A new Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel is always an event in my reading calendar and Mexican Gothic is possibly my favourite to date. Moreno-Garcia's triumph is in cheekily feeding you enough clues to be quite, quite certain this is a Gothic horror and in making her heroine Noemí such a thoroughly modern girl that - while she is suspicious of the horror-show Doyle family and their motivations - it never occurs to her. It is unapologetically creepy, a book for readers who love yelling it's behind you.

I delighted in the mash-up of Gothic tropes and weaponised debutante femininity to pass comment on themes including patriarchy, class, race, complicity and the difficulty of turning your back on a toxic inheritance. The writing is reliably elegant and the characters sharply, mercilessly observed. For all its grim moments - and Moreno-Garcia repeatedly went beyond my comfort zone with her deployment of truly horrible ideas and visuals - I was engrossed from start to finish.

Brilliant.

In Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia weaves an elaborate tale of hauntings and family issues. Noemí, a young socialite, receives a letter from her cousin, Catalina, begging to be saved and this sets Noemí on a journey towards a confrontation with a family that doesn't quite belong. In her efforts to figure out what ails her cousin, Noemí discovers a more sinister plot. As with all Gothic novels, Mexican Gothic offers much more than just a spooky story and, from the very beginning of the book, Moreno-Garcia tackles themes such as colonisation, classism, and many more, all of which perfectly framed within the setting of 1950s Mexico. 

Moreno-Garcia utilises Gothic terror throughout most of the novel with menacing characters and moments of true suspense. You can really feel the tension between Noemí and the Doyles and Moreno-Garcia plays with paranoia and alienation to create an almost claustrophobic atmosphere. The story does move into the territory of Gothic horror towards the end of the book, inciting feelings of disgust and revulsion within the reader, but the slow, creeping development of the plot is what I enjoyed most. 

All of the characters are incredibly well-written. They're complex, multifaceted, and generally unlikable. Noemí was a fantastic main character, strong-willed but flawed, but I'm glad that the novel is in a third-person subjective narrative style because, while it does focus on Noemí's thoughts and feelings, it doesn't dwell on them too much. Moreno-Garcia's writing, in general, is fantastic. It's not overly complicated or unnecessarily descriptive but every conversation and every detail feels very deliberate and well-placed. There's a wonderful balance between detail and ambiguity which makes this a very engaging book to read. 

The only thing that I didn't love was the pacing of the novel. There was such a wonderful build-up, filled with uncertainty and tension, but there was so much packed into the last couple of chapters that it felt a little rushed. Perhaps that was an intentional choice, as a way to confuse the reader or maybe even to create a desperate atmosphere, but I just wanted it to be drawn out a little more.

This review will go live at the link below on 17 July:

Hi and welcome to my review of Mexican Gothic!

There I was, craving a Gothic story, when I saw the cover of Mexican Gothic on Twitter and a blogger saying they got it from NetGalley. I have to admit I had never heard of the author, and I knew nothing about the book, except that it had a pretty cover. But I figured a story called Mexican Gothic had to have at least some Gothic bits, so I hurried over to NetGalley to check it out and before I knew it, I’d clicked that request button. I have to admit, I’ve lived to regret some of my impromptu book requests, but I’m happy to say Mexican Gothic is not one of those. I consider my Gothic itch well and truly scratched!

Mexico, 1950. We meet main character Noemí in the kind of location that I was expecting from a story set in Mexico: it’s charming, it’s colourful, it’s loud, and she’s all of those things, a flirtatious, vivacious young woman with the world at her feet. But the party is over: Noemí’s newly-wed cousin Catalina has send her a troubling letter and she must go and visit to find out what is wrong with Catalina, who is clearly not well.

Noemí is plucked from her bright and sophisticated world of studies and parties, piano recitals and young men, and dropped in a damp and gloomy mansion in a foggy old British mining town in the Mexican countryside. Here, Catalina lives with her English husband and his family. A creepy patriarch, an antagonistic lady of the house, a sweet but weird young man, servants who hardly speak, and Catalina’s charismatic but somewhat scary husband, the story at this point is positively dripping with Gothicness (and fungi and mould), which at one point veers off into horror of the haunted house variety and some really very disgusting bits, and you can take that quite literally, actually 😬

Noemí is a brilliant main character, she shows tenacity and resilience in the face of the evil that’s trying to seduce her, and while trying to figure out what is happening to her cousin, she really grows as a person and learns to look beyond appearances.

Mexican Gothic is a great Gothic horror story, it has feeling, it has depth and I enjoyed it very much. If Gothic horror is your thing, then you should definitely check this one out!

If you’d like to know more about the origins of this tale, then check out this Goodreads interview with the author.

Huge thanks to Jo Fletcher Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Mexican Gothic

I’m sorry I DNF’d this book. I was disappointed as I was looking forward to reading a gothic set in Mexico. I just got bored and reading it felt like a chore. The writing wasn’t really doing anything for me and I found myself skim reading just to see if anything happened.
I liked the mushroom idea and Noemi’s character but it wasn’t enough to keep going.
Also could this book have a better title? It’s more like the name of a genre than a story.

Thanks to netgalley and Quercus for my eARC.

Well since it was pitched as Rebecca in regency-ish Mexico, I had to request it. A bit slow but still deeply engrossing, totally worth a read. Thanks for the ARC!

This is the perfect book for every reader who loves gothic and horror literature.

I loved this book and highly recommend it! I´ve heard great things about Silvia Moreno-Garcia´s writing style but didn't expect to like it that much. It was compelling and intriguing to the end. The atmosphere was brilliantly describe, full of creepy elements that caused me some chills. And the plot felt a bit slow at the beginning but as the half way of the book I can´t stop reading.

I have so many feelings about this book.

I will start by saying that love gothic novels. This has all the trappings of a perfect gothic novel – creepy house, a distressed cousin sending an ominous letter, a strange, unsettling family and a lot of creepy secrets. But it’s also so much MORE than that. It was unique and gripping, bringing so many new ideas but blending them seamlessly into an old formula.

Noemi is a very strong character and I absolutely adored her. She’s feisty and passionate and intelligent. She’s determined to get to the bottom of the mystery of Catalina’s letter and is loyal and brave. She’s so much more than she seems when we are introduced to her at the beginning of the novel, and she’s the gothic heroine that I’ve always needed. Noemi refuses to be anything but what she is.

The setting of High Place has a feeling of overwhelming heaviness. It’s permeated by a miasma of despair and dominance over its occupants. Its unsettling, hostile and strange. It’s covered with damp, decay and full of the uncanny. It’s the perfect setting for this book, and I wouldn’t have been able to set foot in it. The atmosphere of this book and house are so deeply entwined, and it was so incredibly well written!

Mexican Gothic is filled with horror in so many ways. There are some disgusting descriptions of horrible things that I felt almost ill reading (and they followed me into my dreams, and I NEVER get affected by horror or gore in books usually) which were beautifully written despite the nauseating images! The book also has some very different moments that made me sick to my stomach- there’s definitely triggering content in here, that at times was difficult to read, but it also added a whole new level of horror and awfulness to the story.

There are so many things I want to say about this book but can’t because almost everything is a spoiler, but it is incredible. I honestly loved this book so much. It was incredibly written, gripping, tense and had an incredible gothic heroine in Noemi, as well as some other fascinating characters. The setting was atmospheric and creepy and the book had an overwhelming sense of mystery and wrongness. If you like your books creepy and unsettling, your characters strong and well written with a touch of gothic horror, then you NEED to read this book!

One word for this book - addictive! And creepy. And scary. And full of plot twists!

When i requested this book i was hoping to get something like the modern gothic movel. Creepy, yeah, but not positively SPOOKY. This book has so many twists and turns, it will keep the reader hooked from beginning to end.

When Noemi is sent to High Place after her cousin Catalina writes a letter saying her husband might be poisioning her, she has no idea what she is in for. She is beautiful, urbane and flighty. But also faithful, gritty and strong. The people at High Place are strange, to put it mildly. And Catalina seems to be in need of psychiatric care. She is talking about ghosts, people in walls and so on. Noèmi herself feels the effects of the house on her. She has bad dreams and starts sleepwalking.

And then things turn positively scary. This book was such a ride. It was slow burn, not fast paced and yet the pace seemed quite in keeping with the cursed setting of the book. Also, the book cover design is so attractive. It feels beckoning. I started this in the evening and read till i finished it at night which, in hindsight, doesn't seem a very good decision for so spooky a book!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy!

This book totally lived up to the hype. And it certainly lived up to the gothic part of its name. One of the things I adored about Gods of Jade and Shadow was the atmosphere that Moreno-Garcia created and Mexican Gothic was even better when it came to building that atmosphere up until it was so thick that I could taste it. It’s a little bit slower paced than the books I usually read, but so good that I didn’t even mind it like I usually would. The slower pace lets the entire book become threaded with tension and dread. As I was reading I felt the whole time that everything was about to get worse and worse. And I had absolutely no idea how it was going to happen. Even having read the trigger warnings, I was still completely blind-sided by the twists this book took. I loved how unpredictable the plot was, and it really added to the gothic horror. I felt like in High Place anything was possible, and that made me really feel for Noemí. If I was freaked out reading about it, she must have been terrified living in it.

The house feels like a character all of its own, vivid and ever-present, and its presence overshadows every scene. Even when Noemí isn’t in the house itself, it feels like it’s always there. There’s an amazing sense of watchfulness that makes it feel like the walls themselves are watching and listening to Noemí as she tries to find a way to save her cousin, and there’s nothing quite so terrifying as feeling like there’s nowhere she can go to be safe. Amazing settings are exactly what I expect from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, who writes some of the best scenery I’ve ever read. The mining aspects of the novel seem to me to be lovingly researched, and it felt like I was looking in on a real snippet of history. The ‘English-ness’ of High Place compared to the incredible Mexican landscapes and the village that Noemí visits was almost jarring, and I loved the way that both were created. Honestly, the more of Moreno-Garcia’s work I read, the more desperate I am to finally make good on our travel plans to visit Mexico one day.

The story is definitely more plot driven than character driven, but that doesn’t mean the characters weren’t up to Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s usual amazing standard. They were interesting and distinct and I loved the way that they were written. One in particular felt so unnerving that I wanted to look over my shoulder to check he wasn’t hovering near me. I adored Noemí in particular, though that’s no surprise. She’s young and flighty and has something to prove – but she’s also persistent and intelligent and for all her flighty nature she’s unerringly loyal to her family. I liked the fact that she was so fiercely independent and young, and I think that the way she was written gave so much debutante personality that I could see her sweeping around parties. There’s a little romance in this book, kind of, but it’s not even remotely the focus and I’m glad of that. There’s so much going on in the house that overrides Noemí’s moments of attraction, because the threat and dread is so much more important. There’s nothing that annoys me more in a book than characters in grave danger mooning over love instead of focusing on the imminent death, but Noemí is too smart for that.

Thank you NetGalley and Jo Fletcher Books for the digital ARC of Mexican Gothic!

So, I don't usually read gothic/suspense/horror. Nothing against it, I just normally don't reach for it.

This book may have made me a convert.

Although it does admittedly start out slow, Moreno-Garcia does an excellent job of both setting the scene and giving us descriptions that put you right in the midst of 1950's Mexico, and in High Place, the not-haunted mansion where the bulk of the novel takes place.

The cast of characters are likable and hateable, depending on which you fancy, and I was rooting for Noemi from the start. She's bold and brazen, and determined to help her cousin and get to the bottom of the mysterious of the house and the family within.

It's suspenseful and exciting and horrible and I will absolutely be back for more!

Let me start this review by saying that I loved, loved, LOVED this. I had read so many glowing reviews that I was scared this would be too hyped for me and I would end up slightly disappointed, but that was not the case at all.

In Mexican Gothic you get exactly what the title implies, a gothic tale in a Mexican setting mixed with a bit of Mexican folklore and a huge dose of horror. I won’t rehash the plot cause I think is best to go into it as blind as you can, but though it had the potential of being a crazy bananas mess it ended up being a crazy bananas delight.

For the first half of the book, the story unfolds slowly, setting the tone and atmosphere brilliantly, with such detailed descriptions that you can almost feel like you’re in High Place, the remote mansion where the story takes place. At the halfway point the crazy train leaves the station on a non-stop action ride to a really satisfying end.

I loved the creepy vibes and the dark fairy tale-esque quality of the story. The writing is beautiful without being too purpley, managing to present even the most disturbing images in a way that makes you keep on reading instead of turning away from the book in disgust.

If you’d like your Jane Eyre mixed with your Stephen King, I think this is the book for you.

Mexican Gothic is like nothing I have ever read before. Creepy, unsettling and yet glamorous. Quiet, slow and yet mesmerising.

This book starts in an unassuming way. A classic haunted mansion trope with only an interesting setting to spice it up. But once I lowered my guard and expectations- everything was flipped on its head and from that moment I was captivated.

For the first half to two thirds, I found it quite slow and frankly boring. I adored the atmosphere, but it wasn't living it to the horror or suspense that I was promised. If you are considering DNF'ing the book- I would urge you to at least read to the plot twist (you'll know it when you see it). From then on, I couldn't stop reading. It was such a unique and original concept that it is worth pushing through the first half to get to it.

As for the characters, I had mixed feelings. I found our main character, Noemí to be a really interesting character to follow. This book is set in the 1950's, but Noemí didn't let society hold her back or censor her. Francis was quite possibly my favourite character. He had grown up in this house, and it was interesting to see how it affected him. He was adorable and innocent, but not untouched by the horrors present. I also really liked (probably the wrong word) Virgil's character. He had such a creepy vibe that I felt uncomfortable whenever he was on the page- and I loved it. However, most of the other characters fell flat for me. I didn't care for Catalina or anyone else, which lowered my enjoyment. If you don't feel attached to the characters, you don't care what happens to them- which is what horror and suspense novels tend to hinge on.

"Noemí's father said she cared too much about her looks and parties to take school seriously, as if a woman could not do two things at once."

The atmosphere and writing surprisingly gave me Maggie Stiefvater vibes. I can't fully explain it, but some of the scenes felt like that lucid dreaming quality of some of Call Down the Hawk in particular. The setting was done impeccably, to the point where I saw the mist, smelt the musty house and felt the terror. I would LOVE to see this adapted as a movie or TV show. It would be everything.

"The house, so quiet, with its curtains drawn, was like a dress lined with lead. Everything was heavy, even the air, and a musty scent lingered along the hallways. It felt almost as if it were a temple, a church, where one must speak in low voices and genuflect, and she supposed the servants had acclimatised to this environment and therefore tiptoed along the staircase, unwilling nuns who had made vows of silence."

Overall, this was such an interesting reading experience for me. I felt varying degrees of indifference to boredom in the first half, but was enamoured by the rest. I would definitely recommend it to people who like slow burn, character driven novels with a strong atmosphere. I am now excited to try more of this author's backlist, as I think she has the possibility to be a new favourite author.

★★★☆☆.75 stars

Thank you to Quercus Books for this ARC

Release Date: 23 June 2020

This gothic horror read had discomfort crawling up my spine throughout, as it was delightfully creepy and tense. Noemì is a snooty and frankly unlikeable socialite who is dispatched to the sticks to find out what's wrong with her cousin, only to discover the answer is not simple and definitely not sunshine and rainbows! The descriptions of the house alone are intensely atmospheric, to the point I had to put the book down but was quickly picking it back up again. This genre isn't in my comfort zone but I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read more by Silvia.
Thank you to Quercus Books and Net Galley for the free advance e-book copy of this title.

I found myself a little bit unsure of this novel at first. It had all the elements I enjoy in a gothic novel; a friend or family member needing rescue, a crumbling mansion, ghostly goings on, and a sinister family. Yet, it felt almost too melodramatic; as if it was a parody of the gothic conventions. Once I’d read the first dream sequence I was hooked. It was very addictive - the ‘reading till 2.30am’ sort of addictive!

I enjoyed the plucky heroine Noemí, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and help her cousin Catalina. She is not easily scared either. She’s always trying to find the rational explanation and doesn’t mind being rude to get what she wants. I loved the shades of other, classic, books in some of the scenes. A night scene between Noemí and Virgil has shades of Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester. The shifting patterns and mushroom shapes reminded me of The Yellow Wall Paper. The push and pull of fascination and revulsion was reminiscent of Dracula.

The pace of the story is perfect. It unfolds slowly with unsettling dreams, possible sleepwalking - all things that can be rationalised. Then becomes stranger. There’s a chance that Catalina does need psychiatric help. Yet the evidence that something paranormal is going on starts to stack up. The family are strange, eccentric and set in their ways, but that doesn’t mean they’re hiding something horrible. Or does it? The full horrors, when they finally come out into the open, are truly terrifying. It goes from slightly unnerving to full on horror, with all its gore. This is a great addition to the gothic genre and might keep me awake for a few more nights yet.

An extended review will appear as part of the blog tour this month.

2.5/5 stars

This has rather high reviews on Goodreads at the moment and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. Perhaps everyone else read a completely different book.

TW: Mentions of rape/sexual assault, mentions of incest,

I was sceptical going in. I picked it up and put it down a few times, before pushing myself through the first quarter, after which things actually get semi-interesting. This is a slow burn narrative, so if you're hoping for the thrills and action that a gothic horror novel normally promises, this isn't the place to be looking. The entire novel is paced very slowly with sudden blooms of interest that die down quite quickly. It's amazing actually that a narrative so bare and slow managed to push itself out across 300+ pages.

"Mexican Gothic" follows a woman named Noemi who is instructed to visit her newly married cousin after she sends a series of disturbing letters. When she arrives at her cousin's marital home - a grand, towering structure called High Place - she discovers that there is more to her cousin's pleas for help than meets the eye.

I skimmed a lot of this book. The scenes last far too long and it's easy to get bored by it. I was in until about 3/4 of the way through the book, when the explanation about why everything is crazy comes and at that point, I closed the book, never to return. I hate this horror trope of the helpless woman, of women being used - of casual rapey undertones to half of the male characters towards one female character. I kind of expected better from a book that had some elements of originality to it. Its discussion of eugenics and colonialism are something I haven't read before, which I appreciated appearing in this book.

Unfortunately, that's kind of where the positives end. I got a lot of deja vu in this book - scenes seemed to happen more than once without moving the plot on and the core reason why Noemi had come to the house seemed to get abandoned relatively quickly once other plotlines were introduced. I don't think this is a well written gothic/horror book or even a historical thriller book - it's missing the pace that keeps you hooked as the story unravels. The language is flowery and overwritten at the best of times. I won't be returning to Moreno-Garcia's work.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has such a distinct writing style - slightly lyrical and the I've always found that her stories build. And Mexican Gothic is no exception! The tension grows as the book progresses to the point where I couldn't sleep, jumping at every noise.

Mexican Gothic has such a creepy feel! I wouldn't quite call it a horror, but it does cleverly weave together horror stories and bits of folklore.

There were points where the plot felt a little stilted - although I was enjoying it, nothing seemed to be moving forward. However, the suspense - especially towards the end - was utterly thrilling.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

TW: murder, death, rape, attempted rape, cannibalism, incest

Noemì Taboada is a socialite and she's living a golden life in Mexico City with parties, friends, flirts and her studies, eve though she changed again her mind, taking an interest in anthropology this time. When she received a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin, Catalina, begging for help and accusing her husband of poisoning her, Noemì understands that something may be wrong and right away decides to visit her.
In the High Place, a remote and lugubrious mansion in the Mexican countryside, Noemì, with her clothes and mirth and curiosity clashes with the mansion's residents and their rules, like being silent during dinner, quiet voices, no questions and no cigarettes. But Noemì is determined to find why her cousin is so strange and what is affecting her, even if that means clashing with Virgil, Catalina's husband, both alluring and scary, Florence, who runs the house with strict firmess and the patriarch Howard, who seems to be fascinated by her.
Her only ally is Francis, the youngest, shy and kind and, when Noemì starts to be plagued by nightmares and visions. she decides to uncover the family's history and what is happening to them. Before she's trapped in the house forever.

Mexican gothic is a wonderful feminist Gothic fantasy, set in a gloomy mansion with its mysteries, violence and ghosts. The main character is Noemì, who finds herself in a situation and a world very different from the one she's used to. A world of silence, lies and violence. But she's strong-willed, brilliant and smart and she's strongly connected to her older cousin, Catalina. Finding herself in a male dominated world, High Place, a whole different universe and the Doyles, or better Howard, their patriarch, as ruler and master, able to impose his demand everywhere, Noemì struggles against rules and mysteries, unwilling to bow down and determined to save herself and Catalina from what is become a prison, the house itself alive and unwilling to let them go.

In Mexican Gothic there is a battle between men and women, who struggle to get their independence and freedom in 1950s Mexico. Noemì struggles against her parents' expectations, her mother thinking that girls should follow a life cycle, from debutante to wife and not to continue her studies upon graduation, her father considering flighty and offering her the chance to enroll to the National University should she save her cousin and solve her mystery.
It's interesting reading how, even though women didn't have much freedom, above all when married, (Catalina's fate was decided by her husband, his doctor and her father in law) undermined by the patriarchy, the women in Mexican Gothic are strong, stubborn and willing to assert themselves, with their choices, plans and plottings.
From Agnes and Ruth, who fought against their family's values and traditions, to Catalina and Noemì, these women were ready to plot, kill, escape to get their freedom back and to do the right things.
It's also a war between rich and poor, the socioeconomics difference, considering the way the Doyles treated their miner, above all if Mexicans, and their willingness to let them suffer and die for their own goals. In a constant cycle of violence, mystery and blood, Noemì fights her way to be free and to save those she loves and has learn to love.

One of the things I loved the most about Mexican Gothic is the setting, reminding me of Wuthering Heights and other Gothic novels, with its fog, gloomy places, quiet servants and nightmares, creepy mysteries. with a
tough and strong-willed heroine.
Peculiar is the house itself, almost a character on its own, with its actions and desires, a cage, a prison and a living organism at the same time.
Interesting is the character of Francis, the youngest son who is willing to defy his family and their traditions, wanting to do the right thing, ready to see the world and to escape a house who is really a prison, its inhabitants prisoners (willing and unwilling) and stuck in a cycle of violence and blood. Catalina first and Noemì then disrupt their "peace" and cycle, refusing to be used and objectified by the men of the house.

The women seen and used as object, only as mothers and wives is another concept Noemì struggles against. Catalina is first bewitched by Virgil and his house and family, but slowly, in her own way, she fighs against a role others want to impose on her, a cage ready to smother her.
Noemì, with her mirth, her flirting and stubborness, is a modern woman, unwilling to be something she doesn't want to be, a woman with strong convictions and ideas, refusing to be caged and hurt.
Florence, Francis' mother, almost represents a woman who gave up, assimilated into the house and its rules, willing to hurt other women and to obey her master, becoming from victim to oppressor.

Noemì, Catalina, Ruth are women able to stand up for themselves, ready to do anything for the right thing and the people they love and loved. Brilliant, vibrant and complex character, they stick out in this book. defeating the men's cruelties, protecting themselves. Even though there are male characters who help them, like Francis, Noemì's father and Dr Camarillo, Mexican Gothic is a book where women triumph and they are not willing to share the spotlight.

Fighting the objectification of women, asserting their right to decide and be free, Mexican Gothic has strong characters. a complex mystery and a wonderful, but gloomy, setting.

I recommend this book to those who love a good mystery, strong female characters, fight against the patriarchy and the ability of proving oneself.

When I began 'Mexican Gothic,' I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd never read anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia before, but the cover and title compelled me. The basic plot is somewhat as follows:

Noemí, a young socialite from Mexico City, is sent by her father to check on her recently-wed cousin, Catalina, who has been sending worrying letters to them. Upon arrival in the mountainous town of El Triunfo, Noemí is whisked away to High Place, a mansion built above the town, where she gets to know the Doyle family Catalina married into. Noemí slowly begins to realise something is deeply wrong with not only Catalina, but the family and their house.

I will admit, I wasn't hooked immediately: the main character Noemí and I don't have much in common, and her whole schtick of 'I'm a sexy, intelligent young socialite who plays dumb' got old very quickly. The only semblance of depth that's given to her character is that she... wants to do a Master's in Anthropology? As an anthropology student myself, this was enticing, as were the name-drops of anthropological classics, but this never really ventured beyond a surface-level interest and I wasn't particularly impressed with this as a facet of her character. Beyond that, her personality consisted of liking parties and boys and driving convertibles. Those things aren't bad, but I just wasn't particularly impressed with this characterisation -- she isn't anything exciting, and particularly as most of the book is set in a place where she can't access the interests which make up her personality. I'm not the type of person to rave over 1950s aesthetics, either, so while this added a fun filter to the book (which honestly could have been set in any decade), it wasn't a major draw for me.

I also continually struggled with the writing in this book. It felt over-flowery, and not in a way that might be excused as accurately representing the language of the 1950s. Details felt exaggerated in a way that I hung on to them, thinking they would come back to be important later on, but they rarely did. The (spoilers!) mushroom-centric plot felt evident to me, but looking at other reviews I see that isn't the case for everyone, so I won't be too hung up on it. Situations felt absolutely contrived, and people behaved in ways which felt incredibly unnatural to me, with no questions raised by those around them. The varying lucidity of Catalina, for example, meant she had plenty of chances to explain herself properly, but never did - why?! And Noemí travelled all that way to see Catalina, and then barely spent any time with her. I kept feeling SO frustrated, but pushed through for the sake of this review.

On the flip side, there were things I really liked about 'Mexican Gothic,' I loved reading a historical novel set in Mexico, as this was something I'm unfamiliar with, and the cultural aspects were really interesting. I'd have liked to have seen even more of Mexican culture throughout -- tidbits in Spanish, for example, or even some acknowledgement or discussion of cultural difference between the Mexican Noemí and the English Doyle family. However, the author is actually Mexican, so I suppose it's up to her how much she wants to explicitly talk about Mexico.

As I kept reading, I realised this was a horror novel - something I'd managed to miss when I picked it up! Though I wouldn't normally go for horror, the plot really drew me in, and at times, reading late at night, I felt genuine fear, and though I knew I needed to put it down, I couldn't. I needed to know the ending! Because of this, I finished this book in about three days' time, so that's certainly a commendation on my part.

I liked the [spoiler] power of the mushrooms, the way it was slowly revealed and explained, and I liked the characterisation of Francis, and the complex family history which didn't feel unnecessarily inserted, and was relatively easy to follow. I appreciated that the novel wasn't afraid to shy away from difficult topics like rape and suicide, though these discussions did seem to spring from the blue a bit. I liked that the book didn't go the easy route of 'supernatural haunting,' but chose a scientific explanation for apparently-supernatural phenomena.

On a more surface level, I also enjoyed the font and formatting of the book, and remain a fan of the front cover. The title felt a little unimaginative to me, for a book that wasn't going to be very explicitly about Mexico, but I enjoyed its unusualness all the same. I felt the length of the novel was appropriate and fun.

'Mexican Gothic' is a book I enjoyed reading. I won't be rushing back to it anytime soon, but appreciate that it pushed me a bit outside my comfort zone, and the interesting things it did with the subject matter.

4.25 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Jo Fletcher Books (Quercus Books) for providing me with the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an incredible novel that mixes horror, gothic and historical elements together. I think the first part of the story was a bit too slow and I was unsure where it would have gone, but then the pace changed and I found myself extremily captivated by what was happening.
I loved the atmosphere the author created and I enjoyed all the twists and turns.
It really is a very good book and if you love horror stories set in a decaying and mysterious house, then this one here will surely meet your taste!

Six Reasons to Pick up Mexican Gothic.

1 It is written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 

...

Wait that is not enough for you? But I shall spell it out for you. 

2 Wonderful prose. 

Silvia Moreno-Garcia manages to get under your skin. She knows how to create an atmosphere through her writing and descriptions. The way a character acts, looks and moves all add greatly into that. As a writer she is very 

3 Slow build, Hard Slap 

The story builds up slowly with Noemi who goes out to her cousin in High Place after her father receives a letter from her cousin who asks to be saved from her new husband and current residence. The slow build helps set up the setting and moves in little details that are creepy but not proof of something necessarily.

And then bam, we move from a few drops to a big storm in a matter of a few moments. It was well crafted and set up.

4 Not Always Like-able Characters 

Our characters are not quite like-able characters which works very well with the setting.

Noemi is a debutante who cares a great deal about how she looks and comes across. Yet she is also tough and has dreams of attending university, even if that isn't quite acceptable for a woman of her standing. She comes from a place of privilege in the big city, and on occasion is honestly quite condescending.  It doesn't always make her that like-able. On the other hand there is also no question about her heart being in the right place. She's just human.

5 Romance Dynamic Interesting 

Very often these days we find love interests for main characters to be dominant, especially when it is in heterosexual relationships and it is a male. In this story this was different. Noemi strikes up a friendship with the youngest son of the family her cousin married into which then slowly turns into something more. He is shy and a kind soul. Noemi is much more straightforward in her interactions with him. I really appreciated that dynamic.

6 Creepy as Fuck

And lastly this book has a good amount of creepy going for it. Imagine having to go to a mansion where you are not welcome. When a graveyard is very close by. Where the house starts talking to you in your dreams and it is like there is blood everywhere. That it sometimes feels like someone is taking over your actions and feelings, but you can never quite put your finger on it. And then I'm not even talking of the creepfest at the end there.

If you enjoy dark noir books that creep you, this book set in setting that is not from the Western world, should for sure appeal to you. And otherwise Sylvia Moreno-Garcia's writing should sell you over.