I think this should have been marketed a little differently. Didn’t really see this as horror. Three stars for me

I look forward to the Hulu adaption of this novel, as I think its atmospheric qualities will lend themselves well to the screen. It moved too slowly for me and I was unable to get to what I have heard is quite an active ending.

Deliciously creepy and nightmarishly atmospheric, Mexican Gothic is a slow burn of epic grotesqueness and glamorous delusions, in an insanely captivating and chilling setting.

High Place, is a haunted house that is what all horror stories are made of. It sets the scene for a most claustrophobic and gothic story that follows a young socialite called to aid her newly married cousin who seems to be frantic about something that has to do with this dark and terrifying mansion. The house is full of rot and decay and seems to envelop anyone who enters in a most infectious and disgusting way.

Unassuming and seductively twisted, this book is beautifully disturbing and one of the most original horror stories I've read in a long time.

Mexican Gothic had me mesmerized and completely engrossed. The mystery, the drama, the scandal and creepiness of the setting made this read a thoroughly captivating one. And the beauty of it, oh the beauty! I loved the fierce and smart heroine, Noemi. I was in awe of her bravery and inquisitive mind and I adored her red lipstick, glamorous outfits, extra fancy cigarettes and sassy attitude. ⠀
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The High Place - the secluded, intimidating Gothic mansion in the Mexican countryside - was a character in itself! Mold-covered walls, silent servants creeping about in the background, candles instead of electricity and visions of blood and gore invading your mind and assaulting your senses. I inhaled the descriptive passages with a pounding heart! ⠀
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Then there was the creepy and brutal mystery at the heart of the story, the reason for Noemi's cousin's cryptic letter (aka cry for help). I found the big reveal to be perfectly and beautifully Gothic, if that makes sense? A "Crimson Peak" type of wild crescendo ending filled with unforgettable visuals. I LOVED IT. I was beyond pleased with the conclusion, particularly one underdog character surviving the entire ordeal! ⠀
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Overall, I really can't recommend this book/audiobook enough. I realize this might not be everyone's cuppa tea, but if you enjoy Gothic visuals, rich cultural tapestry, #ownvoices stories full of pure magic - do give this one a try!

This is a fantastic spooky story for the modern era. It has the classic aura of Turning of the Screw with the fascinating setting and awesome cast. What a great book!

Mexican Gothic has been on my must-read list ever since I saw the stunning cover. Set in 1950s Mexico, it follows Noemí Taboada as she travels to a strange house in the countryside to discover the truth behind a strange letter from her cousin asking for help. Moreno-Garcia weaves together Mexican history with gothic horror to create an unsettling tale that reads like a classic. I was unnerved and suspicious from the very first page, as uncertain as Noemí about who to trust and what was going on. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Frankie Corzo, who I think did a great job of creating an uneasy atmosphere throughout the tale. Before reading, I saw lots of readers discussing how creepy the book was but few talk about how gross some of the horror gets! Let's just say, I'd suggest not making this something you read while eating. I'd certainly recommend this to gothic literature fans, but would caution that there are quite a few content warnings some readers may want before diving in. I'm already looking forward to reading more from Moreno-Garcia!

This book was a slow burn but I think it was due to the fact that I wanted to savor the characters. From the very beginning, I was hooked. I loved the mystery of the novel and unraveling the family secrets. While some things were predictable, others were not. There was some parts where I was legit creeped out and that rarely happens for me. Easily 5 stars! Shout out to Steph for gifting me God’s of Jade and Shadow, I’ll be going back to read it! ⁣
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Thank you @delreybooks @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for my gifted copy #partner ⁣

Slowly building but gripping from the start, this Gothic horror tale set in 1950s Mexico is just the sort of brilliantly executed, engaging tale you’d expect from the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow. It’s gorgeous, sensual, and incredibly creepy, at times reminding me of all the tales and movies in which fungus is the agent of evil or at least creepiness. (Remember Brian Lumley’s story, “Fruiting Bodies”? Or Molly Tanzer’s more recent novel, Creatures of Want and Ruin?) Here Moreno-Garcia has given these elements and the trope of the sinister Gothic mansion her own flair and flavor. Noemí Taboada ventures to a big, spooky mansion after her newly married cousin sends a desperate, if incoherent, message. We know, of course, that all is not as it appears to be in this realm of shabby British expatriate gentility, with the ancient, decaying bed-ridden patriarch, the cousin’s charismatic but sadistically manipulative husband, the hyper-controlling aunt, and the pale, poetic nephew who draws beautiful sketches of fungi. But Noemí is no ordinary Gothic heroine, she’s a modern (well, 1950s modern) woman with scholarly aspirations, a talent for controlling social situations through flirtation, the ability to drive a car, and an impetuous fearlessness that gets her out of trouble as often as it gets her in. Yet even her forthrightness and independence are not enough to render her immune from the slow intoxication of High Place and its inhabitants. Fungal spores are in the air she breathes, the food she eats, even the wallpaper of her bedroom, and it’s only a matter of time before she succumbs.

From the breezy opening scenes to the slowly building creepiness to the utterly horrific page-turner climax, Mexican Gothic delivers on its promise. It held my imagination in its fungal-laced grip. Definitely not for reading late at night if you intend to get any sleep!

What starts out as, well, Mexican Gothic -- imagine REBECCA or a Brontë novel, except starting in Mexico City -- quickly turns to its own blend of more overt horror and strangeness as the novel goes on. Moreno-Garcia keeps the screws turning and the book is nearly impossible to put down. Particularly fond of the successive reveals at the end, which are great great great horror. Loved everything about this read.

Before I went into reading this one, I already had a chip on my shoulder because I kept reading these reviewers by white influencers that claimed that this book did not have enough Mexican culture. I read the book. That is a BOLD FACE LIE. If someone didn’t recognize the Mexican culture in this book, it means they need to think twice about the stereotypes that they associate with that culture.

So without further ado, let’s just unpack all things Mexican Gothic because this book blew me away in the best possible way.

Set in the 1950s, Noemí Taboada is a socialite living with her father in Mexico City. Everything changes when Noemí receives a frantic letter from her cousin Catalina. Catalina is married to an Englishman and they reside High Place, which is in the Mexican countryside…a region that is unfamiliar to Noemí. As soon as Noemí sets foot in High Place, their dichotomous nature is obvious. Noemí embodies the bold, rich Mexican culture which includes food, family, dancing, and speaking Spanish. Everything in High Place tries to erase all traces of Mexican heritage even though the doom and gloom of a mansion is located in Mexico. Right away, we know that something isn’t quite right at High Place, and Noemí is in for a wild ride.

Let me just start with the deliciously creepy setting of High Place. Moreno – Garcia beautifully crafts an atmospheric and chilling setting where we are intimately made aware of the once opulence style rooms that are now mold incrusted rooms have been left to ruin. I’m going to make it very clear that I would NEVER spend one night in High Place. It’s eerie, full of deep rooted secrets, and out for blood…yes, you read that correctly.

From start to finish, I was absolutely engrossed in this story. I loved the dark and creepy descriptions of High Place as well as the foreign nature that Noemí brought upon the house when she stepped foot on the grounds.

The start of the book is more of a slow burn as you really start to understand High Place, but the last 40 percent of the book had me asking WTF every few minutes. It was absolutely wild, and I was here for every single minute of it.

I can’t gush enough about this book. This book has made me a believer in gothic fiction and Moreno – Garcia will definitely be an auto-read author for me from now on.

Thank you to Del Rey for providing a review copy through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I never read this author before, but I loved the blurb. This book was just an amazing Historical Fiction Book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves this genre.

It feels like it’s been awhile since I’ve picked up a really good gothic novel. MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia has been one all over Bookstagram and I’ve been hearing all kinds of great reviews – that’s always the tricky part before starting it. You don’t want to build it up too much in your mind before beginning, but the hype is so well-deserved. The writing is so enchanting and the descriptions so vivid. Moreno-Garcia set the scene and the eerie atmosphere instantly and it transports you straight into the 1950’s alongside Noemí Taboada.

Let me start out by saying, this is more of a slower burning and character driven novel. So I think that’s good to know before starting – I tried to go in without knowing really anything but I would have loved knowing that. The first part felt really slow moving for me but once it picked up, then I couldn’t put it down. So I highly recommend sticking with it if you have that same issue in the beginning. Don’t get me wrong, I loved meeting our lead Noemí and her arriving at High Place to find her cousin, Catalina.

After receiving a very concerning letter from Catalina, Noemí‘s father tells her that she is to go check on her cousin and report back to him as to her mental state and if they need to intervene. Catalina had abruptly married an Englishman, Virgil, and then she was whisked away to his family’s estate in the countryside of Mexico. Upon her arrival, things don’t seem quite right and Noemí quickly finds herself mesmerized with the old and mysterious house, High Place.

There is something about the way that the author writes that is just so alluring. Despite the small pacing issue I had at the beginning, it was the way she was telling the story and the striking descriptions that kept me invested. An eerie tone throughout the novel, and some truly creepy moments that will send that chill down your spine that brought out the horror element. Overall, this book has earned the hype and buzz around it and I’m already looking up Moreno-Garcia’s backlist of books to add to the TBR.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic is, in my opinion, the most gothic of gothic novels written. And seriously creepy. After a slow start I was hooked.

I'm not a fan of icky scary and this gets into that a little but it is so well written and I became so invested in finding out what was happening that it was worth it.

I don’t want to give too much away but I want to go in saying I don’t read much gothic fiction so I wish I had more appreciation for the genre before I read this one. But, I really enjoyed this one! I love how the author moved away from the “typical haunted house” book and made the book a more modern approach to a haunted house.⁣
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While it is somewhat of a slow burn, it is a slow burn where I may never sleep again. That makes this a successful gothic fictional book in my opinion! ⁣

This was a bit of a slow one for me. The title and description let you know this was going to be dark, scary and mysterious, but it sure took a long time to get there. When it finally arrived, after a very long buildup, it felt rushed and unsatisfying. A lot of story was crammed into the final 50 pages and that made for a very lackluster ending.

4.5/5 Diving into horror-esque, suspenseful kind of novels are not usually my style given the fact that anything within the genre generally scares the living shit out of me. But wow, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I ended up liking Mexican Gothic.

The story that Moreno-Garcia has weaved is so atmospheric. It kept me up at night. It sent chills down my spine. It even wound up giving me literal nightmares at one point. Incorporating elements of Mexican culture along with scientific aspects which included some of Freud's ideas and Darwin's use of natural selection-- underlining the whole superior vs. inferior race aspect.. beautiful. Despite how grotesque and disgusting, who would've thought the use of fungi (i.e. mushrooms, mold) would be of interest to me? It definitely added something extra to the story especially towards the end when everything was unfolding. Whether it's entirely factual or not, it feels like Moreno-Garcia did a lot of research when it came to the medicinal and herbal plant parts of the story.

As for the characters themselves, Noemi is entirely herself and not sorry about it. She's stubborn but within reason. She's had to live with people judging her and her life choices just because she's a woman. But she's determined and that shows during her time in The High Place. I would've liked to see a little bit more of Catalina's side of the story. It seems as if she got put a little bit on the backburner. As for the Doyle family, they were absolutely despicable, especially Howard and Virgil. I felt for Ruth, Agnes, and Francis' father, Richard (You'll see why). And Francis, I took quite a liking to him. He easily became one of my favorite characters in the story. When it came to The High Place, it definitely gave me a bit of The Haunting of Hill House vibes with its set rules, ominous vibes and despair lurking underneath. The suspense of it all really helped me embrace the story even more as a whole.

This doesn't mean I'm going to be a full-on horror reader now but Mexican Gothic has showed me that I can read something of this genre and genuinely enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mexican Gothic is hard to explain. It starts out as a very creepy haunted house type book, then takes a very weird turn into graphic horror. I loved the main character, Noemi. She came across as fully visualized and a strong, vibrant woman. The book is definitely a different take on horror, which was refreshing if not a little jarring. It will be a story I won't forget anytime soon.

Mexican Gothic was a creepy, fun read. I honestly did not think I would enjoy this one as much as I did. It definitely nails the creepy, atmospheric vibe of classic gothic novels like Jane Eyre and Rebecca, but Moreno-Garcia infuses the genre with new life in this novel. The novel to start is a bit of slow, but it quickly picks up pace. By the end, I was racing through the pages to find out how this was all going to go down. The ending’s twist was monstrous and totally unexpected. Overall, Mexican Gothic was a delight and definitely worth reading. I highly recommend.

First off, horror isn't my usual genre of choice, but lately I have been drawn to it. I started this foray by reading another haunted house novel, Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. I finished it and wanted more! I have always liked haunted house novels since I was a teen, but the kind I am drawn to are very rare...again, horror is not my typical genre so I tend to be extra picky. Seeing two horror novels featuring haunted houses come out around the same time piqued my curiosity.

These two novels, while both featuring haunted houses are presented in radically different styles. Sager's book is a quick paced read. You pick it up and before you realized it you have blown through the book at warp speed. From the first page you are propelled through the novel, never quite catching your breath. In the end, I Sager's book was rewarding and entertaining, but ultimately I would call it "horror light." It would be a good recommendation for patrons just dipping their toes into the horror pool. In contrast, Mexican Gothic would be throwing them into the deep end of that pool.

In Mexican Gothic, the protagonist, Naomi, is a strong willed determined young woman in 1950s Mexico. Her recently wed cousin has sent a letter to Naomi's father that causes some concern. Naomi's very influential father believes that her cousin may need psychiatric treatment, but her new husband is refusing. Naomi is sent to High Place, the estate of her cousin's new husband to investigate and report back. When she gets there she finds a cold welcome from her cousin's new family, her cousin distant and different, and a sinister house that hides many secrets. Soon it becomes clear that there is more going on than what it appears, and that Naomi's cousin might not be the only one in need of escape.

Unlike Home Before Dark, Mexican Gothic is a slow atmospheric build. It reminded me of Jane Eyre and Rebecca at parts with the focus on the atmosphere mixed with a bit of Lovecraft and Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House. From the beginning you know something is wrong, but you can't put your finger on it. As the novel progresses that feeling of wrongness gets stronger, and the pacing increases a bit. It isn't until the climax that things really start moving. As far as pacing goes, this is slow but methodical. Silvia Moreno-Garcia lays a careful, meticulously created foundation for her novel. Each detail, each uncovered secret adds to the building tension. Don't expect to breeze through this one, but instead savor the journey and perhaps...read with the lights on. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy meticulously crafted novels that have a slower but steady pacing and those seeking a scare that lasts beyond the last page.