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ixris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A historical ghost story with plenty of jump scares over a discussion of class divide and colonialism.
There is a romance, but it's not hot and heavy, much more muted compared to many other novels I've read this year!
There is a romance, but it's not hot and heavy, much more muted compared to many other novels I've read this year!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Abortion, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
bythebookjess's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Rape
nancydrew023's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I was not satisfied with this ending and would have appreciated a little more depth for backstories of Juana, Catalina, and maybe even Rudolpho
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Rape, Vomit, and Abortion
acacia_happy_hour's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
scorpi07's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
I really enjoyed this! I would have given 5 stars except that some of the foreshadowing and groundwork given in the earlier timeline narrative felt drawn out, redundant, and therefore unnecessary. Overall though, excellent storytelling, I loved the characters and the spooky imagery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Rape, Abortion, and War
kynaeus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
if you tried reading mexican gothic and thought 'gteat concept but too slow' - then this is your gothic horror haunted house goldilocks
I enjoyed the pacing a lot, there was always something important going on in the narrative, the twist wasn't the one I expected, and the bittersweet ending felt very appropriate after the horrors they lived through. Great book!
I enjoyed the pacing a lot, there was always something important going on in the narrative, the twist wasn't the one I expected, and the bittersweet ending felt very appropriate after the horrors they lived through. Great book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Minor: Racism
aelsaj711's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book. It was everything I wanted it to be, including some boxes I didn't even realize I had - descriptive historical bits, combined with a gothic atmosphere on a hacienda!? SIGN ME UP! Not to mention a central mystery along with a haunted house and a thrilling romance that DIDN'T overtake the plot - something I've found to be a delicacy in the current publishing atmosphere (not to say I don't love romances, I do, no pun intended).
The horror/haunted elements were done to my liking - scary enough for me to feel spooked, but not scary enough to keep me up at night. The different manifestations of the haunted house aspect were all believable and realistic enough as far as haunted houses go XD However, something I will say regarding the central mystery of the book is that whileI didn't realize who the murderer was, looking back I probably could have deduced it if I was thinking more about who could've done it. I was surprised by the accomplice though!
The romance built was sweet, and drew beautiful parallels between each character's past and their present. Small interactions really were the crux of their relationship but it didn't take away from the reality of their situation, and never drew me away from the storyline. I enjoyed the MMC's perspective as well, and I felt like his POV added a lot to the story.
I learned a lot about the Spanish Inquisition (and will be sure to research some more on it), as well as the caste system that was embedded in the societal fabric of Mexico at this time. The effects of unspoken societal rules having damning effects on our characters, and facilitating the plot was also very satisfying to read.
The author's descriptive language always placed me in the setting, and I felt like I was there, watching as different events transpired. While descriptive, the language was still easy to read and I flew through this book!
I'm excited to check out more from this author, and I would recommend this to anyone, especially as Spooky Season will soon be upon us!
The horror/haunted elements were done to my liking - scary enough for me to feel spooked, but not scary enough to keep me up at night. The different manifestations of the haunted house aspect were all believable and realistic enough as far as haunted houses go XD However, something I will say regarding the central mystery of the book is that while
The romance built was sweet, and drew beautiful parallels between each character's past and their present. Small interactions really were the crux of their relationship but it didn't take away from the reality of their situation, and never drew me away from the storyline. I enjoyed the MMC's perspective as well, and I felt like his POV added a lot to the story.
I learned a lot about the Spanish Inquisition (and will be sure to research some more on it), as well as the caste system that was embedded in the societal fabric of Mexico at this time. The effects of unspoken societal rules having damning effects on our characters, and facilitating the plot was also very satisfying to read.
The author's descriptive language always placed me in the setting, and I felt like I was there, watching as different events transpired. While descriptive, the language was still easy to read and I flew through this book!
I'm excited to check out more from this author, and I would recommend this to anyone, especially as Spooky Season will soon be upon us!
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Murder
balinkili's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Rape
sofiaferg99's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Major 2006 Monster House vibes! This book made me feel justified in needing a nightlight as a 25 year old and was a great introduction to the thriller genre for me! I loved seeing so much of Mexican culture intricately interwoven into the story, and having done my thesis on curanderismo and Mexican witchcraft, I was unsurprisingly drawn to the content. I wish Beatriz and Andres had a happier ending, but overall, I think this ending did feel “right”.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Abortion
judassilver's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic