The Bewitching braids the supernatural encounters of three women into one mystical tale. The author alternates between the lives of Minerva (1998), Beatrice “Betty” (1934) and Alba (1908). There are many more stories between these lines that I want to discover.

We are first introduced to Minerva, a scholarship student from Mexico City, attending Stoneridge, a New England dark academic setting and former home of a witch from the Salem witch trials. She has long been fascinated by the work of former student, horror writer Beatrice Tremblay, author of The Vanishing, a novel inspired by Tremblay’s friend Virginia “Ginny,” a budding spiritualist who disappeared from Stoneridge in 1934. Ginny is described as a quirky girl, who paints under the influence of spectors. I would have loved to get deeper into Ginny’s head, to hear her POV. She is such a fascinating character that I wanted to know more about her, yet she is shrouded in mystery.

As a horror fan, I enjoyed Minerva’s horror references to Lovecraft’s Arkham, King’s Derry and Shirley Jackson. I found it amusing how Minerva felt prepared for New England life from reading these works. This made me love her character immediately.

Minerva’s grandma Alba’s story begins at 19, living on her family’s farm in Mexico. Alba shares her stories of blood drinking witches with Minerva, “Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches.” This line brought me back to Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Alba’s stories provide helpful guidance and evoke caution as Minerva encounters strange happenings at Stoneridge. All three storylines and characters are interesting. I was most captivated by Alba’s storyline, as it exuded an atmospheric gothic vibe with the villainous aspect being the most chilling of the three.

Spooky season never comes too soon. Read this when it comes out in July! Thank you Silvia Moreno-Garcia, NetGalley and Random House-Del Rey for this ARC..

A multigenerational horror saga that weaves together the lives of three women across different eras, each haunted by witches and the supernatural. I love how there's a thread connecting these women across generations, yet each one remains deeply anchored in her own unique story. Alba's tale was by far my favorite— I found myself wishing for an entire novel dedicated solely to her life.

I'll continue to read anything that SMG writes, and was happy to have her latest book dive back into horror.

This book had me sleeping with the bedside light on for three nights in a row. If you weren’t scared of the dark before, Silvia Moreno-Garcia is about to change that with The Bewitching.

The novel follows three women across decades and continents. There’s Alba (Nana Alba), a willful girl living in the Mexican countryside, yearning for more. Then there’s Beatrice Tremblay, or Betty, one of the pioneering horror writers of her time, haunted by the grief of losing someone she loved. And finally, Minerva, Alba’s great-granddaughter and the inheritor of her stories, is now studying at the same university Betty once attended and, more importantly, unraveling the mystery behind Betty’s only novel, The Vanishing.

Minerva is just trying to finish her thesis when a stroke of luck (or something else entirely) pulls her into a path of discovery that leaves even the most matter-of-fact reader wondering what lurks in the shadows. What begins as a straightforward literary analysis becomes something stranger. When she finds that The Vanishing may be inspired by a real-life incident in Beatrice Tremblay’s life, Minerva is swept into a hunt for the answers Betty could never find. The deeper she goes, the less clear it becomes whether she’s researching a novel… or living inside one.

In a world steeped in the uncanny and the unknown, Minerva is left questioning what’s real and what’s not. Are there witches? A universal consciousness? Is she losing her mind, or should she have paid more attention to her great-grandmother’s warnings?

Minerva’s passion and persistence hit close to home for me. As a low-income student who loves to study, her commitment to her thesis and her academic life at Stoneridge resonated deeply. The loneliness of living away from home, the exhaustion of working twice as hard to get half as much, the silence you keep around those struggles—it all rang true in Minerva’s voice.

I wanted to devour this book in one sitting, but I had to pause more than once just to collect myself. I wouldn’t say I have an overactive imagination, but the way Moreno-Garcia builds the story had me genuinely unsettled. This isn’t horror that jumps out at you—it creeps in quietly. It’s psychological, atmospheric, and laced with the supernatural. The dread builds not from what happens but from what might be happening. It’s gothic horror at its finest: a slow unraveling of certainty, where the line between madness and magic blurs in the shadows.

Eerie and melancholic, The Bewitching toyed with my emotions and left me jumpy at night—in the best way. Books are supposed to make you feel something, and this one made me feel haunted. The past feels physically close, lingering in letters, books, and places as if it never quite left. Darkness, both literal and metaphorical, becomes a presence. It’s not just the plot that haunts you; it’s the atmosphere, the feeling that something is watching, waiting, remembering.

At some point while reading, I started wondering: would this book still hit as hard if it weren’t so eerie?

Probably not. The horror feels essential to the emotional weight of the story. Without it, you might still have a compelling family saga or a tale of academic obsession, but the lingering questions about reality, the psychological unraveling, and the generational trauma would lose their intensity. Horror acts as a magnifier here, making the internal external, the subconscious visible. So you might not find it as enticing if you don’t find the supernatural scary.

This is a solid 5/5 for me. If you love gothic novels, horror, and mystery, Silvia Moreno-Garcia is about to deliver another of her masterpieces with The Bewitching.

I am a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia but her last novel, Silver Nitrate, was very disappointing to me. The Bewitching is a return to what I enjoy about this author and was a great read - Mexican folklore blends with New England folklore about witches in a compelling story

The story weaves three timelines together...in the 1990s, Minerva, a native of Mexico and current college student, is working on her Master's Thesis at a college in New England. Her thesis is on Beatrice Tremblay, a little-known horror author who wrote an obscure novel titled The Vanishing, based on a true story of her own roommate who disappeared from the same college in the 1930s. The third storyline is that of Minerva's great-grandmother Alba, from when she was a young girl living in rural Mexico, and her own experience with mysterious events.

As Minerva unearths more about Beatrice and the missing roommate Virginia, she recalls Nana Alba's stories from the past while navigating events in the present that become more and more troublesome. There is a wonderful, spooky quality to the writing and the story, with good tension and anticipation built up.

I will say, the ultimate reveals are not surprising, and I had figured one out very early in the story. However, this does not detract from the story at all - or didn't for me anyway. It's well written, well paced, and has great atmosphere.

Expect witchcraft, curses, the occult, Mexican superstitions, and great writing. What's not to enjoy??

Silvia strikes again. I love the way that she is able to describe and bring together experiences through the years in an effortless way. If you want an experience that transports you to different times and has you on the edge of your seat, this is for you. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of one of my continued favorite authors.

5/5

Writing in the tradition of New England horror, Silvia Moreno-Garcia returns with The Bewitching, a tale of witches tethered across generations and one grad student's descent into the dark magic at work on her college campus. If Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes it, I’m reading it. That has been the case ever since I first read Mexican Gothic back in the early days of the pandemic and fell in love with her craft, and it is still true today. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a masterful storyteller. Her ability to immerse readers in her richly detailed landscapes and characters, regardless of the time period or the genre has always confounded me, but I am nevertheless grateful for it. The Bewitching is the latest witch struck tale to round out her lengthy backlist. This time, Moreno-Garcia spotlights the eerily quiet winter period on a Massachusetts college campus and an incoming thesis deadline, which is already its own kind of horror. Shifting between multiple timelines and integrating the lost manuscript of Beatrice Tremblay, Silvia Moreno-Garcia presents a different kind of witch, malevolent and intent on destroying others for their own gain. In The Bewitching, the unexpected reigns, and as something stalks the night, the hardest part is not being left forever spellbound.

My full review is now posted on my blog!

Last year, the book Mexican Gothic caught my attention. It was a good read, and I was looking forward to reading more of Silvia's works. Recently, while browsing Net Galley, I came across this book, which is yet to be published and ended up selecting it as my read.

Minerva is a graduate who is studying horror literature and is doing a thesis on the works of Beatrice Tremblay. Throughout the study, Trembley's novel 'The Vanishing' becomes an obsession when she realizes it is based on a true incident that happened to Ginny, a friend of Beatrice. As she digs deeper, she realizes that there is a malice angle associated with it. Delving into the incident, she remembers the stories that her great-grandmother Alba had told her as a kid. The terrifying stories where Alba encounters a witch. Slowly, Minerva realizes that the malicious force might be after her as well. The remaining story explores how the three women from different timelines encounter this witchcraft and how Minerva tries to solve the mystery of Ginny's vanishing.

What prompted me to read this book was the subject of witchcraft and the three timelines. This book was good in both respects. I liked how the writer can blend the horror into these eras and invoke the same feeling in us. The read may not be too scary, but the story invokes a slight chill as we read on. The storyline is plain without any twists (well, at least for me). I was able to decipher who was behind all the happenings. Having said that, this did not cloud my reading experience in any way. I like how the execution of scenes kept its tempo in a plain storytelling. The placement of scenes during three eras was what kept it going. It was interesting to see how the witch folklore from different places was imbibed into the story and that is a major plus point. The few recurring characters that appear during these timelines provide great support to the story, however small they may be. The setting of the stories is another big plus point. The Mexican village and the college set in New England play perfect host to the witching in the novel. The ending was also satisfactory, and there may be a hint at a second part. But I don't mind reading another part of this book.

In short, a fantastic novel by Silvia Moreno Garcia. Like Mexican Gothic, this book is also a slow but very engaging read. This is one of the writers I am definitely willing to read in the future. If you like witches and curses then this is the perfect book for you.

Expanding over 3 timelines, this book contains dangerous witches, curses and unidentified entities, each timeline follows a different woman. With the feel of horror and a supernatural twist, suspense and a creepy feel. I enjoyed this book and will see what other books are available from this author. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book made me remember why i love reading scary stories! The way the stories of three women in three different decades intertwined to create an increasingly eerie mood, was the perfect page turner. The story took some twists and turns that surprised me, even while following a standard suspense build up, and it gave a lot of new knowledge about witch lore in both New England and Mexico. Combined with her easy language, Moreno-Garcia is definetely a writer i am curious to pick up more books from.

I adore Moreno-Garcia's writing so much and this is such an incredible story. We follow three women through three timelines who are all linked together through a novel. It is fiercely engaging from beginning to end! An absolute delight of a story that highlights the resilience of women.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has quickly become one of my auto-buy authors. Ever since I first read Mexican Gothic on a rainy afternoon (in one sitting, too), I knew there was something special about her, and this book (my first ARC of hers) proved it.

The Bewitching follows three timelines and three different women who, although so different from one another, are linked together. As always, I loved the writing style. Moreno-Garcia has a way to weave words together that feels otherworldly, and this felt particularly fitting with this story. I loved all three timelines for all different reasons, but my favorite is Nana Alba's, not only because it was by far the creepiest, but also because it was set in Latin America, the place where I'm from.

This is a wonderful read that anyone with an interest in the horror genre should read.

This was so good. I really enjoy this authors writing. I could not put this down. I was completely sucked into the story and I didn’t not want to leave. This is 100 percent worth the read. I will be reading anything this author writes.

Moreno-Garcia conjured up a literary love letter to classic horror and twisted the classic witch tale. She delivered word choices that felt appropriate to a graduate student drafting her thesis. A protagonist that was nailed down by their insecurities but finds her way through the uncanny made me completely fall in love with this novel. The dialogue was eloquent and eerie. The three timelines are beautifully distinct with again – word choices that really fit the timelines. I liked reading the perspective of the uncanny match the appropriate timelines from 1908 to 1934 and 1998. What horrors do we unleash with our curiosities, but what horrors do we learn about ourselves when we let ourselves fall without a safety net?
This truly was a spine-chilling horror that delivers with a gothic feel with modern twists. Witches are a constant obsession and a setting in New England was chilly and quaint for such a tale. This makes me think of what Fear Street wanted to do but Moreno-Garcia really encapsulated the horrors that we accidently open upon ourselves without protection. I wanted more because each moment was more eerie than the next. It was hard to put this one down. Yes, this is about a curse, but what does this say about our obsessions and how we handle our own behaviors?
Muchas Gracias to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for providing this digital arc in exchange for an honest review. This was a pleasure and well put together arc. This is a must buy for the creepy girl’s shelves! The literary easter eggs made my nerdy heart flutter - more horror like this please. This was my first Moreno-Garcia and I am definitely going to be reading her other works! I will be posting this on Goodreads and my wordpress!

A Captivating Nesting Doll of Spooky Intrigue!

I LOVE books that have stories within stories. In The Bewitching, there are THREE stories that take place in different timespans, but all tie together in a perfect, unified cord at the finale.

The two main protagonists were sympathetic and easy to root for. The antagonists, suitably creepy, though that made figuring out their identities as the bad guys fairly easy, which didn't inhibit my enjoyment.

My only quibble was the inclusion of a side character who ended up having nothing to do with the story. Maybe he was meant to be a red herring, but he felt more like a subplot that was cut, but traces of it were accidentally left in.

The ending delivered a couple extra thrills too. All in all, I recommend this book! It's an excellent new/old take on witches.

Thanks to NetGalley, Del Ray, and author Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno- Garcia does it again! If you are curious about witchcraft and edge of your seat danger, The Bewitching is for you!
RECOMMEND 4 STARS!

This book has 3 timelines that it follows, all having to do with witchcraft. One follows a college aged woman, working on her thesis at a New England College. Another follows a young girl and her family back in the early 1900s and the other follows the journal of a woman seeking answers for a vanishing that happened while she was at college.

Some parts were a little predictable, while some still surprised me. I did enjoy the end, as it left room for a little suspense and interpretation.

This would be a great book to read during October to get into the mood for spooky season. It has just the right amount of eerieness, without being scary. If you enjoy stories of witchcraft, you'd enjoy this book.

The Bewitching was another excellent work by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The story was gripping from start to finish across all the different time periods and arcs, and the book overall was atmospheric. The pacing of the tale worked really well, always keeping me turning the pages, and the characters were all well-crafted and memorable. The final twist did catch me partially by surprise, which was gratifying and added to the suspense. If you are already a fan of Moreno-Garcia's works, you will definitely enjoy this new offering, and it's also not a bad choice as a first foray if you have not read any of her books before. If you are easily frightened, though, perhaps don't read it late at night. I am giving it 4.5 stars.

It’s safe to say that I was betwitched reading this one!
Halfway through I wasn’t sure how it would end but was so so so happily surprised when it did.

So much of this book was fun. It is a spooky tale, one that is so perfect for fall reads, but anything that combines folklore with modern day and a whodunit is an automatic yes in my book!

My favorite storyline was Minervas, and I so so so hope there’s a sequel starring Noah….

Really good writing. Interesting storyline. Three people each telling a story revolving around witches.
Was thrown off a bit and was not a huge fan of the family affairs in the oldest story. That being said, the writer made a bold effort to produce something of very high quality.

The Bewitching follows three women from 1908, 1934, and 1998 respectively as they battle against supernatural forces and disappearances of people close to them. From my own reading I was reminded of Carmilla, Vampires of El Norte, and The Bullet Swallower.

With her debut Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia proved herself with unique and surprising twists as well as creating a real feeling of dread and atmosphere. She does the same in this novel and by the last half I was non-stop turning pages, feeling fully rooted in the setting and surprised by what was being revealed.

Where she missed the mark for me (at this moment anyway) was satisfyingly tying all three narratives together. (Spoiler incoming) Why is our genetically witchy 1998 heroine happening upon witches in a different part of the world and seemingly disconnected from her own family? Are witches drawn to one another or, as I originally suspected (and is MAYBE hinted at in the epilogue), is there a more nefarious reason?! This seems like a knot Moreno-Garcia would want to tie up but she doesn’t and it’s disappointing. I also did not find this book to be technically dark academia and I kept getting caught up in the details/plot holes of Minerva’s thesis that didn’t make sense- she was an English major, where’s the textual analysis? How does chasing down a missing person’s case give her so much to write about?

Mexican Gothic haunted my thoughts for a long time, so this rating too may well change. But for now, I liked The Bewitching but it was not a 5-star read. Thank you so much to Del Rey & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!