Many thanks to Netgalley & Random House Publishing for providing an eArc to me!

Much like Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic, The Bewitching is an atmospheric ride laden with dread and excitement in equal parts. I have always been enchanted, or bewitched perhaps, by stories of witches. I longed to wear a red cloak and wield a wand like Wendy from Casper Meets Wendy as a child, I loved The Craft and other such stories as a teenager, and still do now in my late 20's. The many types of witches in fiction has always fascinated me, whether they are kind, menacing, both, or something else entirely. The history of witchcraft in real life is equally as fascinating and Moreno-Garcia's own childhood stories of witchcraft vibrantly shone from every page. The witchcraft here is felt by characters before it is seen, if it's seen at all, and it is conveyed with such clarity that the magic is all-consuming.

The prose was addictive and I found myself unable to pick a favourite from Minerva, Betty, and Alba. Our 3 POV characters, each with a distinct voice in 3 very different eras. Though I will admit to my love and perhaps bias of Betty's perspective as a lover of stories about manuscripts, forgotten books, and the things that inspired them. Alba's arc was devastating and I do caution those with any potential triggers to consult Storygraph's content warnings before they read this upon its release. I personally thought it was handled with care and it was very fitting within the Gothic genre. Finally, Minerva was a great way to anchor Betty and Alba's stories, a way to connect the two eras together, whilst showing how one might fall into the same trouble as their predecessors.

I am further encouraged to read Moreno-Garcia's backlog as this hit every note for me. It was most certainly a bewitching, but not one I feared. Her ability to craft compulsively readable fiction that tackles upsetting topics is fascinating and I for one can't wait to see this widely available. I look forward to rereading it in the future!

Dark academia, multicultural witchcraft, and straight-up supernatural horror make a satisfying blend in Sylvia Moreno-Garcia's most recent foray into the shadows. As with many of her novels, this one is mostly a slow burn. The plotline stretches across three time periods -- 1908, 1934, & 1998 -- in both Mexico and New England.

Alba, a young Mexican woman (whose family may be cursed) in 1908, is the great-grandmother of Minerva, a 1998 graduate student -- who is in turn doing her thesis on Beatrice/Betty, a pioneering female writer of weird tales in 1934. When Minerva's research reveals Betty's own brush with the unexplained, she finds herself threatened by dangers both supernatural and otherwise. Her great-grandmother left her with a few valuable tips about witchcraft, but can the folk beliefs of rural Mexico possibly apply to the traditions of old New England? And if they do, will Minerva be able to access her own power in time?

It takes a while for the three separate story lines to intertwine completely, although each is compelling in its own right. Fortunately, Moreno-Garcia includes the appropriate date with each chapter. She also seasons the dark academia sections with intriguing book titles, some of which I may need to look up later. They feel very real, as do the practices and descriptions of rural Mexican witches. There's always something interesting to learn in Moreno-Garcia's novels, and this one is no exception.

The conclusion of The Bewitching owes as much to thriller-style pacing as it does to horror, and may wind things up a bit too neatly for some readers. I tend to prefer clarity, however, and was gratified that the author took time to tuck in loose ends. There is also an informative Afterword, detailing some of the more autobiographical aspects of this novel. Recommended for anyone who enjoys dark academia with intelligent heroines, or folk horror with a Mexican/South American flavor.

**Review: *The Bewitching* by Silvia Moreno-Garcia**

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s *The Bewitching* is an eerie, slow-burning historical horror novel that weaves together three timelines, each connected by witchcraft, mystery, and generational trauma. While beautifully written and atmospheric, the novel struggles with pacing and predictability, making for an engaging but occasionally frustrating read.

The story follows Minerva, a graduate student in 1998 Massachusetts researching obscure horror writer Beatrice Tremblay. As Minerva delves deeper into Tremblay’s past, she discovers a chilling connection between the author’s experiences in the 1930s and her own great-grandmother Alba’s terrifying encounters with witchcraft in early 1900s Mexico. As the mysteries of the past unfold, Minerva begins to suspect that the same dark forces that haunted these women may now be coming for her.

Moreno-Garcia’s ability to craft immersive settings shines throughout the novel. The gothic atmosphere of a snow-covered New England campus, the desperation of the Great Depression, and the eerie superstitions of early 20th-century Mexico all feel rich and vivid. The book’s strength lies in its sense of place, its meticulous historical details, and its exploration of how folklore, power, and fear shape women’s lives across generations.

However, *The Bewitching* falters in a few key areas. The novel juggles three perspectives, and while each storyline is intriguing, they don’t all feel equally compelling. Minerva’s sections, meant to ground the novel in academic horror, sometimes drag due to excessive exposition and repetitive research sequences. Beatrice’s journal entries provide suspense, but the ultimate mystery lacks the tension needed for a strong payoff. Alba’s sections, while rich in folk horror, introduce unsettling themes (including incest) that may be difficult for some readers.

Additionally, the novel’s biggest twist is predictable, with obvious foreshadowing that takes away from the tension. The horror elements—though occasionally chilling—often take a backseat to lengthy character introspection, making the book feel more like a dark historical drama than a truly terrifying experience.

Overall, *The Bewitching* is a well-crafted but uneven novel. Fans of Moreno-Garcia’s previous works may appreciate her signature storytelling and gothic influences, but readers looking for a fast-paced, twist-filled horror tale may find themselves underwhelmed. A solid read for those who enjoy slow-burn historical horror, but not one of the author’s strongest offerings.

i love a good witch story!! what a beautiful introduction to silvia moreno-garcia, whom i have not read before and am now kicking myself for that decision! i loved the background of academia, then the introduction of alba’s life, and the slow reveal of ginny’s fate, it was all tied together so neatly. gorgeous prose, great characters, brilliant twist!

I'm still singing the praises of Garcia's "Mexican Gothic," and I also really loved "Silver Nitrate." I was quick to request a copy of this one, because the thought of her doing a witchy story was pretty exciting. There were spooky moments and an intriguing mystery, for sure, but overall "The Bewitching" didn't really compare to those other two novels.

Let's get this out of the way, first: The romantic tension between Alba and her uncle, while skillfully written, made me uncomfortable. I'm sure it was supposed to, and it became a purposeful plot element. But it's definitely worth noting before going into this read that if an incestual plotline is an automatic "nope" for you, then one of the three POV's in this book will give you trouble. Aside from that aspect, Alba's story was definitely the creepiest of the three due to the witch/curse elements and I was most invested in her storyline and her fate. Garcia is great at crafting women who at first appear to be damsels in distress but then flip the script and reveal more of themselves in a way that's inspiring. You root for them.

The “modern” (1990's) chapters with Minerva were the least interesting to me. Every male character was such a nosy POS and even her best friend kept bossing her around. The action in these sections grew repetitive after a while. And did we really need to know what band she was listening to every time she pulled out her discman? But I loved the many specific references to places in the Boston area! I lived there for ten years and I miss it SO much. Garcia even name dropped Emerson College, the one I graduated from! (I will never be able to pay off that student loan. Wicked sad.) The setting of a snowy university in New England was a great one for a creepy story.

I’m not the sort of reader who tries to predict endings, or who gets any sort of smug satisfaction when I do. But the conclusions of each of the narratives were not surprising to me. Maybe because many clues were left along the way, or because they were simply a little bit formulaic. I wouldn't say the story is dripping in atmosphere, either, but there are effective moments throughout. The witchcraft aspect is a little sporadic and heavier in some sections than in others. Much of the plot involves the mystery of a woman's disappearance and Minerva trying to find out what may have happened to her, though I got the feeling that she didn't care THAT much about the answer. I will say that I deeply related to Minerva's aversion to socializing and her desire to just stay at the dorm and read.

This story made me pause and think about which of my friends would actually take me seriously if I claimed I was being cursed by a witch. (Answer: Most of them!)

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Mention of animal harm/death, Incest, Self-harm

This story was interesting in that it follows three timelines that interlock with each other, in different ways. Each chapter focuses on a different time period and shares similar plot pacing: you meet the characters, threats and peril looms closer, there is a question on whether there is a bewitching afoot or the character is mad, and then there is death (either of the witch or a victim). There is a mystery element within the book, which is intriguing, firstly in terms of witches identities but also around people who have gone missing. However, I did feel that the downside of this triple timeline was that I wasn't that invested in the characters and actually I wasn't too bothered if the protagonists particularly lived or died. Also with the generational link between Alba and Minerva the ending for Minerva felt a little predictable, for if Alba survived then no doubt Minerva would to.
Having said that it was an interesting take on the witch/horror genre and would be an enjoyable twist for someone who enjoys these types of books.

The story is told in 3 parts: Alba in 1908, Beatrice's journal written about 1934 events, and Minerva in 1998.

Alba is dealing with the disappearance of her brother and a possible bewitching (cursing/prolonged attack) of her family by a witch. Her mother and uncle don't believe her but she tries to figure out ways to help her family.

In the 1998 present, Minerva is a college student who's writing a thesis on a mostly forgotten horror writer, Beatrice Tremblay. She connects with rich, elderly Carolyn Yates who has Beatrice's papers. When Carolyn and Beatrice were in school together, another student, Virginia, disappeared one night. Rumors were that she ran away with someone but Carolyn's husband and Beatrice never believed it. Minerva reads Beatrice's journal of her remembrances of that time. But Minerva starts to feel like she's being targeted by a witch.

One aspect that I love is that Minerva can't read the whole journal in one sitting. She's reading and transcribing in limited time windows, based on what Carolyn allows. One of my complaints with books with journals is when the character will just read a chapter at a time since the journal needs to unfold with the character's story. However, that's unrealistic most of the time, since it would be reasonable for a character to read the entire journal in a sitting or two. Moreno-Garcia addresses this by limiting Minerva's access to the journal. (I'm not sure if this was intentional or just a happy plot point)

The story was interesting and I appreciated the three perspectives. Overall, it was easy to keep them straight. The chapters were also on the longer side, which was nice. I was able to spend more time getting to know each character without jumping around.

Moreno-Garcia does a great job of weaving the supernatural into her stories and this was no exception. The reveals for who the witches are were painfully obvious, which was a bit disappointing. But it was still an engrossing story.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia delivers yet another atmospheric, eerie delight in The Bewitching, blending witchy Mexican folklore with the gothic chill of 1990s New England. The novel weaves together three generations of women, each facing the lingering shadow of something dark and supernatural, from early 1900s Mexico to the Great Depression and into Minerva’s present-day research on an unsettling horror novelist.

The witchy elements? Chef’s kiss. The creeping horror and sinister undertones? Absolutely excellent. Moreno-Garcia knows how to craft an unsettling, immersive atmosphere that lingers long after you put the book down. However, the one thing that kept this from being a full five-star read for me was that the story’s trajectory—especially regarding who the villains were and the broader mystery—felt a little too easy to predict. That said, the journey was still mesmerizing, and the execution of the folklore-meets-gothic horror blend was masterful.

If you love slow-burning horror with richly woven storytelling, strong female leads, and a touch of gothic intrigue, The Bewitching is well worth the read. Just don’t expect too many surprises—this one unfolds exactly as you suspect but in good way.

The Bewitching is dark, twisted, and compelling. Perfectly eerie and with gothic undertones, the story is an ideal accompaniment for a rainy day and a hot cup of tea (or coffee).

The story follows three women and their circles as they experience the supernatural, love, and loss. Each faces a spectral horror linked to dark witchcraft while battling between the dark forces beyond modern science at play and negotiating with contemporary understandings of reality.

For readers trying to compare this book to other reads, it's reminiscent of A Study in Drowning and Spells for Forgetting with an element of If We Were Villains.

The book's dark academia, gothic and supernatural elements were highly enjoyable. If you enjoy any of the above categories in your reading, this could be for you.

Queen of haunting gothic horror is back again with a multi narrative dual pov masterpiece, atmospheric and utterly immersive prose with characters so authentic and intricate they feel absolutely real, this was such a dense novel (not in a bad way) I feel like it's a 3 course meal disguised as 1? Does that make sense (maybe I shouldn't write this when hungry) it was rich and lush and I couldn't put it down, the multi narrative was done well I was worried I'd be confused at first but it flows nicely, loved this haunting historical horror, another 5 star read from this author!

In The Bewitching, Silvia Moreno-Garcia weaves a haunting tale about a curse that spans generations, told through the perspectives of three women: Minerva, a graduate student in the 1990s; Beatrice Tremblay, a horror author whose diary entries from the Great Depression reveal her experiences; and Minerva's Nana, Alba, who lived in Mexico during the early 1990s. While working on her graduate thesis, Minerva begins to notice the similarities between Nana's story and Tremblay's writings, leading her to suspect that the witch who haunted them may now be stalking her. She must uncover the truth before she too falls victim to the curse.

Moreno-Garcia's writing is beautifully crafted, immersing readers in every setting. While the story captured my interest, I felt it would have been stronger without Nana Alba's narrative, as it seemed unnecessary to the plot. Additionally, it felt unlikely that Minerva would know all the details about her grandmother's life. Some parts of Nana Alba's story contain sensitive themes, including incest and sexual abuse. I was unprepared for these scenes and I think book publishers should provide warnings for this type of content. The book would have been more effective if Minerva had experienced flashbacks to her childhood and the stories her Nana shared, rather than chapters from Nana Alba's perspective.

Minerva and Beatrice's stories are compelling and thrilling, and I wish more pages had been dedicated to this unraveling mystery. The resolution felt rushed and relied on a disappointing deus ex machina.

I recommend this novel to fans of historical horror fiction. While it has a gothic feel, it leans more towards vampire or ghost stories than a traditional witch's tale.

Witch and witchcraft horror saga with three women from different eras.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have hard time reading multiple POV if I’m not interested all the characters the same. Start of this book I had little bit hard time with that. I always wanted to just go back to the other character. After the beginning I did really enjoyed the plot and the stories started to entwine more together.

This was never who done to me. It’s was really clear from the beginning to me. It was more of a how the horror slowly unraveled and how the stories end. The old folk stories about witches are more scary and I loved how those were part of the plot.

I recommend this to anyone that likes horror stories with black magic and scary witches.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

4.5 stars. Minerva is a graduate student working on a thesis about a little-known woman horror author, Beatrice Tremblay, who was one of Lovecraft's contemporaries. Her search for source materials leads her to Caroyln, one of Beatrice's friends and a very rich benefactor of Minerva's college. As she continues her research, she often flashes back to her grandmother Alba's stories of witches. These three timelines twist around one another, leading to a satisfying, if predictable, conclusion. Despite the predictability of the antagonists, I found this book hard to put down and completely absorbing. I loved nerding out over the horror history Easter eggs, and each of the three timelines were fully fleshed out, all with a solid sense of place and nuanced characters. I loved Alba's complicated relationship with her uncle. The depiction of spiritualism in the 1930s and discussions of classism were poignant. Minerva's 1998 setting really took me back and made me nostalgic. Themes of classism were present throughout the entire novel, not just the 1930s timeline, as was an undercurrent of racism. I deeply appreciated the queer representation (sapphic - specifically lesbian, and the unnamed ace rep). Moreno-Garcia's craft was really on point in this novel, it was my favorite of her work since Mexican Gothic. The narrative frame reminded me of Plain Bad Heroines which I also loved. I suggest this for fans of historical horror, queer horror, and readers who enjoy multiple POV/timelines.

This multi-generational, multi-timeline witchy historical horror was amazing! We follow three women in three timelines, all connected to witchy happenings and disappearances, from Minerva in 1998 Massachusetts, her grandma in 1908 Mexico and Betty in 1934 Massachusetts. I loved the college setting, the shades of dark academia, the inspiration of Mexican traditional tales, the mention of writers such as Lovecraft, M. R. James and Shirley Jackson, and the overall spooky 90s feel. One I highly recommend! Four stars as the plot/whodunnit was quite obvious but the vibes were 5 stars. So 4.5 stars overall!

I've always been a huge fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia but, in my opinion, I think this is her best work yet. This book hooked me from the very beginning and I could barely put it down.

The book is divided into three separate yet intertwined stories: 1998 (Minerva), 1934 (Beatrice), and 1908 (Alba). Minerva (1998) is an international student from Mexico enrolled as a graduate student at Stoneridge College on the North Shore of Boston (based on Endicott! iykyk) and working on her thesis about the little known horror author, Beatrice Tremblay. Beatrice Tremblay (1934) is a Stoneridge Alumni who kept records of her roommate and friend, Virginia Somerset's, slow decline into "madness" and mysterious disappearance - then went on to become one of the few female horror writers of her time. Alba (1908) is Minerva's great grandmother who educated Minerva on the existence of witches by telling of her own personal experience, which turns out to be an exceptionally helpful resource for Minerva later on.

As only Silvia Moreno-Garcia can do, she beautifully fleshes out each character and intertwines the three stories as if they cannot exist without each other. This is a book about bewitchment ("Witches may toy with a person, sour a day or two of their life, then move on to other matters. Their magic is often slight... But a bewitchment, that is a different tale. Not just a campaign, a siege."), multigenerational horror, and touches on the collective unconscious/ancestral memory shared by all humankind. The variation between the time periods helped keep things interesting and I enjoyed seeing the stories slowly piece together. I loved that Minerva was able to draw on the syncretic and tales told to her by great grandmother to outwit a predator existing among her.

I also give this book a lot of credit because it was CHOCK FULL of the dark, gas-lighty, paranoia, type of horror without being confusing or frustrating - which is a difficult feat to pull off, IMO. I think it helps that the characters in this book, like most of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books, are intelligent, strong, individuals. These characters are not looking to make friends or find a boyfriend/girlfriend, and that is so refreshing to me. The writing is smart and well researched - there are often tidbits of factual information - which always appeals to me. Possibly an unpopular opinion, but I am always genuinely pleased when I come away from reading a book with a fun new bit of information.

Extra points for adding a cat/ghost cat (even if he had a questionable fate), and for the shout out to Stephen Graham Jones in one of the 1998 chapters!!

Anyway- go read this book!!! :D

This book is the perfect one day read if you want some horror and fantasy vibes. The author does a great job at tying three women’s lives and building their story around their connections to each other. While some aspect of the book left me feeling a bit weird and the romance did not hit the mark for me, I still feel like it’s an interesting showcasing of witches and add to the myths around them.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again,Mexican Gothic is one of the best contemporary gothic novels of all time. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an exquisite writer and has written in so many genres and I applaud her for that. Unfortunately, this one just did not work for me. I’m not really a horror reader and this as pretty heavy on the horror, if I’m being honest I barely finished this book. It just wasn’t for me, the writing is still great though.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

If a dead rat ever shows up on your bed— just basically run for your life I guess?

This got off to a slow start for me. It took until about 1/3 in for me to start to feel like real emotion and tension while reading. I felt mostly invested in seeing where the story ended by the halfway mark. By 2/3 I was locked TF in. I say this because the pacing is intentional, but you gotta get to the end for the payoff.

This is momentum building spooky witch book with wonderfully nuanced characters, genuine tension, and dark academia vibes that set the tone. Spanning three different eras and three different women this book explored themes of depression, heritage and legacy, and connections to the divine.

Stuff I liked:
-Characters felt nuanced and solid. No complaints there.
-this was definitely horror but it felt like horror-lite. Most of the intense stuff happens towards the end. This was perfect for me as I’m not a horror girlie so this was within my comfort zone for freak.
-some open ended stuff which I liked cause it means I can imagine a happy romantic ending haha
-witchy magic vibes are immaculate. This was horror yes but also some wonderful magical surrealism.

Stuff I didn’t like:
-I’ve read every review on this book so far and only one person has eluded to the incest. You guys????? Am I dumb??? That was her biological uncle????? Genuinely what am I missing???? I truly get how the motivations play out due to the uncle/niece dynamic and I can see how the author is moving those pieces but I have a hard time believing it was necessary but I am open to being wrong here? I kinda draw the line at incest typically.


Okay that being said. Loved the book. 5 stars other than the incest lol.

The Bewitching kept me sitting on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book. I love Silvia's way of writing from the tone to the language. She paints such a vivid picture of her story it feels like I am watching a movie!

I always love reading Moreno-Garcia’s books, this one was no different. I thought there would be more action than there ended up being, but overall I cared about the characters and loved seeing how each of their stories unraveled throughout the book. The gradual increase in the feeling of being haunted was great and left me a little scared myself when I would read too late at night. The eventual reveal of the mystery was slightly predictable but the way the story progressed didn’t make it disappointing to me. Overall, another wonderful book from a wonderful author I will continue to support.