Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic

By Silvia Moreno-Garcia

  • Release Date: 2020-06-30
  • Genre: Historical Fantasy
Score: 4
4
From 1,967 Ratings
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Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “It’s Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird.”—The Guardian
 
ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, NPR, The Washington Post, Tordotcom, Marie Claire, Vox, Mashable, Men’s Health, Library Journal, Book Riot, LibraryReads
 
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.   
 
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
 
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness. 
 
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

“It’s as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic.”—The Washington Post

“Mexican Gothic is the perfect summer horror read, and marks Moreno-Garcia with her hypnotic and engaging prose as one of the genre’s most exciting talents.”—Nerdist

“A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush ’50s atmosphere.”—Entertainment Weekly

Reviews

  • Felt like it was a SpookyNovela

    4
    By zombbby
    4/5 for my rating! Took me a month (whole month of September) to read this book that was recommended by my friends. I liked how it started off introducing Noemi (loved her character by the way). She’s quite a character, very strong willed, smart socialite gal and a little miss flirt. Towards the middle when she went out to visit Catalina, I felt that this is were it was giving off a Telenovela feel. Adding the chaos, melodramatic, mystery and some insane twists was definitely doing it for me. I would totally read it again and will check out more of the authors work. When the whole Doyle discovery came to light, I felt like it was a bit too quick and could have been a bit more twisted. Some parts felt a bit predictable and some I do give credit how unique the twist was. The ending, I felt like it could have been a little more stronger and could have had more potential focusing on what was next for Catalina and Noemi. Did not really care for Francis.. he was growing onto me at first, but after reading more and how things went down I felt like Noemi could have just been friends and not even give the guy a chance.

  • A good read

    5
    By Marley&Barley
    Well told tale in the dark gothic tradition. I recommend it to anyone attracted to the genre.

  • Fantastic

    5
    By real_megbrady
    Creepy, unsettling, and well-written. The characters were wonderful and the writing painted a very vivid picture of the story. Engaging until the very end.

  • Mexican Gothic

    3
    By KThugs3
    Oh wow, I don’t even know where to begin with this one, but I rate it 3.5 stars. This was my first novel that I have read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and I really did enjoy it. The book was easy to follow, even if it was a bit of a “slow burn”, as people say. At 301 pages, I’d have hoped to have finished it within 3-4 days, but instead it took me over a week, simply because some parts were too slow. I want to make a point in saying that for me, this would be difficult to fall under “horror,” due to not feeling any fear throughout the book, but more of a psychological mindscrew. I was absolutely repulsed to the point I felt nauseous while reading this one - mostly because of the state of the house that the novel takes place in, as well as the grotesque and abusive behaviors of most of the characters. The novel itself takes place in the 1950’s, and follows around a young woman named Noemi Taboada who comes from a well to do family. Right away, her father asks her to go and visit with her cousin who is older by five years, named Catalina, and make sure that she is doing okay. The father had received a distressing letter from Catalina, which made him worried enough that she may need a psychologist. Catalina had married one year prior, to a man named Virgil, who had dated her very quickly and in secret, before whisking her away to an isolated ghost town in the mountains. The father bribed Noemi and told her that if she did this, then he would approve her to go to get her Masters in anthropology, something she had wanted to do for some time but was kept being denied by her mother. Noemi agrees and goes to visit Catalina, and almost immediately upon arrival, Noemi can tell that something is not quite right. The house is in a dilapidated state and the family that Catalina had married into were very strict, distant and cold with very strange rules of the house. Not to mention, mold covered EVERYTHING. It doesn’t take long for strange things to begin to happen, and the reader isn’t quite sure if this is a haunting or if Catalina truly does need a psychiatric evaluation. Overall, I was able to predict everything that happened in the book, except for the ending scene in the basement. I suppose it wasn’t that hard to guess, but even still, I loved the way the author writes and I look forward to reading more of their work.

  • Average

    3
    By LCinSDCA
    A bit too crude and weird to be successful

  • Couldn’t Put This Book Down!

    5
    By Shining Example
    I don’t think I’ve ever read a book so fast. It was a good read and kept me on my toes. I had to keep going to the next chapter to see what was going on. Totally recommend.

  • Loved it

    5
    By laReina50
    Dark story full of magical realism. Beautiful horror story, where once again people are the real monsters.

  • Pretty great!

    5
    By Papamidnite22
    It took a little to get into but I ended up really enjoying it! Kinda wish there was another one but it ended well and is probably a good place to leave the story!

  • Mexican Gothic Review

    4
    By KiPatts
    I really really enjoyed this book. Though it was a slow beginning, at the halfway point is where things truly started to pick up. It was a wild ride. I look forward to reading more from this author.

  • This is a very unique story and well written.

    4
    By Boshug
    The story is pleasant and well assembled. It transports the reader into the mind and feelings of the characters

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