Book Review: Mexican Gothic

MEXICAN GOTHIC | Silvia Moreno-Garcia
06.30.2020 | Del Rey
Rating: 5/5 stars

An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. A brave socialite sent to uncover the secrets long buried at High Place.

Noemí Taboada has been sent by her father to High Place after they received a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin, Catalina, begging for someone to save her from impending doom. When Noemí arrives she finds herself in an unfamiliar area in a mansion away from town. This glamorous debutante finds herself amongst a family who values silence and solitude. They tell her nothing is wrong with her cousin, but desperately try to keep Noemí from seeing her. As the walls of the house seem to be closing in on Noemí she finds weird secret after weird secret coming to light. Nothing about this home or this family is what it seems.

From the moment I opened Mexican Gothic I was swept away to 1950s Mexico and the isolation of High Place. This disturbing mansion is steeped in enough Gothic atmosphere and isolation to make you feel the same chills Noemí experiences as she walks the halls. This is the sort of claustrophobic setting that causes dread and suspense to simply pour from the pages. I loved that Moreno-Garcia was able to draw such a full picture of High Place, that succeeded in making me never want to step foot inside, but also not be able to look away from what Noemí was discovering.

I found myself entranced and disturbed by the intriguing events occurring in this home, but it was the family that truly stole the show. What a strange and unusual family filled with some of the most bizarre and ominous secrets around. This family is one you never want to encounter! There are some icky elements to the family’s history we discover as the story progresses that may deter readers, but for me they helped drive forward the terrible situation which Noemí and her cousin, Catalina, have found themselves in.

This is such a hard book to review without giving away elements of the plot. It’s one that begs to be discussed and embraced for all of its strangeness. I was blown away by this story and never once wanted to put it down. It’s an edge of your seat story of magic, horror, and intrigue! MEXICAN GOTHIC has made its way into my heart and my favorites list for the year!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

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