Reviews with content warning for Cannibalism - Mexican Gothic

This was kind of a slow read to me, but it got much better toward the end. I think the plot was very interesting and unique. I liked the gothic vibes, and I have to admit that Francis in this book has to be one of the best and most wholesome characters I've read about in a while.

She wanted to be liked. Perhaps this explained the parties, the crystalline laughter, the well-coiffed hair, the rehearsed smile. She thought that men such as her father could be stern and men could be cold like Virgil, but women needed to be liked or they’d be in trouble. A woman who is not liked is a bitch, and a bitch can hardly do anything: all avenues are closed to her.

Content Warnings

lyoholla's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Mexican Gothic

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Favorite quote:

“She was the snake biting its tail. She was a dreamer eternally bound to a nightmare, eyes close even when her eyes had turned to dust.”

I hardly know where to start with this one. 😮‍💨

This book has been on my TBR for ages, and when another Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel popped up at my library, I decided it was finally time to dive in. I’m not sure what I expected, but let me tell you—I’ve spent most of my time reading (or rather, listening) with a shocked expression and my hand over my mouth. There’s no way to discuss this book without diving into spoilers, so consider yourself warned.

Let’s begin with the fact that Mexican Gothic is masterfully written. Reading it felt like watching a slow-motion car crash, you can’t look away, no matter how horrifying it becomes. I don’t typically gravitate toward horror, but this novel had me completely engrossed.

Based on the cover alone, I never would have guessed what I was getting into: a story about a well-to-do aristocratic family hiding a dark and grotesque secret. At the heart of their power lies “The Gloom,” a sinister living mold and spore system that sustains their incestuous legacy.

Noemí, our protagonist, a vibrant socialite and party girl, is summoned to the family’s crumbling mansion, High Place, under the pretense of checking on her cousin Catalina, who recently married into the Doyle family. What follows is a descent into madness, manipulation, and terror as Noemí realizes the family isn’t just eccentric, they’re feeding her the mold to bind her to their home and their twisted bloodline. All of this is orchestrated under the watchful eye of the family patriarch, the original Doyle, who has used the mold and incest to transfer his consciousness through generations of male heirs.

Content Warnings

sebyreads304's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced

3.0

Content Warnings

thebuttler's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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? It's complicated

4.0

First, I cannot stress how important it is to skip the author approved content warnings and check the ones posted by other readers. The approved ones do not scratch the surface of what goes on in this book. Do yourself a favor and check before reading.

As for the rest: if you're looking for a book to puzzle over, this is not it. The author is incredibly heavy-handed at the start, dropping clues with all the subtlety of a neon sign for the first fifty pages, but apart from that, I found Mexican Gothic to be pretty good. It's a creepy house tale in the grand tradition of the Haunting of Hill House, with a heavy dash of colonialism and a generous helping of men are trash. It's definitely a story I'm going to sit with for a while now that I've finished, and could easily see myself rereading in a year or two. That said, it's not exactly worth the hype surrounding it, but still, as I said, it's pretty good.

Content Warnings

sherigan's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

annaelisabeth13's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

For so much of this book I had no idea what was going to happen next. When Noemi had her first nightmare I was genuinely a little scared but even more intrigued to figure out the curse of High Place. The pace is somewhat slow at times especially around most interactions between Noemi and Florence. There is multiple mentions of attempted SA, descriptions of violence with deadly weapons, eugenics, and fire to name a few

Content Warnings

amandahector490's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

There are characters that are lovable and interesting and specifically 4 of them that are horrible for good reason. Not because the author wrote them wrong but because of what they’ve done in the plot. But overall, the story was absolutely amazing, was a little slow in the beginning but it picks up the pace in the middle and has a well-done ending that makes anyone want to read for hours and hours on end. Because this is an adult book, it has some triggers to how women are treated so if that’s something that bothers you than I suggest you find a much less triggering book. But seriously, it’s one of the best books I’ve read in such a long time. Definitely worth recommending!

Content Warnings

tealeavesandroses's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Content Warnings

More...