This book was just a mess for me! I love gothic and horror but dang this book was just a hot mess! I had no idea what in the world was happening and not in a good way.

When a debutante leaves Mexico City to attend to her ill cousin in the countryside, she little knows what awaits her at High Place. Noemi's cousin has married a Brit, whose family has come to Mexico to mine silver, but they have little regard for their new land or its people. It gets as gothic as possible; essentially, if you like Mexico and plunk it in a blender with Crimson Peak, you will get Mexican Gothic. It's transgressive and out there and vivid.

This book was allll things wtf. Gothic to the max (which I loved) and so twisted and magical in a way that required a suspension of disbelief. There were far too many mushrooms in this book and the ending was just silly. But again, I did love the darkness and the creep factor!

Could not get into this one. The atmospheric writing was difficult for me to keep up with. This was my first attempt into some horror abd unsure the genre is for me.

I thought this book was a little light on the surface but the central mystery was compelling and moved along at a rapid pace, the main character was enjoyable and the conclusion left just the right amount of openended-ness for a good mystery.

Delightfully creepy story of a young socialite in 1950s Mexico, trying to unravel the mysteries of a possibly (probably... definitely...) haunted house and the family that owns it.

I liked this, but didn't love it for two reasons:
1. I disliked the main character, and that kept throwing me out of the story. Her "flirting" with Francis early on felt cruel and on par with Virgil's leering. Her reason for staying, in her own words, was that "she wasn't going to back down," and had nothing to do with Catalina's welfare at all. All of her decisions felt selfish. It was hard to root for her.
2. Everything was telegraphed too clearly for me to actually feel horror. The dreams and the Gloom were all excellent, and I would have liked to be creeped all the way out. Instead, I found myself having to be patient while we got there.

I also didn't like how often we were told that Virgil was handsome and Francis was not. It seemed to parallel how Howard kept talking about looks and purity, and not in a good way.

I really liked Francis. I loved that he found small joy and sanity in his horrific world. The whole mystery revealed was delightfully awful, and the villains were truly terrible and monstrous. Also kinda gross, but in a good, horror way.

this one was a special read for me. Sometimes I forget how much I crave stories from my Mexico lindo. The Mexican culture is fascinating, rich in realism, creepy tales, rich in pride and family values. The curandera in the story is someone that holds all the secrets and cures people with her potions. Curanderas are real and the last time I was advised to use WD-40 for my ligament strain, never had problems again. But anyways... so many parts of this books connected with how I was raised. ⁣
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The 1950s timeline and all the house rules equal a creepy AF story! I absolutely loved Noemí and her bad ass take on life. She wasn’t willing to conform to social standards. Her family was above all and she did everything to help her cousin without thinking of the consequences. The secrets this family held were insane, I cringed, I gasped and I was invested. The beautiful writing sucked me in and the creepy vibes kept me turning the pages to learn more about this dysfunctional family. ⁣
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I’m especially excited to see how all of these characters come alive in the @hulu series. This gothic tale definitely reminded me of The Yellow Wall Paper and even a hint of Dracula. What are you waiting for? Go read it! ⁣

4 stars. I loved the atmosphere and setting, but the plot was ridiculous. I love weird stuff, but this was just odd. I still enjoyed the story though. Review to come.

Due to being a high school teacher, I have been falling behind on reviews. Here are my initial thoughts.

MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is about Neomi Tabaoada who receives a letter from her newlywed cousin and then heads to High Place, an isolated mansion in the Mexican countryside, to check on her and learns that things are not what they seem.

This book far exceeded all expectations that I had for it. I love gothic novels and this book held up to all my favorites. I will definitely be adding this to my list of favorite books. Plus, I love that it takes place in Mexico and features a strong female Mexicana.

I read this as part of my Nebula finalist packet.

I don't normally read horror, but the distinct gothic tinge of this book gripped me from the start and wouldn't let go. The writing is phenomenal, the setting perfectly mist-shrouded, the characters complex, the story terrifying. So yeah, even though I typically avoid horror, this is totally a five-star book for me, and I think it may avoid fungi for a while.

My first Spooky season book! I have really come to enjoy Gothic horror lately, and Mexican Gothic delivered.

Set in the 1950s, we meet Noemí who has received a disturbing letter from her married cousin living in High Place with her Englishman husband. In order to make sure she is ok, Noemí sets out to the Mexican countryside to investigate.

I admit, it took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did, there was really no stopping for me. SMG’s ability to create such an unsettling atmosphere makes me shiver as I type this.

A haunted castle, a strange, creepy family, and an ending that leaves you going “wtf”, I highly recommend you pick this up.

And I will never, ever look at mushrooms the same. If you know, you know. 🍄

WOW! Better late than never, but I cannot say enough good things about this book. I adored GODS OF JADE AND SHADOW and couldn't wait to see what spin Moreno-Garcia put on the gothic fiction genre. I was absolutely blown away by the masterful way she builds tension while also injecting moments of levity throughout. When the final reveal happened, I was literally on the edge of my seat racing to the end of the book. This is an absolute must-read for anyone who wants a good spook or who adores an incredibly well-crafted mystery.

Very slow going at first, but those last one hundred or so pages had me racing along to the ending. Deliciously Gothic and creepy, even if it was rather a slow burner. I have since devoured everything she has written, and they are just as good!

When her newlywed cousin Catalina writes an odd letter accusing her husband of trying to poison her, Normí Taboada is dispatched to find out exactly what is going on. Noemí, an ambitious socialite who wants more from life than to be a wife, makes a deal with her father that if she goes on this errand then he will allow her to study Anthropology at the university. Noemí and her father agree to the terms and she sets off to El Triunfo where Catalina and her husband, Virgil Doyle live in a manor called High Place.
Once she arrives, nothing is as Noemí expects; High Place is old, damp, dark, and dilapidated, Catalina seems to be ok but still somehow ill and not herself, and Virgil and his family are probably some of the most peculiar people Noemí has ever met.
I have to admit I started and stopped reading this book several times. It started off kind of slow but once I gave it a chance it picked up and never stopped. Many times while reading I was confused on exactly what direction the author was taking the story. It wasn’t until probably 3/4ths through the book that all of pieces started fitting together and everything started to make sense. And that is when my stomach started turning. The psychological violence that the main Noemí, Francis, Catalina, and others endure is absolutely horrific. The imagination that t took for the author to come up with this kind if story must be completely off the charts, because I could have never in a million years thought of something like this.
The title Mexican Gothic doesn’t quite capture the essence of what this story is about, and based on the cover I was expecting something completely different. However, I’m glad that I persevered and came back to this because this was truly a really good story with one hell of a plot!

Where has Silvia Moreno-Garcia been all my life? Or more accurately, where have I been? Absolutely bizarre and horrific in the best way and the lyrical writing takes it over the top. A little bit of a slow start for me but without giving it away, I ended up adoring the chilling atmosphere and expertly drawn parallels to real issues.

Loved this book so much. From the cover to the entire story. I devoured this book in two nights because I could but it down. I have recommended it to so many people.

I confess that this took me out of my comfort zone, I am not naturally drawn to the gothic/horror genre but I have to say it was the cover that swung me in the book’s favour; that, and also because it was set in Mexico. Just see, the power of the book cover ad location!

Catalina is living with her husband Virgil Doyle, in the misty mountains near El Triunfo in the family mansion, where patriarch Howard Doyle is still wheezing away his days on his looming death bed. The family have mined the silver in the area for several generations. Catalina has sent a letter to her cousin Noemí’s family in Mexico City and Noemí is despatched to check on the health and well-being of Catalina. It seems that she might be experiencing psychological disturbance.

Noemí arrives and almost immediately a shiver runs down her spine. It is a dank and dreary building, and the household is ruled with an iron fist (absolutely no speaking over dinner), with sharp-tongued Florence as at the helm.

As Noemí delves deeper, she discovers all kinds of horrors and mysteries – and death.

It is a reflective storyline, leaving the reader to ponder whether the house is sick or whether the sins of the ancestors – colonisers plundering the land for its resources – are being visited upon this generation.

I was enthralled by the first third of the book, the writing and storytelling fully drew me in. Thereafter it levelled out for me. The longer she stays, the more Noemí sinks into the bowels of the sinister clutch of the house and its occupants. She starts to sleep walk, apparently, and the blur between reality and ghostly adventures starts to add confusion to her days. Soon thereafter it goes into more otherworldly realms. This is not my genre of choice and sometimes one just needs to step out of one’s comfort zone and expand one’s horizons. In many ways I am very glad I have read it. The New Yorker says its addictive prose “..is as easy to slurp down as a poisoned cordial…” It is indeed!

MEXICAN GOTHIC is an instant classic. Expertly summoning a particular gothic writing style that truly immerses you in the world of the story, a part of me couldn't wait to turn the page, but another big part of me wanted to stay on the page and remain deeply inside this world. Blending gothic elements, romance, and weird fiction, the detail and richness strike a perfect blend. Yes: there are moments in the book that truly go into some serious body horror, but in the end? It makes sense and doesn't end up being as salacious as one might think. Without spoiling anything, I will say I believe this book is worth sticking through to the end. It's a story that stays with you long after reading. Siliva Moreno-Garcia is one of the best authors creating stories today.

Why did I wait so long to read this book?!?! It was well worth the wait and was throughly enjoyable. A mystery, horror novel wrapped in with a long standing family secret. A story that features a strong independent female fighting against a male centric power structure who is determined to free herself and her cousin.