What this book is:
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.

 I waited a while to read this one, letting the anticipation build. Sadly, it didn't live up to the hype.

I loved the beginning of the novel and the setup. I was immediately intrigued! But as the plot plodded on I started to notice the awkward writing style, especially in dialogue, the hollow characters, and the lack of a creepy and immersive atmosphere.

First, the writing style. It was dispassionate and disconnected with oddly formal choice of vocabulary and excessive repetition. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural.

The characters started off well - I loved that early scene between Noemi and her father - but once Noemi arrived at the house it all fell apart. The characters were one dimensional - either creepy and suspect or likable and trustworthy - and didn't feel real in the slightest. Even our protagonist, Noemi, had no development or growth through the story and seemed to be largely unaffected by her circumstances.

And the saddest of all, the atmosphere. I was SO looking forward to the Gothic vibe promised here (I love a creepy old house full of secrets) and it just didn't deliver. "Creepy" things were described, but there was very little tension or sense of foreboding or closing in so common in this kind of tale. It also didn't feel particularly Mexican, with the house and its occupants leading incredibly Anglophilic lives.

The final nail in the coffin was the reveal, which was a letdown. I had theories about what was going on and each and every one of them was more interesting than what we got. I'll add my spoilery thoughts at the end of this review.

This was such a disappointing read. I loved the concepts and themes, and it could’ve been incredible, but the characterization, pacing, and writing style were so lacking that it felt flat as a whole.


Spoilery Thoughts

[I found the mushrooms/mycelial network aspect very intriguing and honestly wish the focus had been more on that aspect rather than the supernatural eternal life incest cannibalism thing! The more I think about the twist, the more interesting I found the growth and spreading of the mushrooms a metaphor for colonization. Especially with the detail that the tonic is native to Mexico. There are some very interesting parallels there and some valuable commentary about colonization, racism, sexism, classism, and more. I wish I could have been pulled into this story more and that it had committed to this metaphor fully rather than getting lost in the weeds of trying to be a traditional gothic horror with supernatural elements. It tried to do too much and ended up not being able to deliver on any aspect in a satisfying way. (hide spoiler)]