1908: After the death of her father, Alba's uncle comes to try to persuade her mother to sell their family land and move to the city. When their animals start dying and their family is struck again and again by tragedy, Alba knows she is the only one who can save them.

1998: Alba's great-granddaughter Minerva is writing her dissertation on Beatrice Tremblay, a little-known author whose ghost story "The Vanishing" parallels the experience of her own family decades ago.

1934: A young Beatrice Tremblay studies at the same university years before Minerva, not knowing that the disappearance of her own friend will lead to the creation of The Vanishing and Minerva's own investigation.

This book was my first SMG and I'm happy to report that I will be checking out her back catalogue! This one is a slow, slooooow burn interwoven with myth, mystery and academia, scratching many itches at the same time. There's a lot of set-up, but the three timelines and their settings are lush in detail and rife with suspense. I was immersed in the lives of these three women, taken by their individuality and passion for the things they love. Witchcraft and monsters lurk in the background, but Minerva, Alba, and Beatrice are the stars of the show.

I like books that bounce between timelines and stories and tie everything together at the end (as long as it's done well, as it is in this book) but if you prefer linear timelines, this might not be for you. I was able to guess where the story was going for most of the novel, but it didn't take away any of the enjoyment. All in all, had a lot of fun with this one.

.

CW violence, death (human & animal), blood, incest

Moreno-Garcia's latest is a well-researched page turner. Set on a Mexican farm in the early 1900s that is haunted by witchcraft, a sleepy college campus in the 30s that is disrupted by a girl's disappearance without a trace, and that same college campus 60 years later when mysterious events start happening again.

The different timelines were juggled very well, and I especially liked Alba's chapters. The characters in this POV were especially well drawn This book had a very slow start for me, and I found the resolution to be rushed, but other than that the emotion, history and horror created an addictive reading experience! I'll always recommend Moreno-Garcia's books to customers and friends. Thank you to the publisher for the e-arc!

“The Bewitching” combines three women’s alternating stories of dealing with dark forces. Minerva Contreras has been raised listening to her grandmother’s stories and has developed an affinity for the supernatural. A graduate student, she is writing her thesis on Beatrice Tremblay, a relatively unknown horror writer from the 1930s. Tremblay's sole novel, "The Vanishing," drew inspiration from the actual disappearance of Virginia, a student at Minerva's current college, with dark overtones of witchcraft suggested. As Minerva delves deeper into Tremblay’s personal documents, she feels the sinister presence of an evil shadow.

“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches.” Minerva can recall her grandmother, Nana Alba’s words as she was growing up. Nana’s tale, set in Mexico in 1908, recounts how she sought the guidance of known witches after a tragedy, hoping to ward off a curse that was enveloping her after claiming her brother and a friend.

The third timeline revolves around Beatrice’s account of Ginny’s disappearance. Ginny initially introduced herself to Beatrice declaring, “I’m your roommate... I like dancing and painting and designing my own clothes, I speak to ghosts, and I can draw your natal chart. I’m a Spiritualist.” Such an uninhibited spirit was considered scandalous by most in her circle, but Beatrice was strongly drawn to her. Ginny’s behavior became troubling enough that there was talk of having her committed to prevent her from doing self-harm. One day she simply vanished and most seemed to chalk it up as symptomatic of her erratic behavior.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia consistently delivers impressive novels, characterized by her imaginative scope, compelling characters, and richly detailed settings. The atmosphere here leans more towards eerie than outright horror. The pacing can occasionally be slow, as is the case here with the lengthy development of Nana Alba’s and Minerva’s traumas. Additionally, the book does contain one very disturbing scene and a few graphic ones. Not a perfect book, but– as with all Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work– a highly entertaining one.

Thank you to the Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore / Del Rey and to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheBewitching #NetGalley

(I got an ARC of this – thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing) I normally try to wait until a little bit closer to the publication date to read advance copies I get, but I genuinely could not wait to read this one, because I love everything that Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes so much. Minerva is a graduate student focusing her thesis on a little-known horror author who attended the same school Minerva did. She learns that the author’s work is actually based on something that happened to a friend of hers… and Minerva thinks that history might be repeating itself again, as she starts to notice strange things happening around her. This is a multigenerational witchy horror story, but more of a dark, moody psychological vibe than scary horror. I loved how everything came together at the end – it was so satisfying!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was one of my favorite books from Ms. Moreno-Garcia, I absolutely loved it. I wouldn't say it was horror (more suspense?), but it was the perfect pre-spooky season read. I really liked the way the multi-timelines were executed, and the blend of two cultures horror tropes!

A story with malignant witches and a ghostly setting will always be high in my heart.
Minerva, a graduate student working on her thesis in the 1990s New England, Beatrice, an aspiring writer attending the same college as the first one (though only women back then) during the Great Depression, and Alba, a farmer's daughter growing up in the mountains of Hidalgo at the dawn of the 20th century, will all encounter witchcraft and danger. The villains are easy to spot but it adds intrigue to the story as you know but main characters don't.
Fascinating, dark and atmospheric, this book has the perfect vibes and works as a mix of historical fiction with a blend of magic and horror. Even though it didn’t scare me, the horror parts are a bit gruesome if you have a vivid imagination.

This is a captivating Gothic horror novel that completely drew me in with its eerie atmosphere and layered storytelling. Silvia Moreno-Garcia weaves together the lives of three women: Minerva in 1990s Massachusetts, Beatrice in 1930s New England, and Alba in early 1900s Mexico, each facing unsettling disappearances linked to witchcraft and folklore. I loved how the timelines gradually connected, building suspense as Minerva uncovers dark secrets buried in her university’s past and her own family history. The mix of academic research, supernatural mystery, and rich Mexican heritage made this story both intellectually engaging and emotionally gripping. Moreno-Garcia’s haunting prose and slow-burning tension kept me hooked. This is Gothic fiction at its best, intelligent, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling. Highly recommended.

I didn't have time to read this one before it came out, but I love the author's previous work and I'm sure I'll love this, too!

I know this was billed as horror, but I think I personally put it into mysterious. The suspense is pretty slow-burn, and I will accept the nod towards witches and gothic. I think I was looking for a bit more to happen but was still, overall, pretty intrigued by the story.

Within this story we follow three separate timelines which are ultimately woven together in a fairly creative way. Minerva is attending college in 1990s Massachusetts. She is spending her summer on campus to work on her thesis but is feeling as though she doesn't have enough information to fully create what she is writing about. She knows there is a woman in town who may have some personal documents, but she is having a hard time connecting to see if she can study the papers.

Another time line is from Beatrice Tremblay, the woman Minerva is studying. We are whisked back in time to the same college during Tremblay's attendance. Her papers write of her time there as well as what inspired her to write about her room mate Ginny Somerset's Vanishing which lead to her writing her most popular novel, The Vanishing.

The third timeline is Minerva's great-great grandmother, Alba. Though her portion is told from the her perspective, I ultimately think it's intended to be Minerva recounting what her great-grandmother told her about her life when she was younger. Alba's family was thought to be cursed after several tragic events. Alba had to take matters into her own hands and put her own life on the line in order to save her self and the rest of her family.

Though the atmosphere was eerie throughout the story, I didn't find it terrifying or horrific. There were a few creepier moments and I would say Alba's tale is probably the creepiest. It is also a much slower burn than I anticipated. However, there is a bit of a dark academia vibe as well as potential witchcraft and rituals happening in the shadows.

Well paced, original, and definitely spooky. Would I call it horror? I’m not entirely sure. Maybe horror light? I don’t know why but something about the word horror made me expect a lot darker and gorier than what this book is. Don’t get me wrong - it does get gruesome but not overpoweringly.

I really struggled with Minerva at the start. She’s interesting and intelligent and driven, and I felt all that by reading about HER and her research. Not the numerous times in a single chapter where the author felt the need to explain the Minerva is REALLY not like other girls. I mean guys, she wore flannel to a party… Once things got going and she no longer went to parties, I enjoyed her chapters.

Alba might be my least favorite POV because I guessed it from the first chapter. I was desperately hoping for a twist that never came.

Beatrice was my favorite of the three. It was a nice change of pace from the others since Beatrice was watching someone get “haunted” whereas with the other two, they were the “prey”.

Overall I liked this book. It was easy to read, and I wanted to finish it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

First, this is a very spooky, gothically witchy book that would be ideally read on a dark October evening, with a cat and a hot cup of tea. Second, I wish I had liked the three interwoven stories more. The ambience of each storyline was decadently dark, and I liked that the three women had similar but unique experiences, which kept me intrigued but also maintained the creepy presence from timeline to timeline.
Alba’s storyline, on a family farm in early 1900s Mexico, was definitely the one drawing me in. Her narration and the heightened tension was exactly what I want from historical horror. Minerva’s storyline started out equally interesting to me, but there wasn’t the same electrifying current for me. And Beatrice’s plot truly did not hold my attention.
Overall, I think this book could definitely be a better fit for some other readers. I like my horror endings to be less thoroughly explained, and I prefer when the spookiness creeps in slowly. Alba’s chapters had all of those characteristics, I just wish the other two storylines had matched in the visual storytelling and atmospheric unease.
Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is back again with another masterfully written story perfectly blending horror and suspense in a way that keeps you engaged from the very first moment.
This novel follows 3 different yet related stories, Minerva in 1998, Alba in 1908 and Beatrice in 1934. While all these stories may not seem to be connected, we very quickly see how things aren’t always what they seem.

Minerva's great-grandmother always told her stories of witches, which has led Minerva to study horror stories in grad school. While doing research for her thesis, Minerva discovers a real life connection to her school and the stories she was told as a child.

Atmospheric and thrilling, The Bewitching is an engrossing story that you won't want to finish. Multiple timelines and POVs keep you questioning where the story is going.

Another great title from Silvia Moreno-Garcia who excels at never doing the same thing twice.

Wow is this a good book. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has such a magical way of writing books. All three timeline were so interesting and engaging. I was so engrossed with all the plot lines. I truly believe Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of the best authors of all time.

Minerva is a graduate student in New England, studying at the same school of her literacy idol, Beatrice Tremblay. She is from Mexico originally and has always been in interested in 'ghost stories.' It seems to run in her family as on her death bed, her Nana Alba tells of her witches during her childhood. Minerva soon finds access to journals from Tremblay that talk about her time at the college and the disappearance of her best friend, which led to the inspiration for her famous novel. Soon, Minerva herself seems to be experiencing spooky, unexplained events. She soon suspects that perhaps she is experiencing the same bewitching that haunted the campus before.

This one was a slow burn, but I enjoyed it! Did I find both of the "whodunnits" (aka who the witch is) obvious? Yes. Very much so, especially for Alba's storyline. Maybe some might find the reveal for the other two to be more surprising, but if paying attention, I think readers can figure it out. It is still worth the read though - the atmospheric, spooky vibes are on point and the writing is beautiful. Is it Mexican Gothic level of amazing? Not in my opinion, but this one has been probably my favorite beside that (and closest to those vibes). Moreno-Garcia is definitely great at creating dark, atmospheric books with spookiness.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautifully written, atmospheric read with just the right mix of mystery and historical intrigue. It didn’t fully blow me away, but I really enjoyed it and thought it was a very well done 4 star read!

This three timeline story has gothic vibes that often verge to the mysterious and sometimes to horror. Not surprisingly, this book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is very well-written. Unfortunately, I wasn't totally enthralled with it. I think a lot of the reason for this is that though I was interested in the stories of all three timelines, and, yes, some connections were there, the interweaving of them wasn't strong. The distinction among them also made it difficult for me to fully connect with any of the characters and since all three were developed relatively slowly, it was hard to get invested in ithe book. That said, the vibes are good, and it's a good choice for those who enjoy multiple timeline stories.

As the saying goes, you can cut the tension with a knife. If that’s the case, you’ll need an entire machete to slice through the tension, suspense, and scares in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest novel, The Bewitching.

The author of the bestselling book, Mexican Gothic, sets her latest tale in New England, with the horror story spanning three different eras. The heroines at the center of each epoch are faced with witchcraft and danger in a multigenerational horror story like no other.

For a long time now, quaint, unsuspecting North East towns have been the settings for unimaginable terrors. It is home to Salem, Massachusetts and its witch trials, Steven King and his fictional town of Derry, Shirley Jackson and her infamous Lottery, and of course, H.P. Lovecraft, who ushered in a new genre of cosmic horror with his fictionalized county. However, Moreno Garcia has undoubtedly made her mark on the genre, standing in a league of her own as she weaves a suspenseful tale rich in both culture and history that spans well beyond the confines of her New England setting.

The story’s three timelines cover Alba’s encounter with witchcraft on her homestead in Mexico in 1908, the disappearance of Virginia ‘Ginny’ Somerset at Stoneridge in 1934, and Stoneridge graduate student Minerva’s investigation into Ginny’s disappearance in 1998. These three different timelines provide not just historical, but also social context to the story.

For young Alba, life in 1908 finds her facing the societal expectations befitting the eldest daughter of marrying age. Betty and Ginny’s collegiate lives in 1934 are set against the backdrop of the Great Depression when homosexuality is still considered taboo and women are admitted to sanitariums for “hysteria.” It is Minerva, in the more modern day timeline on the cusp of the new millennium, who is charged with unraveling Ginny’s mysterious disappearance while making sense of her great-grandmother Alba’s tales of encountering witchcraft as a young girl.

“When I was a young woman, there were still witches,” begins The Bewitching, but make no mistake, these are not the witches you might be familiar with if all you’ve read is The Crucible. Instead, they’re deeply rooted in Mexican folklore – these witches are teyolloquani, the most fearsome and dangerous of brujas who drink the blood of their victims and eat their hearts. In the novel, tales of the teyolloquani are passed down from one generation to the next, keeping their lore alive as modern society seeks to write them off as silly stories told by uncultured country folk.

With this combination of elements, Moreno-Garcia seamlessly weaves Mexican culture and folklore into standard U.S. horror tropes. She is a master not just of igniting the slow-burn read, rich in suspense and terror, but of building stories filled with proud Mexican culture. Her voice is one that not only provides a unique take on the genre but also gives us representation that we so desperately needed.


Latines make up 26% of horror movie audiences, yet only 7% of published authors identify as Latine/Hispanic. Latin America is filled with tales of horror, with oral histories of ghost stories and unknown creatures of terror passed down from generation to generation. Fear is universal, so why can’t our tales be?

When reading Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work, it is. Her gripping tales of unimaginable horrors have a cultural context that is deeply rooted in Latin American culture and beliefs, powered by her unique but familiar voice.

There are two types of terror – of the unknown and of the known. The unknown is the feeling of being watched when you can’t see anyone there or imagining creatures that go bump in the night. The other fear is of the evil that lurks in a person you know. That something unexplainable that rises in glimpses so brief you could miss it until the monster fully reveals itself – and it’s too late. In Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest tale, it is both. And what greater horror story could there be? The familiar and unfamiliar, haunting the narrative just the same.

In The Bewitching, Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes, “A mystery is the most seductive of poisons; it intoxicates the soul.” If that is the case, we are drunk on this latest tale and cannot wait to consume whatever horror she delights to serve us next.

***Thank you to Del Rey for providing an advanced copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

The Bewitching was a mesmerizing tale of creeping dread that would make a perfect read for spooky season. The story was definitely a slow burn, but there was always a nagging sense of wrongness that ratcheted up as everything unfolded. Moreno-Garcia’s writing was as enchanting as always, and I found it impossible not to be sucked into the atmosphere of the story.

I typically enjoy stories that are told across multiple times, and The Bewitching was no exception. The structure of the narrative was woven together from three different lifetimes, and I had a great time sinking into each of them. The early 1900’s Mexico setting was probably my favorite, but I’m always a sucker for a story set in a college. So, I also enjoyed seeing the similarities and differences between the New England college in the 1930’s and 1990’s. It illustrated just how much change there was in those 60 years. Each of the settings was brought to life with brilliant detail and felt securely grounded in reality despite the fantastical elements.

The plot of The Bewitching was quite slow and predictable, but I didn’t mind because of the space it left for shaping the characters. Alba, Betty, and Minerva were all such interesting people. Alba longed for more than her life on a Mexican farm. Betty wanted nothing more than to find closure for her long, lost friend. Minerva found herself at a maddening intersection between the two women’s stories so many decades later. The characters’ descent into “madness” was incredibly well-written. I often found myself second-guessing where I thought the narrative was headed because of it. Ultimately, things ended up going as I expected from pretty early on, but the journey to get there still had me in a chokehold.

Two themes stood out to me while reading The Bewitching. First, the story showed how important it is to keep one’s culture alive. The stories and traditions of our elders and the people who came before us contain valuable wisdom that shouldn’t be discounted. Minerva’s reliance on Alba’s old witch stories, as well as Alba’s own decision to take heed of the outdated country folk tales, highlight this lesson well. Second, the story made clear that all that glitters is not gold. Sometimes it is something rotten in a sparkly wrapper. The haves and have nots were often at odds in this story. The elite took advantage of those around them and had no qualms about destroying others to maintain their power and status. It was quite the cautionary tale.

Overall, The Bewitching was yet another great story from Moreno-Garcia. I always look forward to her new work each year, and this book was just another example of why. If you are looking for a slow, character-focused witchy tale with a hauntingly creepy atmosphere, this is a story you won’t want to miss. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Bewitching casts an eerie spell with its multiple timelines—1998 and 1934 are deliciously creepy, like gothic horror wrapped in velvet. Silvia Moreno-Garcia nails the atmosphere (as always), and the slow-burn tension is a treat. But the 1908 timeline? More of a flicker than a flame. Add in a few too many telegraphed twists, and the magic thins just a bit. Still, if you’re here for vibes over surprises, it absolutely delivers.