When I first read this a year ago, it was the first Moreno-Garcia book I'd picked up. Now, having read Gods of Jade and Shadow, and Velvet was the Night I've realized that there's a... formalness to her writing that lends itself so well to this specific kind of novel than it does to any other genre that I've seen from her so far. It's a writing style that works so beautifully with this slow-build, creeping dread, plot-driven horror that's set in the past - and it's probably why this is my favorite Moreno-Garcia book.

Set in the Mexican countryside in the 1950s, Mexican Gothic immerses you deeply into its time period from the very first page. The main character is a socialite whose parents want her to get married and settle down into the only role they think a respectable young woman should have; a housewife. Noemi? She wants to study anthropology in college. So when Noemi's cousin Catalina sends a concerning letter home, Noemi's concerned father asks her to go visit and make sure Catalina is safe amongst her new family, and in return, he'll let her go to college. Noemi doesn't even think to say no.

Thus begins Noemi's journey to the High Place, and into the lair of the mysterious, secretive, and hostile Doyles.

I don't quite know how to explain how much I enjoyed this book. It felt so familiar and yet so fresh and new at the same time. "Woman Goes to A Haunted House to Save Someone She Loves and Is Treated Terribly by its Inhabitants" is a trope we've seen time and time again, but Moreno- Garcia found a way to take this trope to some new weird places that made it so wholly unique.

I mean, mushrooms that bond with a certain kind of person and then prolong your life, collect your memories and tie you to their breeding ground???? Who'd have THUNK!

And this might not be a very popular opinion, but I ADORE horror that's weird; and between the parallels to The Yellow Wallpaper and Crimson Peak, as well as Mexican Gothic's own creepy, weird newness, this checked a lot of boxes for me.

I liked Noemi. She was vain, and a little spoiled and kind of rude and she made for such an interesting heroine - especially with the themes of white supremacy in this book. This was a woman who knew her worth. She was going to take any of the White Nonsense. She wasn't going to take the Cis Man nonsense, either. I found it really refreshing to see a heroine that refused to be gaslit into thinking herself inferior for the colour of her skin or for her gender. She wasn't a badass Buffy-type hero who was able to punch her way out of the horror story, and she questioned a lot, but she never once doubted her worth or who she was, and considering the mind games she was up against, I found that admirable.

I even liked Francis, who could be written off as a weak cowardly character who only stepped up because he got a crush. It took me a while to see it, I'm not going to lie, but somewhere down the line I realized it wasn't as simple as Boy Gets Crush and Grows a Conscience, but something a little more nuanced and complicated. Man falls in love and realizes maybe there's something to live for and this doesn't HAVE to be his future, more like. Fucking chef's kiss, man.

Anyway, yeah, this was great. Even having read only 3 of her books I'm willing to bet this is her best one. I can definitely see myself picking this up when I'm in the mood for weird, haunting atmosphere. If that's your jam, definitely check this out.