Review: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

on June 30 2020
Also by this author: Gods of Jade and Shadow, The Beautiful Ones, Certain Dark Things
Goodreads

An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic artistocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . .

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.

I just finished reading Gods of Jade and Shadow when Mexican Gothic was added to Netgalley. I requested it, thinking I won’t be approved, but I was! So thank you to Netgalley, Milly Reid, and the publisher for letting me read this ARC.

Even though I don’t read gothic stories, I knew what the genre entails. Mexican Gothic has all of that. A mysterious mansion, haunted with paranormal aspects, and a very dysfunctional family. There is no escaping the house because it’s alive. It’s a truly haunting story and combined with Moreno-Garcia’s excellent writing, the book devoured me instead of me devouring the book. I had to finish it as soon as I started reading because I would have nightmares if I didn’t.

All of the characters are excellent. The villains are definitely villains but they’re still complex characters. They’re not straight up evil, there is more to it than that. And the main character Noemi changes throughout the book even if it’s subtle. I love a strong female lead. But it’s not just her that changes. Everyone changes, for good or bad. It was amazing to see such great character development in the support characters.

This book will give you all sorts of emotions and not all of them are positive. There were bits that disgusted me. I was scared, terrified, excited, anxious. It is an emotional roller coaster and it gets more intense as the climax approaches. Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, it will get worse. It’s always the best books that make you feel something, and Mexican Gothic made me feel strongly.

I give Mexican Gothic five stars. If you’re only going to buy one book this year, buy this one. You have to be prepared though, it’s by no means a fun, light-hearted story. It touches on dark themes that might make you feel uncomfortable. If you don’t like that, this book might not be for you.