Reviews

I LOVED this. It’s truly one of the best horror novels I’ve ever read, and seems destined to be a modern classic. It also made me realize I’ve neglected Mexican literature and know an embarrassingly small amount about the lower half of North America. Mexican Gothic has inspired a change in me and in 2021 I’m going to read more Mexican literature.

caitlyntsheute's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense fast-paced

5.0

I love this book!😭❤ The ending is perfect and Francis can have my heart

belle_fiction's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

Dear me, this book was disappointing. Mexican Gothic (MG) is the first book by Moreno-Garcia I have read and unfortunately I won't be rushing to read anything else by her anytime soon.

I think what I'm slightly bitter about is the blurb of this book - the blurb made me incredibly excited to read this but boy was I in for a shock. Mexican Gothic starts out really well actually - it was very atmospheric and suitably creepy and I found myself liking Noemi even if she is a slightly unlikable character. I liked her "f*ck you" attitude at times which I found refreshing especially since it was set in 1950s Mexico. The book also reminded me at times of 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman which explores the mental health of women in 19th century, and this is a common theme throughout MG.

Briefly the story involves Noemi being summoned to High Place after reading a frantically written and uncharacteristic letter from her cousin, Catalina, who believes her husband, Virgil, is trying to poison her. High Place is a typically creepy and ancient mansion which has been left to ruin and where mold grows on the walls. Noemi soon finds that Catalina has changed, she is no longer her former cheerful self, and instead spends a lot of her time 'resting' or muttering about strange faces she can see in the wallpaper and noises she can hear. Noemi thinks she needs psychiatric help and is disturbed to see this radical change in her cousin. And Noemi also starts to see things in the wallpaper too and starts sleepwalking...something she hasn't done since she was a child. So all of this converged to create a suitably creepy atmosphere. However, the problem then announces itself in the fucked-up family Catalina has married into - the Doyles who are an INCREDIBLY odd bunch - the father, Howard, is a basically a white supremacist and is completely insufferable. He is lecherous and ugh just a vile character. Virgil, his eldest son, is a rapist who repeatedly tries to take Noemi against her will and he even talks about sharing her with his cousin, Francis!! I mean WTF?! *shudders* Florence, who is Francis' mother is a complete stony-faced and cold-hearted bitch who I detested from day one, and Francis is just...well the only sane and moral one!

The first half of the book had me intrigued and wanting to know more but the latter half was LUDICROUS! I mean...seriously...fungal spores??! Howard trying to take over Francis' body so he could have his way with Noemi - I mean between him and Virgil it was just constant attempted rape and lechery from the get go. And the amount of INCEST in this book and how Howard wants to create a "pure" family to connect them to "the gloom" so he can carry on with his lascivious ways...I mean it was just ridiculous! And on top of that there is mention of cannibalism (namely Howard eating his own children who serve as food which strengthens him)!!! Just WHAT THE FUCK?! It simply became ridiculous. I felt that Moreno-Garcia was trying to throw everything into the mix for shock value and honestly it just made me roll my eyes and want to speed read it so I could end this stupid tale of debauchery, incest, white supremacy, cannibalism and downright mind-fuckery!

Honestly, this has taught me not to pre-order any more books just on the blurb (and cover) alone. In future I will wait a little while before I am even tempted to buy books by authors I have never read before because this book went from being suitably intriguing to a bloody farce! *big sigh*

shannonhawt's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

More...