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A review by lizdaniii
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I will preface this review by stating horror is not my genre of choice. In all honesty, I first picked this book up because I was drawn to the beautiful cover and was lured in with the alluring promise of haunting story set in glamorous 1950s Mexico. As such, this review may better serve outsiders to the genre who were interested like me, rather than those who knew exactly what kind of ride they were in for.
Mexican Gothic’s premise is intriguing enough. A beautiful young woman enters a crumbling mansion to check on her cousin at the bequest of her father and discovers a family’s ancient grotesque secret. At times it feels like a classic black and white horror film, but as the story unfolds it leans into gore and gruesomeness of a more modern variety.
To start, this book was not easy to get into. The first five chapters dragged, with a great deal of time spent setting the scene and describing the appearances of characters. Although the plot does eventually pick up, the book continues to remark on what certain characters look like in detail, often repetitively. For example, it seems impossible for the author to write a paragraph involving the men in the story without also mentioning what clothes they are wearing, their hair color, or how attractive they are.
The author’s detailed visual descriptions are thankfully not entirely limited to describing a man’s handsomeness or lack thereof. Certain passages conjure exceedingly grotesque images more than fitting of the horror genre, which although repulsive, do stand out in an otherwise unexceptional novel. One scene describing a diseased man on a bed made me want to gag in disgust, which I suppose could be a strength or deterrent depending on how committed one is to the feeling of immersion.
Unfortunately, a plot is not made off descriptions of bile and boils alone, and Mexican Gothic falls short in one crucial way. The story and characters, although initially promising, ultimately fail to be either engaging or likeable. When faced with the final chapters, I realized how little I cared about even the main characters whose fate I should be thoroughly invested in. Overall, for a story with such dark themes and imagery, there is little below the surface, leaving only distaste without any greater meaning.
Mexican Gothic’s premise is intriguing enough. A beautiful young woman enters a crumbling mansion to check on her cousin at the bequest of her father and discovers a family’s ancient grotesque secret. At times it feels like a classic black and white horror film, but as the story unfolds it leans into gore and gruesomeness of a more modern variety.
To start, this book was not easy to get into. The first five chapters dragged, with a great deal of time spent setting the scene and describing the appearances of characters. Although the plot does eventually pick up, the book continues to remark on what certain characters look like in detail, often repetitively. For example, it seems impossible for the author to write a paragraph involving the men in the story without also mentioning what clothes they are wearing, their hair color, or how attractive they are.
The author’s detailed visual descriptions are thankfully not entirely limited to describing a man’s handsomeness or lack thereof. Certain passages conjure exceedingly grotesque images more than fitting of the horror genre, which although repulsive, do stand out in an otherwise unexceptional novel. One scene describing a diseased man on a bed made me want to gag in disgust, which I suppose could be a strength or deterrent depending on how committed one is to the feeling of immersion.
Unfortunately, a plot is not made off descriptions of bile and boils alone, and Mexican Gothic falls short in one crucial way. The story and characters, although initially promising, ultimately fail to be either engaging or likeable. When faced with the final chapters, I realized how little I cared about even the main characters whose fate I should be thoroughly invested in. Overall, for a story with such dark themes and imagery, there is little below the surface, leaving only distaste without any greater meaning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, and Classism