Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange of an honest opinion.
I am absolutely in love with generational tales, especially if they're imbued with feminine MCs and magic. This book does it all (in a way another famous book from our generation promised to do but didn't deliver - won't name names!), adding to this efficient mix a very compelling background, full of Mexican folklore and history, and three main characters with a precise personality in accordance with both the times they're living in and their nature. The story is split between three different characters in three different eras, each one testifying their dynamics and how they reflect on the characters, two of which are from the same family while the third is known through her own words left in diaries and pictures.
I loved seeing how their stories entangle, bit by bit, how their experiences are passed down through generations and used to face familiar enemies, magnifying the importance of family but also spying on the bad hills that family often stumbles upon. In all this, witchcraft and ghosts: familiar and not, devisive and destructive, often moved by greed but sometimes fueled by the desire to protect and avenge. The prose manages to adapt to the setting and the character we're reading of, and even if, to me, it stalled a bit towards the end, it made for a compelling and interesting read.

this was so unlike anything i've ever read before, and if you'll pardon the pun, i've been truly bewitched by this book. each perspective has such an evocative sense of time and place, and all three narrative threads are interwoven with much care; you can really sense how much the author connected with minerva in particular. take your time with this one; wandering through this novel at a leisurely pace as it builds and swells with suspense is an absolute treat, and i promise you, the ending is worth every word in gold.

there are definitely times where i feel i have already read a paragraph earlier in the book - for example, i think it's well established that alba has trouble doing the chores when she is stressed about her portents, and portents in general is a word i feel i saw too many times.

overall, i loved this, and will be going back to read mexican gothic soon enough! thank you kindly to netgalley and PRH for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review :)

I had such high hopes for this book, and I’m so excited to say it lived up to my expectations! This is by far my favorite book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It follows three storylines: Minerva in Massachusetts in 1998, Alba in Mexico in 1908 and Betty in Massachusetts in 1934. Minerva Contreras is studying horror authors and takes a particular interest in Betty Tremblay who wrote a story based on her friend’s disappearance. Her great grandmother, Alba, has a similar story about her brother disappearing which leads into her storyline. I found myself interested in Alba’s story the most. And the third storyline is in 1934 from Betty’s personal journals and detail the events leading up to her friend Virginia’s disappearance.

I love that you have an idea about two of the storylines’ fates, just not everything leading up to them and one storyline you’re completely in the dark about what’s going to happen. There is a common theme of witchcraft and the supernatural among all the storylines. There were also topics such as wealth, greed and prejudice in all three. Minerva uses that knowledge to figure out the creepy things she’s experiencing herself and also to figure out what happened to Virginia.

The foreshadowing builds over time, and I will say things don’t start to get scary until around 40%. But the author does a really good job adding in little pieces of information that can spook and also leave you guessing. There are things and people that made my skin crawl. I love how this book ended and I was frantically flipping the pages the last 10% especially. I think any horror fan will love this book.

*The Bewitching* was an intriguing read, but it didn't fully grab my attention. The story is split into three parts, each following a different character—Alba in 1908, Beatrice's journal from 1934, and Minerva in 1998. All their stories connect in the end, but I didn’t feel as invested as I hoped.

The New England college town setting was perfect for the witchy atmosphere, and I enjoyed the sections set in Mexico with their rich folklore about witches. The overlap with vampire myths was a nice touch. Minerva’s story, where she only reads Beatrice’s journal in small pieces, was a unique detail that kept the mystery alive for a bit longer.

Unfortunately, I figured out who was cursing the characters halfway through, which made the twists at the end less surprising. Still, the author’s world-building and mix of magic with everyday life were well done, and the longer chapters gave me more time to connect with the characters.

Overall, the book was enjoyable, but the predictability lessened the suspense. I’m giving it a 3.5, but rounding up because it was still a fun read, and I look forward to sharing it with others.

In 1998, Mexico City born Minerva wound up attending Stoneridge College in a small Massachusetts town. In addition to being a prestigious institution, Stoneridge allows her access to some personal writings from the subject of her grad school thesis, the overlooked weird fiction author Beatrice Tremblay. That writer was responsible for a handful of weird horror tales and a single novel, The Vanishing, which may have been inspired by historical and autobiographical events, and Minerva is absolutely curious to find out about them.

Minerva is something of a horror buff who started down the macabre road early in life via stories her Nana Alba told about her own youth, back when “there were still witches.” However, as she digs into the life of her literary person of interest and speaking with those still alive who might recall the years of interest, Minerva becomes increasingly aware that the days when witches were real might not be so long gone after all. Something unnatural seems to be stalking her. Could it be one of the blood drinking witches Nana Alba spoke of?

Told in parallel to Minerva’s tale are two other narratives. One tells the story of a young Alba whose family, in 1908, is beset by troubles that may stem from maliciously supernatural causes. The second is the first-person narrative account of Beatrice Tremblay’s encounters with one Virginia Somerset, the classmate who would become the subject of her sole novel. This second narrative fills in the events leading up to her disappearance in December of 1934, answering some questions Minerva has while opening up even more questions.

Will Minerva learn enough from the past to stave off her own sorcerous threat, or will she become one more victim in a long line of them? Silvia Morena-Garcia pens a provocative supernatural thriller across three historical time periods with her latest novel, The Bewitching.

It is terribly strange for me to think of 1998 as historical, since that’s the year I started dating the brilliant and lovely woman who would become my wife, the year we were both out of undergrad and looking toward grad school options. Far, far easier for me to see 1934 and 1908 as periods from the dawn of time, so to speak. I suppose 1998 is over twenty-five years ago and therefore historical for many a reader coming to that period today.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has a knack for conjuring each of those periods and filling in the corners with flavor and evocative material, bringing them each to life. Her view of 1998 isn’t quite the one I lived, but it’s one I can recall through my experiences with others. And the 1930s is beautifully evoked. As well, Mexico at the turn of the twentieth century is equally lush, lived in, inviting in all the ways we want historical fiction to be.

Adding a horror plot to this only sweetens the flavorful pot so far as I’m concerned. Of course, Moreno-Garcia has made a terrific career out of giving us spooky, dark fantasy and crime yarns at various periods of history. I’ve raved about works like Mexican Gothic, Velvet Was the Night, and Silver Nitrate and I fully expect to be raving about The Bewitching throughout 2025. Just about everything I’ve encountered from the author has included an attentiveness to crafting gorgeous sentences and imagery, all in service to compelling stories about women with no shortage of smarts, strength, and pesky vulnerabilities who find themselves thrust into danger. The Bewitching continues this trend nicely.

The witches in this book are nothing like the Wiccans I know and have no intention of being positive role models. These are much more wicked in their outlook, selfish creatures that crave blood, flesh, power, and who work terrible spells to ensure their own survival (and occasionally because of a morbid sense of whimsy). They are the chilling visions we might recall from fairy tales of yore, stories like H. P. Lovecraft’s “Dreams in the Witch House,” themed collections like Catherine Cavendish’s The Crow Witch and Other Conjurings, novels like R. Patrick Gates’ Grimm Memorials, or features like Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977). There is more than enough room in the world for scary tales of fiends of this sort. I welcome clever spins on them.

Applying a dark academia approach to the main narrative also adds gravitas. On the one hand, it appeals to the investigatory aspect of dark fantasy fiction, providing the framework that invites inquisitive characters to ask one too many questions and therefore learn things mere mortals were not meant to know. On the other hand, it offers nods to one of the seminal novels of witchcraft in the contemporary times, Fritz Leiber’s Conjure Witch, which posits a secret war between witches playing out on a college campus. The Bewitching is not necessarily a bookend piece to Lieber’s book or a flipside to it, but it certainly draws inspiration from a similar wellspring.

I strongly suspect Moreno-Garcia is versed in many of these works I’ve referenced, as well as dozens more that remain uncited. The Bewitching’s narrative is certainly well acquainted with both the fantasy and horror genres, and makes overt and subtextual nods to quite a few highlights from the past as well as the contemporary scene. The book is all the richer for these easter eggs (my favorite is a thesis advisor named Brian Derleth, whose name combines one of a couple of possible Brians—Lumley, Evenson, etc.—with Arkham House Press founder and author August Derleth) though identifying them is unnecessary to enjoying Moreno-Garcia’s novel. Such nods are most often reserved for background characters or locations (e.g. author Molly Tanzer’s name appears on one of the campus buildings), which is how it ought to be. Then again, reader patience for such cheekiness will be tested by Beatrice Tremblay’s name, which offers a nod to horror novelist, editor, and all-around nice guy Paul Tremblay, as that is a major character in two of the periods.

In the final analysis, The Bewitching is a playfully eerie and provocative exploration of darkness unbound by the constraints of time. It’s a sinister suspense piece, where we are invited to occupy Minerva’s shoes as she becomes increasingly uncertain who to trust, or Alba’s world besieged by the unknown, or Beatrice’s collegiate world where hope, desire, and camaraderie build toward unresolved tragedy. This is a work that, like the best literary investigations, provides us with a wealth of information and takes its times for that stuff to settle into a coherent larger picture. It’s a book that trusts us to follow along. It’s a novel the returns in spades the time and energy invested in its reading. I predict will wind up on the ballet for a couple of Best Novel awards. But really, for the world of readers where such nods and appreciations aren’t necessarily all that important, Moreno-Garcia’s novel is a thoughtful, cleverly constructed, and engaging story about three women across different time periods facing the unknown. It’s an excellent page turner.

From the three of the books storylines I mostly enjoyed two of them - Minerva's 1998 timeline was great - tense and suspenseful, Betty's 1934 was the shortest of them all, but still good. It was was watching Minerva uncover this story and search for the truth. It was the Alba's 1908 storyline that wasn't enjoyable for me to read. In the end it was still a worth reading, but I wish it was the same length as the Betty's timeline - and that there was more of Minerva's storyline.
The best things about the book was the writing and the atmosphere it created - the dread seeped from the page and made me quite often forget that Minerva's story takes place during the summer. The mysteries were quite predictable, but that didn't matter - it was more of a "how can they survive" type of a story rather then "who could be behind all this".

Silvia Moreno-Garcia came on my radar with Mexican Gothic. But Silvia Moreno-Garcia became one of my favorite authors with Silver Nitrate. This one really takes the best of both worlds and gives us something right in the middle. Cozy and Scary and I want more. Will def. be a rec. for all my friends.

I have always been a fan of generational narratives, and this one surpassed all of my expectations. Three women, three tales, all interconnected by eerie atmospheric events. I especially felt Alba's story, but Minerva was so me-coded. It was horror, but more specifically felt like folk horror. I cannot wait for the book to hit the shelves two days after my birthday! I will gift this book to me, as a post-birthday selfcare gift.

A solid 4.5/5 read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bewitching is a multiple POV story that follows three women (Alba - 1908, Beatrice - 1934, and Minerva - 1998) who are all dealing with similar supernatural forces. It combines magic, folklore (Mexican and New England), mysterious disappearances, and witches. It has all of the elements to be my kind of story! But in reality it missed the mark.

First, I love stories that are told through multiple POV. Sadly, the only point of view I cared about was Alba's. I liked the Mexican folklore a lot; I really wish the story would have focused on this time and place alone! The characters in this timeline had some depth to them, and Alba went through some shit that had me rooting for her. The other two timelines, however, were slow, underdeveloped, and boring.

Minerva (Alba's great-granddaughter) is such a drag at times. All you get to learn about her is she is: 1) introverted (yet ends up at multiple parties as if she has no other choice), and that 2) she loves music (and you're going to hear at least 20 times what she's listening to on her Walkman). She learns about magic and witchcraft from stories Alba told her before she died, or from researching Beatrice's account of her missing friend, Ginny. Most of Minerva's story feels like an exposition dump. It was very "tell versus show" heavy. I didn't connect with her character at all. I was also disappointed that there wasn't (at least in my opinion) any real sense of a spooky mood or tense atmosphere like there was in Alba's timeline.

Beatrice's story, which was the shortest of the three, is also pretty dull. She is a horror writer (she apparently was friends with H. P. Lovecraft) who left behind an unpublished manuscript about the disappearance of Ginny. This story is supposedly written in Beatrice's own words. So instead of reading a tale of terror from a horror writer it feels like reading dull diary entry after dull diary entry (again, very little mood setting which led to a lackluster atmosphere). The only emotion you get from Beatrice is that she loved Ginny. This POV was simply a means for Minerva to piece together the clues to solve the mystery of Ginny's (and many other local people's) disappearance. In fact, one clue was so vital the resolution of the plot that it was quite frustrating the Beatrice mentioned it ONCE and then seemed to forget all about it.

Finally, while I'm not one who HAS to have plot twists to enjoy the book, I correctly guessed the evil entities and resolution to both Alba and Minerva's stories. Everything felt pretty obvious to me which is impressive because I almost always miss something when reading! Overall, this book felt like it was missing emotions, the appropriate mood, and characters to care about. For once, I did not think the multiple POV was necessary. I would have happily read a full length novel about the horrors of Mexican witchcraft and folklore. In the end I think that would have had more heart and soul. Unfortunately this one didn't work for me. I'm rating it two out of five stars.

This was a great horror folkloric novel. I loved the 3 different stories we got to see and watch weave together....and because this was my first Silvia Moreno-Garcia, I was pleasantly surprised.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for the eARC!!!

Another trimuph from Sylvia Moreno-Garcia. Creepy, personal and atmospheric. Follows three times and narrators dealing with being bewitched. Excited for the world to get this one.

The Bewitching weaves together three stories spanning a century, all connected. In 1908, young Alba is living on a struggling farm with her nugget and siblings in rural Mexico after the death of her father; Beatrice Tremblay is a young queer woman in 1934 recounting the story of her vanished friend and unrequited first love Virginia from their small college in Massachusetts; and lastly Minvera, the great-granddaughter of Alba in 1998, attending at the same college as Beatrice. As Minerva researches the life and works of horror novelist Beatrice, three timelines divulge as each of the women encounter strange occurrences and experience supernatural horrors... Witchcraft.

Moreno-Garcia has this magical way of blending the eerie and the enchanting that makes you feel like you’re sipping tea with a witchy aunt who’s spilling all the best family secrets. I rooted for her as she unraveled the mystery of her family’s past, all while dodging danger.

I could practically smell the damp earth and hear the rustle of leaves in the creepy, gorgeous Mexican countryside she paints so vividly. Moreno-Garcia sneaks in these clever little nods to folklore and history. I enjoyed all the timelines and how they weaved together.

This is a fantastic novel and Moreno-Garcia is an amazing horror writer. If you enjoy stories about supernatural folklore, then this is for you! Just go ahead and pre-order, you won't be disappointed.


Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for eARC

Pub Date Jul 15 2025

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's The Bewitching is a captivating read that weaves together elements of horror, history, and the supernatural in a way that is both enchanting and thought-provoking. One of the standout features of the book is its relatively short chapters, which create a brisk and engaging pace that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Each chapter feels like a carefully crafted vignette, allowing for a quick yet immersive dive into the world Moreno-Garcia has created.

The writing style is nothing short of mesmerizing. Moreno-Garcia has a unique ability to evoke vivid imagery and emotion with her prose, drawing readers into the atmospheric setting of New England. The references to horror writers from the region add an extra layer of depth, paying homage to the literary giants who have shaped the genre. It's a delightful treat for fans of horror literature, and it enriches the reading experience.

As the story unfolds, the way everything comes together at the end is truly satisfying. Moreno-Garcia masterfully ties up loose ends and reveals the intricacies of her characters' journeys, leaving readers with a sense of closure and fulfillment.

The Bewitching is a beautifully crafted novel that showcases SMG's talent for storytelling. It's a must-read for anyone who appreciates a blend of horror, history, and rich character development. I highly recommend it! On shelves July 15, 2025. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an eArc. All opinions are my own.

Over the last several years I have become a big fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I love that her books roam amongst genres and are imbued with culture and folklore. The Bewitching is Moreno-Garcia's newest and it embraces witch folklore.

The story is told in three timelines, covering the stories of three women who are all dealing with supernatural events. The stories weave together and make an interesting tapestry as these women all face bewitchings.

The book is steeped in both Mexican and New England folklore. It's a slow-burn horror novel that is genuinely spooky in a couple of places and comes to a satisfying conclusion. Which I won't say anything about because that would give the story away. And it's a good story.

Moreno-Garcia is one of those writers who knows how to both tell a story and teach you something. She has a knack for description and writes well. I loved this book and recommend it whole-heartedly.

Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy! I'll try to keep this spoiler-free for new readers.

My first foray into Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing was Certain Dark Things, so I had a different expectation than some (who might have read Mexican Gothic first.) I love a strange, dark, folklore-infused tale, and The Bewitching checkmarked a lot of boxes for me!

The first half of this book is very academic, in the sense that the writing is dense and chock-full of literary references- considering the background of it is Minerva and her thesis statement in college, it makes a ton of sense. You get random little bits of the witchy lore of her family here and there, interspersed with Minerva living her life- it's a slow burn at times, but...

The second half is where the story really starts to take off, where the multiple timelines start to ramp up and the effects are seen across them. There are some really "whoa!" moments here, and some that might shock a few people.

It's dark, and heavy, and glorious- a tale not easily shaken.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend the title; Moreno-Garcia writes with such a unique strangeness that is *chef's kiss* to me, and The Bewitching 100% holds up to the standards set for me in Certain Dark Things. A crisp clarity in the writing, a feeling of unease in the background. Just how I like it.

I was really excited for The Bewitching, but I am REALLY struggling to read it with my eyes. I think Moreno-Garcia’s books are all books I have to have the audiobook for. I truly love their books, but reading them with my eyes is always really hard. I started this on 3/1 and literally just finished the first chapter today, because I put it down halfway through and gave up on it. The prose in this one felt way too flowery and I struggled with it. I will have to wait until the audiobook is out.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has done it again, continually proving why she's an auto buy author for me. Her writing style, mastery of narrative, and characters are phenomenal. I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. I finished it in less than 24 hours, I just couldn't put it down.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I am going to start this review by saying The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was one of my most anticipated reads of this year, and I was not disappointed. In fact, the more I think about this book, the more I love it.

If I had one reservation going into this story, it was that multiple POV’s from across different time lines rarely works for me. I can’t think of a single book in the past in which I have become invested in every character’s journey when reading this style of writing.
I am glad to say this book has proved me wrong, and I can no longer claim that.

All three timelines were immersive and suspenseful. Somehow, I was able to pick up on who the villain was in each timeline, and yet, doing so did not diminish anything from the story.

The most enjoyable aspect of this book for me was the blend of folklore, academia and mystery, which I felt has made this story unique and remarkable.

Blending horror, historical fiction, and academic intrigue, The Vanishing follows graduate student Minerva as she uncovers eerie connections between her thesis research and the chilling stories her great-grandmother once told. As she investigates the life of obscure horror author Beatrice Tremblay, Minerva unearths a dark history spanning decades—from Tremblay’s obsession with her vanished roommate during the Great Depression to her own great-grandmother’s terrifying encounter with a witch in early 1900s Mexico. But as the past reveals its secrets, Minerva realizes the sinister force that haunted both women may still be lurking in the present.

The novel takes its time setting up its three intertwining timelines, which can make the first part feel slow. However, once the mystery gains momentum, the payoff is worth the wait. The second half is particularly gripping, weaving together the historical and supernatural elements in a way that feels fresh and compelling. The incorporation of Mexican folklore into the narrative’s take on witchcraft adds a unique and fascinating depth to the story.

While the pacing might test some readers’ patience, The Vanishing ultimately delivers a haunting, atmospheric tale that lingers long after the final page. Fans of gothic horror, academic mysteries, and folklore-inspired supernatural stories will find plenty to love.