Mexican Gothic was a truly incredible reading experience, I was riveted from the first page. Noemi is an incredible heroine who, in the beginning of the book has no idea what’s in store for her. I’ve read gothic novels before but never any tales of haunted houses in Mexico with Mexican characters and I truly hope this sparks a interest in more diverse gothic tales. It’s not all English moors you know?

The story is incredibly suspenseful and had me nervous for Noemi to be completely honest, I kept wanting the heroine to just leave exactly like in other horror movies, you know when you’re screaming at the movie screen? I was screaming at my iPad.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia completely nails the atmosphere that is necessary to invoke the horror that Noemi finds herself in and I honestly did not know where this story was going to take me. That’s how captivated I was by the author’s exquisite words.

I’m rambling so trust me and read this incredible novel!

Wow. What an amazing read. I loved the characters and the writing really surprised me.I highly recommend this one.

Mexican Gothic was like a classic gothic novel with undercurrents of contemporary thought. I enjoyed it very much, particularly the way that it escalated and changed tone from the beginning to the end. The imagery of the later sections was true nightmare. This is the first novel I've read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, but I will definitely seek out her others. Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Random House for providing the advance copy.

With Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes the Gothic tropes we know and love to new and exciting heights. She fashions courageous heroines of those who are too often Othered in Gothic tales; she vilifies the cruel, rich, White families who harbor a myriad of disgusting secrets; and she stays true to the Gothic storytelling tropes that we all know and love. Mexican Gothic is the 1950s horror story you didn’t know you needed and I fear it may spoil any Gothic stories that I read in the future. Mexican Gothic is alive with rich prose, complex characters, and subversive storytelling, and I can hardly wait to shove it into the hands of everyone I know.

*Thank you Netgalley for an advanced ebook copy of this title!*

After plowing through both Gods of Jade & Shadow and Certain Dark Things, I'm not 100% sure if Moreno-Garcia's newest title hitting the shelves this June hit the mark quite as much for me. I loved how creepy and weird it was though. As with everything I've read from her so far, she just kills it in terms of creating suspenseful and unique worlds. Lots of indirect nods to classic Gothic stories like "Yellow Wallpaper" and "Rose for Emily," a little splash of Lovecraftyness, all set within post-revolution 1950's Mexico. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Noemi & Francis, while Florence and Virgil just creeped me out. Catalina felt a little bit flat, though overall made a good damsel. Excited to see more work from this author though!

Loved this spooky take on Rebecca by du Maurier set in 1950s Mexico. It was sufficiently creepy and wonderful, but not too scary for this horror-averse reader. Definitely recommending this one to both fantasy lovers and magical realism lovers, too.

I branched out of my normal type of book for this one. It very much fell into the description of gothic. I thought it could be described as horror. It was very well written. The setting is so descriptive that you really put yourself in the book and experience the life of the lead character Noemi. The suspense of the story was very intense. I couldn't read it in the dark. :)

Mexican Gothic, simply put, is spectacular and you must read it now.

Noemí is a glamorous debutante in 1950s Mexico City. When she receives a deeply disturbing letter from her cousin Catalina, recently married and living in the countryside with her husband's family, Noemí travels to check on her. But as Noemí explores Catalina's home, a decaying mansion called High Place, Noemí's suspicions gradually become horror. Something is deeply wrong-- with this family, with the house, and with everything.

While utterly engrossing on its own, the way Mexican Gothic skillfully intervenes gothic elements kept me glued to my Kindle. Readers who love the genre will see elements of "The Yellow Wallpaper", "The Fall of the House of Usher", Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights,Rebecca, Absalom, Absalom!, and more along with common gothic fixations on houses, families, miscegenation, and incest. But Moreno-Garcia makes the genre her own. Noemí is not a wilting maiden-- she's a smart, tough-as-nails heroine who plans to go to graduate school after kicking this mystery's butt.

Moreno-Garcia may be my favorite active writer right now. Her versatility is astounding. I've read three books by her, and each one has been in a different subgenre and a treasure in its own right. This one. Certain Dark Things>, a haunting tale about vampires in Mexico. , a modern day Mayan fairy tale and road trip novel. I'm going to read Signal to Noise next, and I'm definitely going to reread Mexican Gothic.

When I first was introduced to Silvia Moreno-Garcia I was enchanted and spirited away into her world through the pages of Gods of Jade and Shadow.

There we trekked with the heroine Casopiea as she went on a journey with an outcasted God in search of recovering his throne. The book explored the beauty of Mexico City and the dark allure of the Underworld.

When I saw that Silvia Moreno-Garcia had another book coming out in 2020 I was delighted and immediately smashed my keyboard hoping against hope that I would be granted an advanced copy. Lo and behold, the Netgalley Gods smiled upon me and I was chosen.

Shiiine, sparkle sparkle.

What would you do if a beloved family member wrote to you a letter full of madness basically asking for you to comeand save them?

This is the dilemma Noemí Taboada faces. Her cousin Catalina is newly married and has sent a strange letter requesting her aid from High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. Noemí is unsure what she will find there, but with her family's blessings she goes to this dark house secluded from visitors nestled in gloom and seething w insidiousness. It's not only the house that unsettles Noemí but its inhabitants as well.

The house has a history of darkness, of blood, of rot. Catalina wrote to Noemí about ghosts and hauntings but ghosts aren't real. Even when the nightmares begin and she begins to sleepwalk Noemí isn't one to be frightened off. She's determined to figure out what is wrong with High Place. Even if the house poisons her, even if she too succumbs to its darkness.

Whew. This was a read that the deeper I got into the more it sunk into how horrific the chain of events were. This is a slow burner for sure but not one that can't be enjoyed. I'm a big fan of Gothic Horrors and this didn't disappoint in the slightest. The tension between Noemí and her in laws is palatable and that adds to the horror in a way. You never know who is going to snap and when and that adds layers.

At multiple points I wanted Noemí to just go "Fuck this! And Fuck you!" and leave but she's a much better and braver person than I am lmao. Much muuuch better.

I really wasn't expecting for how bloody and creepy this would be even though the title alone screams <b>GOTHIC</b>. I haven't read the author's previous works even though they are on my TBR so maybe I should not be too surprised but she does it very well. A lot of scenes I cringed from. I think my only problem with this overall was the romance aspect but as many of you know I am very anti-love but I felt as though we didn't really need a romantic lover at all in this story and if we did the wrong man was chosen.

Besides THAT. There's a nice balance of friction, horror, walking nightmares, and Gods,

Oh, how we love talk of the Gods.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, you have outdone yourself once again.

<b>4.5/5</b>

Thanks very much to Netgalley for this copy of my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I didn't know what to expect from this book but I do know that I couldn't put it down once I started reading! From the minute Noemi steps into the mansion, I knew something wasn't right - but I had no idea just how wrong everything was!

This book will definitely keep you up at night even after you finish it. Ghosts, sleepwalking - in the weirdest way - the most spooky family, a centuries-old curse and much more to terrify you! Despite all the wonderfully scary stuff, I also love that we get to read about Noemi's exquisite 1950s fashion sense. Noemi is a badass - this family of crazies isn't going to keep her from helping her cousin and I love how cunning she is.

This is the best kind of horror story - dark, twisty, spine-tingling. Loved it!

OMG! I had no brain right now! The author stole it! I wish she would have put some bravery into my heart because I think I’m not gonna sleep at least for a week and I already brought back Christmas ornaments and enlightened house (I don’t have any idea how much electric bill will coast next month but I’m sure my husband will have the worst scream crying experience of his lifetime.)

This book is insanely terrifying, spin-tingling, horrifying, mind blowing, eyes popping, tear jerker (nope it’s not emotional, you cry like a baby because you realize you just pissed your pants when you were reading it and you’re dying from humiliation! I’ve been there!), paranoid, a dangerous dancing between Mexican folklore, horror stories and Darwin’s theory of natural selection. You want to throw the book and start running outside from your house. ( I took 5 tours around Sunset Boulevard at the rush hour and was saluted by angry drivers’ flipping birds but I didn’t care! Running gave me endorphin and adrenalin I needed.)

Here is the eerie, ominous, petrifying plot of the book: Noemi is sent to High Place after her father gets an awkward and suspicious letter from her cousin Catalina, recently got married. The letter implied that she’s suffering from a mental illness or there’s something really wrong about her husband Virgil’s mansion. So Noemi goes there to check her cousin’s medical condition and learn the truth hid behind her letter.

But as she takes a few steps to the house, she feels that something is really really wrong about the place : she’s introduced to Virgil’s family resembles us Manson Family meets Adam Family. Yes, they’re completely weird, living by strict rules, having marriages in family, covering the house’s walls with deceased brides. And there is a big tragedy still affects the soul of the house: a daughter kills her family members and commits suicide.

So as a normal person, Noemi should cry for help and run as soon as she meets that eerie people, including control freak, demanding Florence, flirting and nasty Virgil, the maids who act like they swore to silence and don’t forget about Howard reminds us of long time zombie extra of Walking Dead ( I think he’s soul-mate of woman in bath in Shining!) And only normal person of the family is naïve, artistic, shy son of Florence: Francis who loves to talk about fungus.

I’m not gonna give much spoiler but this riveting, heart shattering, blood freezing, scary book has so many alerting elements including ghosts, sleepwalking, violence, bloodshed, disgusting and extreme vulgarity. It’s so different from the first book of the author but if you ask my opinion that did I enjoy it? Of course I truly did! I tested my pain endurance levels. I screamed a lot and I was flabbergasted, speechless at some chapters. And ending, yes it’s volatile, blasting but also satisfying.

This means… here comes another gazillion five stars. But quick note: when you’re reading this book, don’t try to eat your mushroom pizza as like I did. I don’t like to write what happened to me afterwards…

This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO twisted, unexpected, gory, exhilarating! I don’t know a sequel comes after that! But if author decides to write it, I’d be happily to consume it without thinking a second!

Sooooo much special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for sharing this fantastic ARC and making my wish come true in exchange my honest review. And I personally congratulate Silvia Moreno-Garcia for this heart throbbing, extra ordinary book.

I loved this on so many different levels: the creepy foreshadowing, the atmosphere (!), the insane but also completely satisfying twists and revelations, and the consistent feminist undertone throughout the entire book. With this last, I loved that we got stuff on the more micro level (ie, Noemi's observations of basically every male character's nonsense) and also on the macro level (ie, that basically everything that happens is because of white male power run amok). There were so many great details, and the atmosphere is pitch perfect and incredible. I almost want to read the book again right now just for the scenes of Noemi walking through the graveyard.

I did think that there was some clumsy writing here and there (though mainly in the beginning, before the book finds its' footing in High Place), but honestly my main problem was Francis. His relationship with Noemi just didn't ring true to the rest of the book for me. But even thinking of my issues with him, there's too much good in this book not to recommend it. It is, again, a pitch perfect gothic novel, but with all the satisfying asides and observations I wish had been in the genre to begin with. If you're into creepy manors, creepier families, chilling dreams, and witty protagonists (and mushrooms!), this is your summer read.

Firstly, this book requires a pretty strong trigger warning for very disturbing scenes of attempted sexual assault.
Secondly, despite the occasional odd tone shifts which happen mid-conversation and seem out of character (which become less frequent as the book goes on), this was an engaging and captivating read. I was intrigued with the characters and wanted to know what was going on with the creepy house. Although at the end most of the loose ends were tied up, and reasonable explanations were given for the mysterious goings-on (within the fantasy Gothic realm this story resides in), I still wasn't entirely satisfied by the end. The ending is left just open enough to keep you thinking about it, and the rest of the details tidied away, but I was still... irked? Perhaps that's the intention, to leave you with the uneasy feeling that has pervaded the story from the beginning.
All in all a good read.

I NEVER do creepy and this is it. Very well written and being set in the 1950s gave a very specific atmosphere that was effective. This is a book to keep your eye on. Great descriptions, fleshed out characters. I'm going to definitely be going back into Moreno-Garcia's backlist as well as keeping up with her future novels.

I was very excited to read this book and was extremely let down. This book is about Noemi, who is sent to check up on her recently married cousin who sends a bizarre letter from her new home, High Place. When Noemi arrives at the house clearly something isn't right. She spends little time with her cousin (which I thought was odd), the family and servants in the house act bizarre, and Noemi has disturbing dreams while visiting. However, Noemi just kind of goes with the flow and does little to try to figure out what is going on. When the "twist" of this book was revealed it completely lost me. The writing was not good enough to keep me engaged and for the last 3rd of the book I just wanted it to end. I would not recommend this book for someone wanting a new spin on a classic gothic tale; I think it is more suitable for fans of horror.

A perfect example of the gothic mystery, with an updated sensibility that will appeal to the modern reader! Our heroine, Noemí, is a Mexico City socialite in the 1950s. She is practiced at the social whirl, and seems to enjoy her frivolous lifestyle, but there are signs that she yearns for something more for herself. When her father receives a desperate and disturbing letter from her newly-married cousin, he asks Noemí to go check on her, in exchange for permission to seek a master's degree. Noemí sets out for the remote house where her cousin is now living - a grotesque and rotting mansion, built in the English style, on dirt imported from England, by the colonialist, eugenicist family she has married into. The descriptions are lush and the atmosphere is creepy as hell. I loved every minute of it!

This book is an intense, beautiful monster of a novel. Moreno-Garcia's gothic plot is as sharp as a razor and twice as dangerous. Like any good terror, I couldn’t look away. Lush and lyrical writing makes this a vivid, seductive read. The gothic framework is PERFECT for the faded Mexican mining town setting and Noemi is as sharp, stubborn and vividly painted gothic heroine as one could ask for. (Bonus: the dresses! I loved how unapologetically feminine Noemi was to boot.)

I'm never looking at mushrooms the same way again, just sayin'.

Let me start off by saying that I love gothic novels. I love the atmosphere, the way the characters act. The supernatural element that sometimes is or isn’t. Which meant that I was honestly so excited to get my hands on this book.

Mexican Gothic had all these elements and I was suspicious of everyone right off the bat. Noemi is a young woman who lives in 1950’s Mexico and enjoys the parties and how the world is changing. However, when her father receives a disturbing letter from her cousin, claiming things about poison and ghost, Noemi and her father make a bargain. Noemi leaves for High End, her cousins home to find out what's truly wrong, but once she gets there, the place isn’t anything like she expected.

I feel like there were red flags all over the place and I was at the edge of my seat the entire time wondering how she wasn’t connecting all these dots. Then something would happen and suddenly I was thrown off track and I didn’t know if I was right anymore. Noemi was a stubborn character, and she just knows that something is happening here, even if she doesn’t know what. I love the fact that she wasn’t backing down to the family her cousin married into.

A family that way that was just so wrong. I kept coming to conclusions about every single one of them the more I read. Each one more outrageous than the last, but honestly, I just wanted answers so badly. In the end, this book made me feel so many emotions, anger being the main one. Once I was getting to the ending, I could feel my blood boiling from how angry and upset everything was making me. That only really speaks about the author and how much of an amazing job she did writing this book.

Really appreciated the unique storytelling - the book felt very atmospheric and definitely untilized gothic tropes well.

Imagine if the fear and madness in The Yellow Wallpaper or the eerie unease of a du Maurier novel actually had supernatural roots. That is what Moreno-Garcia gives us in Mexican Gothic. The novel moves deftly from traditional gothic to gory horror without feeling forced. I really enjoyed this book. It would translate well to the screen!