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A review by mood_reading_maya
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
I am not an avid horror reader. Dark romance, sure; but horror? I'm a scaredy cat. However, this straddled the line sufficiently with historical fiction (set in 1950s Mexico) that I had to read it.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is so adept at slow build plot and character tensions and visceral and atmospheric world-building. In a way, she can perfectly convey that sense of something is not right here. I was thoroughly creeped out by this! The further I got into the book, the clearer the underlying questions became.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is so adept at slow build plot and character tensions and visceral and atmospheric world-building. In a way, she can perfectly convey that sense of something is not right here. I was thoroughly creeped out by this! The further I got into the book, the clearer the underlying questions became.
- What shrouds prohibit us from seeing the truth?
- Who gets to decide what lives are valued and remembered, disposed and forgotten?
- How are women framed as "hysterical," "demanding," or "problematic"? And what methods are used to subjugate their perceived misbehaviors?
The use of mold, fungi, mushrooms (all forms of mycorrhizal networks) to show the interconnected nature of systems of harm as well as their pervasiveness.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Incest, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail