society girl' but also an aspiring anthropologist who thinks in grandiose sentences that felt like a thesaurus was pulled out every chapter. The characters felt underdeveloped and the mystery was confusing to follow. This book is a wild ride towards the end and creates a spine tingling world throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the chance to read this ARC.

Can I start by gushing over the cover of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic? Is that allowed? I know a jacket has nothing to do with the content, but this design is gorgeous and played no small role in my decision to read the backside description… #CoverSlut

Having said that, I can’t deny falling for Moreno-Garcia’s story. The dark descriptions and grotesque imagery gave the novel a deliciously sinister vibe and lent a beautiful level of suspense to the narrative. Those with weaker constitutions might not appreciate the content, but I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough.

I will admit to calling the ending, that I found the characters thinly developed, and that I’d have liked more cultural detail in the fabric of the story, but these notes didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the novel and I’d have no trouble recommending it to fellow readers.

What a great suspenseful, horrific, gothic tale. 1950’s Mexico Noemi Taboada is summoned by her cousin to visit her at High Place, a secluded spooky mansion
Inhabited by her her husband and family. All is not well and the story plays out in scary, spooky detail. A great read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me an ARC!

Where do I even start with this book? Wild ride start to finish, and I found myself paranoid about every plot event after a little while. Even towards the end, the ending had like 10 different directions it could have gone and every twist I was convinced it would go one way. I am satisfied with the ending we got, and it is better than what I was expecting.

I already know that when I get my copy in the mail, I'm probably going to re-read it because this was a crazy adventure.

The first chapter might be a little slow to you, but seriously give it a few chapters and you'll be sucked in to this weird house and all the weird events going on inside. Everyone is creepy and it basically feels like everyone is constantly balancing between betrayal and death every chapter. The last 30% was some of the most tense moments I have ever read and now I'm kinda scared my dreams will be haunted by *insert the antagonist here*.

I am a huge fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow and was hoping to enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the last one. Unfortunately this veered hard into the creepy and the gross, which radically reduced my enjoyment of the work. The build up was interesting (if a bit slow), but the reveal was off putting and lacked the folklore twists I was hoping for. Very well written but, ultimately, not for me.

This was not really my cup of tea at all. I thought maybe it would be a good gothic type book but it leaned a little to far outside of what I was personally expecting.

Excellent novel to follow The Gods of Jade and Shadow. Rich and atmospheric writing with tangible foreshadowing.

This atmospheric and chillingly-paced novel lives up to the "Gothic" in its title. Moreno-Garcia deftly weaves together the literary strands of classic Gothic tropes, the darker side of European folk and fairy tales, and the folklore and traditions of parts of Mexico. After receiving a wild, rambling letter suggesting her cousin may be in serious danger, Noemi Taboada, though bright and fashionable in a way that rivals Mrs. Maisel, makes a deal with her wealthy and powerful father to travel to a rural community a day's travel away from her social life in Mexico City to determine if Catalina is safe and healthy in her new home with her new husband. For this one diplomatic favor, her father will finally allow her to pursue her Master's Degree in Anthropology. This bargain is this novel's first examination of the precarious nature of Mexican upper class womanhood in 1950 and begins Noemi's harrowing experiences at Catalina's decaying manor house, High Place. Deceptively beautiful surfaces, both physical and psychological, and the dangers that hide in the most domestic settings are part of what await Noemi there, as well as a solid exploration of how race, class, and economics intersect with gender to ensnare both women and men in roles and traditions that benefit the few at the expense of the many. Most important, though, there's room for Noemi to examine herself in these contexts to see if she will choose to survive or to subvert the roles in which she finds herself.

I read Untamed Shore and absolutely loved it and was intrigued by Mexican Gothic’s cover alone. But the story was also so good! It has a couple of simple similarities to Untamed Shore but this book was so good. I was sucked in and stayed up Late reading it because I had to finish it. The attention to detail. The character development. Absolutely loved it and have many friends who have preordered it. (Also I need that cover image as a poster. Stunning). Silvia Moreno-Garcia is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and can’t wait for more.

Mexican Gothic is one of those books that will haunt you for a long time after you have finished it. Silvermans Moreno-Garcia does a wonderful job of making the reader extremely uncomfortable in the most pleasurable way. If you are a fan of gothic classics like Wuthering Heights or if you prefer more modern gothic stories like The Haunting of Hill House, this book will right up your alley.

Noemí is an amazing character that you can't help fall in love with. She has the Hollywood vixen vibe. She is strong, funny, and doesn't take any shit! The setting of High Place house is disturbing and creepy and everything you want in a gothic and haunting tale. I could not guess what was going to happen from one moment to the next. I love book that keep you second guessing yourself the entire time. Seriously, read this book!!

Wow! I was truly absorbed in this book from beginning to end. i enjoyed the variety of well rounded characters all serving their individual purposes to create a complete novel. The book is eerie, hypnotic, and completely captivating. I always appreciate the lengths that authors go to to intertwine detailed information to make their story that much more powerful, this is how I felt with the knowledge and power the mushrooms held in this story. Amazing book I am now going to begin Gods of Jade and Shadow

Woah! I am not a horror reader, but picked this up because it came so highly recommended. Consider me a convert! I can’t wait to read this authors backlist.

This book was just not for me. I found it very bizarre. Maybe I went in with the wrong expectation of the book but with the title "Mexican Gothic" I guess I wanted more Mexican history and culture. It was very void of this. Also, the fairy tale references seemed very forced.

Mexican Gothic is so beautifully written. The descriptions in this book are *chef's kiss* I felt like the story dragged at some points, but overall I liked it. If you enjoy books involving the paranormal, I would definitely check this out.

I'm a longtime fan of gothic novels, and even though the genre has fallen out of vogue in recent decades, I whenever a new gothic is released, I typically snatch it off the shelf (even when it's a virtual shelf). I was intrigued by the book's premise, which takes the typical ingredients of the gothic novel and transports them to Mexico--a nice change of venue for a genre that is almost always set in Cornwall.

The story focuses on Noemi, a 1950's debutante, who has received a desperate letter from her cousin Catalina after marrying into a wealthy family that resides in the Mexican countryside. Noemi rushes to be with her cousin, whose new family live in a fabulous (haunted) mansion and have all the gothic hallmarks--the domineering patriarch, the handsome and arrogant husband, the dead aunts glaring down from their portraits. But the novel takes things a step further than the traditional gothic stories that the Bronte sisters made famous, and introduces some elements of supernatural horror.

If you're a fan of the movie CRIMSON PEAK, you'll probably enjoy MEXICAN GOTHIC. There are some wonderfully scary scenes in the book that kept me flipping through the pages late into the night.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let Silvia Moreno-Garcia's forthcoming novel, Mexican Gothic, whisk you away to the mountains and countrysides of Mexico, to a haunted mansion atop a silver mine. Set in the 1950s, our protagonist Noemi, a tenacious Mexico City socialite a la Grace Kelly, is sent to the mansion to help her cousin Catalina after receiving a distraught letter asking to be saved from "the restless dead, ghosts, flesh-less things" that will not let her go. The house and its inhabitants are hiding a dark secret, and Noemi must discover the truth before it's too late. Written with a strong sense of place and ideal pacing, fans of Stranger Things, the Bronte sisters, and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier will love this suspenseful and spooky read.
I would say a 3 1/2, while I loved the sense of place and the story itself, some of the writing felt forced. Also, I feel like Catalina should have played a bigger role? I would have liked to have heard more from her.