There isn't a book I had been anticipating more than this one, it is rare that I'm able to find a book that mingles my love of Gothic subject matters, phantasmagorical imagery, and Mexican folklore & culture. I had no idea that after reading it, I'd have to sleep with the lights one for a couple of nights. But that is what happened.

Unique and terrifying, Mexican Gothic is THE book to read this coming fall. The less you know going in as a reader, the more you are likely to freak out.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is REQUIRED reading. And I sincerely hope there is a Netflix series adaptation- but only if it's created by Guillermo del Toro!!

I'd definitely heard about the upcoming book Mexican Gothic, but it wasn't really on my radar until I received an ARC of it in one of the Penguin cancelled festival boxes--Ladies First. I shelved it and figured I'd get around to it eventually, which I did when I found someone who wanted to trade for it--and I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book! One, I love a good standalone, and two, place-based stories are so intriguing to me. In the end, I KIND of predicted what was going on in High Place, but that's fine, I still enjoyed this book!

In 1950s Mexico, Neomi is enjoying her life as a flirtatious socialite. Then, a concerning letter comes from her newlywed cousin, Catalina, she writes of poison and ghosts and her husband insists she is just sick. Neomi is dispatched to her cousin's new family home,  High Place, to check on her. Is she truly sick? Is her husband trying to steal her money? What Neomi actually finds is much, much more sinister. This strange family is not what she expected. The old, decrepit house truly seems to be rotting. Catalina's sickness is concerning, and when Neomi starts having nightmares, she realizes something truly sinister is going on. Is the house cursed, or is the curse the Doyle family itself?

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book! It reminded me a lot of the movie Ready or Not, which I saw in theatres (RIP movie theatres..) in a good way! Family-based weird place stories are kind of my jam, ya know? Always interesting, even if you can kind of anticipate the ending. Neomi was a fascinating character, and the "reasoning" behind the  spookiness was unique and well thought out, in my view.  I also loved the 1950s Mexican setting--not something you see a lot. Overall, happy I read this book and happy to recommend it to people who like Lock Every Door, Ready or Not, or Catherine House for example.

Mexican Gothic might be the best thing I've read all of quarantine. It was scary, propulsive, and much richer than others in the genre. I absolutely loved the Mexican folklore that is interwoven throughout this week. Everyone should pick this up at once!

As with every review of a Silvia Moreno-Garcia book, I have to repeat that she never disappoints. Even working within familiar tropes and themes she will surprise you with unexpected things. Her characters are vivid and realistic, the dialogue and exposition believable, even when the plot is fantastic.

GoodReads:
I like the ending. The rest of the book took a bit too long to get there for my taste (without enough spookiness in the build-up either). I also was expecting a bit more Mexico for a Mexican Gothic book. I get it that it makes some sense for the spooky family to be English colonizers, but having most of the book set in an English-style house wasn't quite what I was hoping for when I heard a gothic novel set in Mexico.

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Coming June is MEXICAN GOTHIC. Thanks to @netgalley for this advanced copy.
When Noemí’s newly married cousin sends a strange letter to Noemí’s father, he sends her to the Mexican countryside to check on her and protect the family’s reputation. Her cousin has married a man whose grandfather came to Mexico from England to run a nine - he even brought English dirt with him. Her cousin claims to be hearing spirits, and the villagers distrust the home.
I love a gothic story and was so excited for one set in Mexico! I must admit that I personally was a little disappointed because the addition of the English family and their English-style home made it feel much more traditionally gothic than I was expecting. That said, there is some delightful subtle commentary on colonialism and refusal to even attempt to be multilingual. (I wished more of the book was en español). Recommended if you’re a gothic fan looking for something different.

First off... everything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes is pure gold, and any year that she writes a book, it will automatically be my favorite book of the year. If she writes two, it will be a tie. That's just how it is.

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Socialite Noemi receives a letter from her newlywed cousin Catalina that is so bizarre and disturbing that she immediately travels to see her. She arrives at the damp, rotting mansion where Catalina lives with her husband and his family, whose fortune has declined but whose self-image of upper-class grandeur has yet to keep up.

Noemi blithely bats aside their strange behavior and rules (no loud noises, no hot baths, no smoking, no coffee, etc.) and their well-mannered hostility so she can see to the well-being of Catalina, who is feverishly warning of ghosts and voices in the walls. Her resolve wanes, however, when she begins having the nightmares, too.

If you are a fan of Ms. Moreno-Garcia's work, you know she occasionally dips into the supernatural, but not always. So when I was reading this, I was unsure what we would find -- vampires? ghosts? or simply evil people?

It's delightfully creepy and unsettling, with a unique ending.

It reminded me of Stephen King's The Shining. (Not to say this work is in anyway derivative -- only that it invoked the same sense of dread around every corner.)

Pure gold, I tell you.

This is easily one of the best books I've read this year!
When her cousin Catalina sends an urgent letter asking to be saved from her new husband, Noemi is sent by her father to investigate. Convinced it's only newlywed jitters, Noemi is unprepared for the dangerous and deadly atmosphere of High Place, the gloomy and depressing mansion now home to Catalina. Dark, damp, and oppressing, Noemi is barely welcome in her cousin's home and her visits with her are restricted. Virgil, Catalina's husband, is a little too charming and his overtures leave Noemi suspicious and wary. The mansion's other inhabitants leave Noemi feeling like she is constantly under watch and her every movement and word is criticized. But Noemi is incredibly tough and is intent on finding out the nature of her cousin's mysterious illness and delusions. When Noemi comes too close to the truth for the family's liking, she is placed in a deadly situation with only an unlikely ally at her side. The violent and horrific nature of the family's secret is so unbelievable that Noemi begins to question to her own sanity.
Dark, gripping, and absolutely terrifying, Mexican Gothic is a spell-binding tale of horror, greed, and unbridled power.
This book is absolutely incredible! Silvia Moreno-Garcia weaves a tale that is so engrossing you will find yourself walking the dark and damp halls of High Place alongside Noemi. This is by far one of the most atmospheric novels I've ever read. The tension can be felt on every single page and every conversation felt like a threat. I flew through this novel, unable to wait to find out what was the secret behind this family's odd and controlling behavior. The village near High Place also felt like a depressed and mysterious character. Everyone seemed to fear the family and the mansion itself, but no one would come out and say why. The aura of mystery, confusion, and oppression followed every character throughout the story, no matter where they were.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an incredibly talented writer and I encourage everyone to dive into one of her magical and mysterious stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title, all opinions and mistakes are my own.

This story is about noemi, she receives a disturbing letter from her recently married cousin, Catalina, in which she talks about ghosts and supernatural happenings in her new home, High Place. Naomi is sent to investigate what’s going on and also to check on the general well being of Catalina. This leads Naomi to a very strange family and an even stranger situation. Weird things are happening and we don’t really know what’s real and what’s a dream. Who’s to be trusted and who’s not. It’s a pretty slow moving book, it’s eerie but nothing really happens until maybe 70% of the way through the story. Honestly, I read this because I was really excited for the Mexican representation but wow was I let down. Our main character is said to be Mexican and a few Spanish terms and cities are thrown around but that’s it. I wasn’t super interested in the reveals and it just fell flat for me.

Creepy, weird, gothic and with one of Moreno-Garcia's characteristically strong-willed heroines, MEXICAN GOTHIC is a modern, speculative REBECCA. The characters are full-bodied and compelling or unsettling, as the case may be. The supernatural elements are ever-present, but the twist is still unexpected. This is pitch-perfect gothic horror.

Planned coverage:

TOR NIGHTFIRE: Inclusion in roundup STROLLING ON THE MOORS: MODERN GOTHIC HORROR NOVELS WITH VINTAGE CHILLS

BOOK RIOT: Reading Pathways-type post, SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA: HER WORKS & THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY.

I was so excited for this one! But the prose simply didn't grab me. I found it a little awkward and the flow was stilted. I stopped reading pretty early so I can't comment on the story or characters. Perhaps I'll return to this at some point, but I just couldn't connect to the writing right now.

A likeable main character and lots of suspense. The mystery dragged on a little long and I should have expected the paranormal element since this is a gothic novel, but it still somehow felt out of place. Still an enjoyable read.

Being a huge fan of Garcia’s Certain Dark Things I was excited to read this new novel . A reimagining of the gothic suspense this book is fabulous . Taking place in 1950s Mexico Noemi a beautiful young socialite receives a letter from her newly married Cousin begging for help . She arrives at the strange , decrepit isolated mansion where her cousin lives and the weirdness begins and doesn’t let up. I’ve not read anything else quite like the horror in this novel . Scary, suspenseful and emotional all make for an original page turner

NetGalley ARC | June 2020 had some seriously creepy novels, and Mexican Gothic is certainly one of them. If you love historical gothic fiction and want to armchair travel to Mexico, discover a spooky mystery in a haunted house...that literally seems to come alive at night. Man, this is one messed up family.

With all of the clues leaning towards mushrooms and poisons, this women's fiction novel will completely set you off balance. Innovative and brilliantly written with a vivid ambiance, I wouldn't skip this June 2020 book release.

My one criticism is that the pacing seemed a tad off about 60% in--I could have done without about 50+ pages of the book; that could just be me and this crazy time we are in right now, though.

Find the full review on The Uncorked Librarian: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/june-2020-book-releases/

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a 2020 Del Rey publication.

An exciting new approach to Gothic Horror fiction!

I rarely ever comment on a book cover- but this one is stunning! It’s an eye-catcher for sure- but you know what they say about judging a book by its cover. So, the question is- Does the story measure up to that magnificent cover?

Mexico City- 1950s

Noemí Taboada, a young socialite, who wishes to achieve more in her life than marrying a man her father approves of, is given the chance to secure her dreams of attending university, if she will travel to “High Place” to check on her cousin, Catalina, who has been writing strange, alarming letters, suggesting she is either quite ill or in grave danger.

Upon her arrival to the crumbling mansion, Noemi receives a very frosty greeting from Catalina’s husband, Virgil, and the limited staff. Even more disconcerting to Noemi, is her cousin’s fragility, and the fierce opposition others have to Noemi’s spending time alone with Catalina.
Capping things off is the house itself- which offers no modern accommodations, not even common basics, and appears to be rotting at the seams. If that isn’t unsettling enough for you- wait until you get a load of Virgil’s ancient Uncle Howard!!

Almost immediately, Noemi begins having extremely vivid, highly sexual, and lurid dreams or hallucinations. Virgil shrugs this off as ‘sleepwalking’ episodes. However, as time passes, the atmosphere in the house becomes even more claustrophobic, and the staff’s demeanor never thaws toward Noemi. One would think they were trying to scare Noemi away, but instead they are becoming more and more insistent that she remains in the house….

As horrifying as that prospect might be, Noemi is also intrigued- by the legends, Virgil, and with the youngest member of the family, Francis- the only friendly face on the entire estate. With Francis’ reluctant help, Noemi is determined to learn the history of the region and to free her cousin from the grasp of her oddly mesmerizing husband and the curse of 'High Place'.

This is one super creepy novel! The atmosphere is off the charts spooky and the imagery is incredibly vivid. The blurb calls this a ‘re-imagining of the classic Gothic suspense novel’. Go with that description and think about what that word ‘re-imagining’ might mean.

This book has been compared to ‘Rebecca’ by publicists, promoters, and editorial or professional reviewers. Naturally, I’m going to have to agree to disagree about that comparison. Why? Both novels are, without a doubt, Gothic literature. But… I never viewed “Rebecca” as a horror novel. The supernatural tones one senses in that novel, is not at all like what one will experience when reading this novel.

If I could rewrite the blurb, I would substitute the word ‘Suspense’ with the word “Horror”. The book is very suspenseful, but you are getting a true horror novel experience here, and not one that is merely implied.

While ‘re-imagining’ is a great way to describe this modern spin on the classic genre, in more ways than one it is pure traditional Gothic Horror!!

The author did a fabulous job marrying Gothic and Horror, creating a complex and hypnotizing tone, keeping me glued to the pages- especially during the last quarter of the book. That said, keep in mind that Gothic fiction is not known for its blistering pace. However, I felt like this one moved along at a nice clip, despite a lag here and there.

It’s dark and ghastly, replete with classic Gothic Grotesquerie, and lots of mind tripping chills and thrills, plus, a little bit of romance for balance and lightness.

Overall, this is the best Gothic horror novel I’ve read in ages!
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This cover is one of my favorites of the year. The blurb had me very curious and I was lucky enough to get my wish granted on NetGalley.

It's hard to figure out what to expect when it comes to a book like this. The plot was nothing I would have ever imagined and the twists were ones I didn't see coming at all. The author weaved so many different strings to create this intricate plot that had me utterly disturbed but also intrigued the further I got into the story. (The first 50% or so was slow going for me as I had a hard time really connecting with the characters or plot.)

Noemí is strong-willed and even though it's not always the best trait to have, it really worked in her favor for this. I'm not sure how she coped with any of the things that were going on because I would have been in breakdown mode like her cousin.

The gothic house is filled with many people and all of them, besides Francis, are just strange. The more you get to know certain characters, the more you start loathing them. They each have a part to play and sometimes their part isn't what it seems.

There is a tad bit of romance but it does not take up much of the plot. I did like the relationship between the two characters and thought that it molded nicely into the rest of the plot.

Overall, this was everything that a gothic novel should be. It may have taken me a bit to get into but the ending was worth the wait.

This was one of my very most anticipated books of the year, and it delivered so perfectly! What I love is a book that GOES FOR IT, and this book 100% does. It's working in the gothic tropes that lovers of the genre will know and anticipate, but it's recontextualized via the setting.

The basic premise is that a young Mexican socialite goes to rescue her cousin from a mysterious old mansion in a mining village, and then gothic things start happening. Gothic manors in other novels, like Jane Eyre or Rebecca, are always weird monuments to extracted wealth, and this one is no different, only it has more proximity to the damage it wrought, being set in Mexico. So this book is more about how rotten capitalism is than the institution of marriage, which is often the takeaway reading gothic novels. But this book does make very plain the way capitalism, inherited wealth, marriage, and childbearing all come together in horrific fashion.

But it does all this with a totally bananas plot that is EVERYTHING I want in a novel. I LOVE how different details get meted out to the reader, so we can try to guess what's going on if the novel is working in the "supernatural explained" mode (like Jane Eyre, for example, where the ghostly presence has a non-supernatural explanation). Give me ghosts, cursed families, mysterious potions, prophetic dreams, give me all of it!!!

And I truly, truly loved how it ended. I think it honors the genre and is immensely satisfying.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

A gothic novel set in the fifties in Mexico.So haunting so atmospheric so well written.I was drawn right in read late into the night.A book I will be recommending.#netgalley#randomhouse

Set in the early 1950s, in an English estate in a former silver mining village in the Mexican countryside, this story is haunting you will think about it for days after.

Noemí Taboada, a rich, beautiful, Mexico City socialite is sent to find out if her cousin has gone mad or is actually in need of rescuing after Noemí's father receives a frantic letter from Catalina asking for someone to save her. Having just barely met Catalina's new husband at the wedding, Virgil Doyle is a stranger and so is his family. Once at High Place, Noemí doesn't know what to make of the once opulent English estate which is now a dark, moldy, ruin.

Once settled Noemí realizes Catalina's fears are real as the house begins to invade her dreams and the secrets the Doyle's keep hidden begin to surface.

In the vein of Daphne DuMaurier and Shirley Jackson with a healthy sprinkling of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

It is March of 2020 and I have been unable to read anything good for a few weeks, but this book broke me out of my slump of mediocre thrillers. It helps that it is exactly my thing, gothic and suspenseful, then full on surreal. From the title it's clear what Moreno-Garcia is aiming for and she's hit the mark incredibly well. There are echoes of your favorite gothic novels here, but just like Jackson was able to move us from the English manor to the rural US, Moreno-Garcia moves us to mid-century Mexico.

Noemí is a high society girl floating through a frivolous life until her father dispatches her to the country, to the home of her cousin's new husband. Her cousin Catalina has sent a strange letter and it is Noemí's job to check on her and make sure this new husband isn't harming or taking advantage of his new, young, wealthy wife. Once she arrives, the family is strange and unwelcoming, and so is the house. Catalina is not herself but the mysteries only get deeper the longer Noemí stays.

The gothic themes here play in beautifully with the themes of the destructive force of colonization (the husband and his family are, of course, English, brought to Mexico to make their fortune off a silver mine that exploits the local population's labor) and patriarchy. Misogyny has often been a force under the surface of gothic fiction, but Moreno-Garcia is happy to bring it right out into the open. The genre agrees with her, and she particularly understands the way the worst fears can also be intertwined with desire. I hope we get more books like this from her.

Noemi is a college student living a privileged life in Mexico City. She likes to party and have fun with her friends, but also has the ambition to be more than somebody’s wife. Her father informs her that he has received a disturbing letter from her cousin Catalina, who recently married the son of a former silver miner and moved to live in the mountains. Noemi travels to see her cousins to investigate why Catalina claims that there is something terrible happening at her new home and something is making her sick. Noemí discovers the family’s peculiarities and almost loses her life doing so. The books is well written, however, the plot moves very slowly the first half of the book, with much repetition. The real action doesn’t begin until the last third of the book. The scientific facts throughout the books were a nice addition. Recommended!