The Bewitching is a suspenseful story covering three separate timelines, and in each timeline there are mysterious happenings. The more modern timeline is in 1998, where a college student is investigating the true story behind a disappearance. This character’s grandmother encountered witches in Mexico in 1908, which is another storyline.

The book switches between storylines, interweaving the mysterious occurrences and deeds done by witches throughout time.

I thought this was a really good book, I liked how the plot lines all connected. The relationship between the uncle and niece was…problematic, but I think that’s the point. I enjoyed the air of suspense, as I think we’ve all had those moments where you feel like you’re being watched, but turn around and find no one.

This was an amazingly atmospheric book. The three time frames were well established and felt fleshed out. While it was easy to determine the villain of each era early on, it did not ruin my enjoyment of the novel. In fact, it was incredibly hard to put down

Three disappearances steeped in dark magic will haunt readers long after they have solved the mystery.

Silvia Moreno Garcia skillfully weaves Mexican culture into the world of witches and dark enchantments. In 1998, English Graduate Student Minerva unravels a decades-old missing-person case while researching her thesis. Uncovering her favorite author's manuscripts and reflecting on her great-grandmother's stories lead Minerva down a treacherous path.

Brilliant pacing and distinct narrative voices make each era in this story engaging. Readers will be eager to unravel the mysteries alongside Minerva and her great-grandmother Alba, and the chapters by fictional author Beatrice Tremblay will leave them wishing they could read her novels. When you think the story will zig, it opts to zag, keeping it engaging even at its most predictable. Centering Mexican culture and folklore and in the classic New England horror tradition, The Bewitching cements Moreno-Garcia alongside horror greats like Shirley Jackson and Stephen King.

A highly readable and delightfully chilling intergenerational tale that satisfies horror, mystery, and fantasy fans alike.

I absolutely loved this book! The way Moreno-Garcia weaves together three different timelines is masterful—each one seamlessly blending into the next without ever feeling confusing. The story was so captivating that I didn’t want to put it down! The theme was beautifully executed, and everything tied together perfectly in the end. If you love immersive storytelling with a touch of magic, this one’s a must-read! 🌙✨ #TheBewitching #BookReview #SilviaMorenoGarcia #MustRead

I know The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is not being published until later in the year, but Moreno-Garcia is one of those authors where I will read everything they write as soon as I can get my hands on it. I actually started reading her books with Gods of Jade and Shadow and then read Mexican Gothic. I've been hooked ever since. I see there will be a special edition of The Bewitching through Goldsboro when it's published... and I'm really tempted.

As you'll read in the synopsis, the book follows three separate women over three timelines. If you're a fan of the supernatural and witches, this book is a book for you. Throughout the years, there have been several disappearances that impact the women the story follows, and as Minerva is researching her thesis Minerva starts to feel a darkness around her.

The book is captivating, and I was riveted right from the start. In typical fashion, Moreno-Garcia does a great job (in my opinion) of fleshing out all three main protagonists and manages to create a beautiful interplay of their three stories. Just because something is a horror or suspense novel, does not mean there is no beauty in it, and I found with this book there was such strength in the women and they were all really well written. The story itself is one that grabs the reader and doesn't let them go. Once the reader starts... it's very difficult to put the book down. I don't think there has been a book I've read of Moreno-Garcia's that I didn't like, and this book continues that trend. Definitely get your hands on this book as soon as it's available to you.

Please be advised I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows three different women in three different timelines, but each woman still stands on her own with a unique backstory and personality. The woman the story follows aren’t your typical potion and cauldron witches either, but rather the magic is based around Mexican folklore which is an interesting and refreshing change. The only gripe I had with the book is that the pacing felt slow and the beginning but slowly picked up towards the end.

This book is the epitome of being launched straight into a gothic, suspenseful and atmospheric book that consistently kept me on my toes. Once I got about 20% of the way through, I found that I couldn't put it down.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes so enchantingly, her atmospheres are my favourite things about her stories. Initially, I felt that jumping between timelines would feel jarring, but the stories flow felt incredibly intentional and natural and amplified the suspenseful and gothic nature of the stories. The twists felt obvious to me about 40% of the way through the book, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel and kept bringing me back to find out what was going to happen next.

As a horror novel fan, I loved the intertextuality weaved throughout the novel. Nods and references to other famous horror writers and novelists throughout the story. I was convinced that Beatrice Tremblay was a real author and spent atleast 10 minutes after reading the first few chapters prior to reading Tremblay's perspectives scouring the internet trying to find her novels.

Overall, this story is magic in and of itself. Moreno-Garcia is masterclass in prose, and I cannot wait for this title to release to talk about it with my customers.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book.

This book has three different stories told in different times. In 1998, Minerva is researching an obscure horror writer that had connections to a disappearance at the same university that she is now attending. Her great grandmother, Alba, had always told her ghost stories and taught her about witchcraft and portents. Minerva starts to learn that these lessons may be vital to her survival as she uncovers what happened in the 1930s disappearance after reading the manuscripts of the author she is researching.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I like Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work. For people who really like scary books, I don't think I would recommend on that front. It has some creepy parts and suspense, but it wasn't really very scary. However, seeing how the mystery unfolded was fun.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia once again delivers a mesmerizing, gothic tale with The Bewitching, blending horror, history, and witchcraft across three haunting timelines. Minerva’s search for the truth behind an eerie novel leads her deep into a web of dark academia, generational secrets, and supernatural terror.

Moreno-Garcia’s signature atmospheric storytelling makes every page feel immersive and unsettling. The novel masterfully weaves together folklore, obsession, and the lingering power of the past, keeping readers spellbound until the chilling conclusion. A must-read for fans of gothic horror and witchy mysteries!

An atmospheric tale about witchcraft told from three perspectives in three different timelines, The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia unfolds introducing us to different strong women forging their own paths. In 1908, we meet Alba the eldest of seven children living in Mexico trying to help out her family. 1934 introduces us to Beatrice Tremblay, a college student at Stoneridge where she will begin her career as a horror novelist. And 1998 it is Minerva who is the great granddaughter of Alba, also studying at Stoneridge, writing her senior thesis on Beatrice Tremblay and looking into the disappearance of Beatrice’s friend Virginia Somerset who went missing without a trace. Each of these women are affected by mysterious circumstances, events that could be paranormal in nature. Is witchcraft to blame?

I really wanted to like this story as I have always been fascinated by witchcraft and the happenings in Salem Massachusetts, but I had a hard time with parts of this book. I definitely favored certain of the women’s stories over others and it made it harder to slog through the other chapters. Still an interesting plot, but a little slower paced than I like. Three stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

THIS IS THE EPITOME OF GOTHIC HORROR!! Oh my, I am still dizzy from this novel. The Betwitching is a gothic horror with three POVs and three time intervals about three women slowly becoming tormented by a witch.
Minerva is a graduate student at Stoneridge University, completing her thesis on her favorite horror author Beverly Tremblay. Throughout her journey, the stuff of horror novels slinks into her own life, mirroring the stories she studies.
Beverly Tremblay wrote a novel about a women who goes missing, inspired by her best friend’s disappearance. Her unique first person POV recounts the event leading up to her best friend Ginny’s vanishing, a mystery that haunted he the rest of her life
Alba is Minerva’s grandmother and in her childhood, witches roamed the small towns of Mexico. When her brother vanishes without a trace, she begins to investigate the possibility of witches and vows to protect the rest of her family.

Now normally I do not enjoy multiple POV. One is typically boring. The pacing often gets disrupted….but this was not my experience with the Bewitching. Silvia Moreno Garcia continues to be one of the most talented horror authors in the business and one of my favorite authors. SHE DOES NOT LET DOWN. And this story had me gripped from the first page. Every POV was unique and interesting. The pacing never slowed, perpetuated by an increasing ache of dread that the reader experiences with the characters.

The Bewitching is a phenomenal read with delicately written prose, a gripping plot, and immersive, realistic characters. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to ARC read The Betwitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia. This novel gets the first 5/5 stars from me in 2025

Another great horror book by Silvia Moreno=Garcia. When I read Mexican Gothic I knew this author would be a force to reckon with and I was not wrong. No one is writing like them and they make it seem so effortless. Congrats on another great book.

Absolutely stunning take on several generations of witches! Literal chef’s kiss! The changing of the timelines blended seamlessly, and each story was vivid & intriguing! Loved, loved, LOVED this!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have enjoyed Moreno-Garcia's past works. I loved the premise and creepy story but if you hate following multiple timelines this one is not for you. I can never get enough of how atmospheric her books are! I love it.

Okay this was different than I was expecting, but in the most amazing way possible. I can't decide if this is horror or suspense, but whatever it is I ate it up. Curses, dangerous witches, Told in three timelines about remarkable women all tied together. This was incredible and such a fun read. Thank you NetGalley for the arc! 5 stars!!!

This was my first, but definitely not my last read from Moreno-Garcia. The atmosphere of Bewitching is incredibly strong, and the cast of characters is bold yet lovable and easy to picture.

It’s by no means a fast-paced read—the story unfolds slowly across multiple timelines, always knowing exactly where to end a chapter. Minerva’s timeline didn’t surprise me much; around 60% in, I started to suspect the twist, though I couldn’t quite figure out the reason. Alba’s story, however, caught me off guard.

A little piece of advice for readers: don’t get too attached to the characters—the author doesn’t handle them with gentleness.

Overall, it’s a very powerful book. I’m curious to see how the general audience will receive it.

I would like to thank the publisher, Moreno-Garcia, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

SMG always delivers a fresh read. This one was no different, unique and unexpected there was a twist and turn around every corner. There were a couple unfinished storylines that didn’t quite fit into the whole story but otherwise a solid entry in her catalog.

What a wonderful book! My family and I are already fans of Moreno-Garcia, and this is a nice improvement beyond her already existing novels. It is creepy, compelling, and get better the further along you read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Bewitching by Silvia-Moreno Garcia is a horror title in the spirit of her other books; not overly gory or violent, but deeply reliant on supernatural and uncanny terror. Fans of the author’s previous works will be very pleased with this new addition to her published portfolio. I also got the impression that those who enjoyed Emilia Hart’s Weyward. While the two books are fundamentally different they both have a structure of three parallel stories about magic that converge.

The book is an exemplary title for those who enjoy dark academia settings. The story, set at a tiny private college in New England has the dark woods, historic buildings, and iconic tense scenes in the library stacks. This contrasts with the hot, bright, Mexican farmstead in the storyline in the early 1900s. The book is richly atmospheric, full of wonderful details that make the setting come alive from the page.

The pacing of this book is not always even, but it works in the favor of a spooky, tense narrative. At times the scenes are long and seemingly every detail is drawn out, only to quickly expose more twists or exposition. To me the pacing follows a cinematic horror pattern—moments of calm, stretches of suspense and tension and sudden surprises and releases.

Something that I will comment on in a somewhat neutral manner is that the first chapter, one set in 1998, contains a long and somewhat unrelated information regurgitation about HP Lovecraft. While reading this I thought that this was a portent of some sort of dense and unpleasant book to come. However on reflection later in the book, I came to the understanding that this was actually a great characterization of Minerva by the author. Minerva is a true academic, pedantic and unconcerned with being totally socially aware. It’s a somewhat gummy start to the book, but on a reflection it really creates a great framework of who Minerva is going to be.

For me, this was another home run from Moreno-Garcia. It’s a wonderful and fresh take on the creepy New England horror cannon that decentralizes it from the Puritans and long-dead Europeans.

5/5 emphatic stars.