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thereadingwells's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Noemà Taboada is our 1950's socialite protaganist. She's sent on what seems like a simple, albeit inconvenient errand by her father (with the promise of a reward) to go check in on her cousin, Catalina, who sends a wild, troubling letter from the home of her new husband in a distant misty, mountainous town.
I don't read horror often, but this was our October 2021 book club pick, and it was perfectly unsettling, gothic, and dark for the occasion without being too gory. The ending felt a little bit abrupt, and I was left with lots of questions. Maybe Silvia Moreno-Garcia will fill us in some other time?
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
bastieboi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Incest, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Gaslighting
mireyadiaz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Death, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Blood, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Cannibalism
erynlasbelin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cursing, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
eclareb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation
cottontail's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Atmospheric. This book gives an excellent gothic atmosphere. Enjoyable characters. Not all of the characters are complex, but the experience of peeling back the layers on the characters is really fun. Whimsey. It's hard to describe this without spoilers, but this book employs a lovely balance between grounding in reality and high concept whimsy. These whimsical elements also tie in wonderfully thematically to the plot and themes. Themes. This book's atmosphere isn't just aesthetic but is also entangled with its themes. This book has a lot of interesting themes that will keep you thinking.
What this book isn't:
Mexican. Despite the title, setting, and main character all being Mexican don't expect any Mexican culture. I picked this up after reading a book with Mexican leads and gaining an appreciation for learning about Mexican culture in a fictional setting. But the majority of characters in this book are white and the POC behave exactly like the white characters. The only Mexican culture here is an exploration of colonialism and eugenics from the white male perspective. Also, the main character is very passive. She's set up being headstrong and canny, though her personality is consistent and enjoyable she's a lot more passive than the setup would suggest. This is because unlike most modern novels this book is plot-driven instead of character-driven. Though the characters act according to their personalities and motivations, they don't actively drive the plot but rather unwrap the mystery. This gives the book a slow pace which actually works for the benefit of:
Conclusion:
This isn't my usual book because of its slow pace and plot-driven style. When I first read it I wasn't sure if I'd finish it because I thought it wasn't for me but the mysterious gothic atmosphere had me feeling like there was always something crawling just beneath the surface and I'm glad I kept reading [even if it was just for the dank gothic vibes] because this is now a got to reread for me. The reveals, whimsical twists, and masterfully hidden themes and subtext woven into the atmosphere make this novel even more enjoyable on a reread. Once the secrets were unveiled it only left me more excited to go back and read it all over again. I would highly recommend for someone who likes a good mystery, enjoys a melancholy gothic atmosphere, and loves a bit of whimsey.
Graphic: Body horror and Terminal illness
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Suicide attempt
A lot of these tags pertain to either surreal/metaphorical dream sequences or nongraphic scenes. The body horror is described in a lot of detail but is not extremely gruesome. The sexual assaults also are tame in their violence/aggression but are detailed as detail is the nature of the writing style. I could have honestly tagged this with twice as much however so much of the potentially triggering content is so underwhelmingly written I don't believe they would be triggering for many people that even have these as triggers and the book never frames any of these issues in ways harmful to the reader. However, if you are triggered easily maybe avoid this one.colwellcat's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism
keen's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, and Suicidal thoughts
chelscantdance's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My only disappointment with this book is that it wasn't really "Mexican" - it felt like Crimson Peak but plopped in Mexico. It could've really taken place anywhere, I didn't get a sense of the Mexican setting other than the first chapter in Mexico City and the occasional mention of someone speaking Spanish or eating a torta/chilaquiles. I was hoping it would be more of a Mexican-style Gothic tale when it's really just an English one. Regardless, I really enjoyed the story and I don't normally like these kinds of books! Definitely a spooky read.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
diabolusmuse's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Gun violence, Incest, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism
Minor: Miscarriage, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
This book is really heavy, as the content warnings would likely indicate, but personally, the subject matter is treated very respectfully. What is horrifying is Meant to be horrifying, and it never feels voyeuristic or leering in the ways that I have seen from other horror authors. It's handled with care, and in my opinion should be fine if you have the stomach for it, but it's good to know going in.