ARC Review: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

When I first was introduced to Silvia Moreno-Garcia I was enchanted and spirited away into her world through the pages of Gods of Jade and Shadow.

There we trekked with the heroine Casopiea as she went on a journey with an outcasted God in search of recovering his throne. The book explored the beauty of Mexico City and the dark allure of the Underworld.

When I saw that Silvia Moreno-Garcia had another book coming out in 2020 I was delighted and immediately smashed my keyboard hoping against hope that I would be granted an advanced copy. Lo and behold, the Netgalley Gods smiled upon me and I was chosen.

Shiiine, ✨ sparkle sparkle ✨

What would you do if a beloved family member wrote to you a letter full of madness basically asking for you to comeand save them?

This is the dilemma Noemí Taboada faces. Her cousin Catalina is newly married and has sent a strange letter requesting her aid from High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. Noemí is unsure what she will find there, but with her family’s blessings she goes to this dark house secluded from visitors nestled in gloom and seething w insidiousness. It’s not only the house that unsettles Noemí but its inhabitants as well.

The house has a history of darkness, of blood, of rot. Catalina wrote to Noemí about ghosts and hauntings but ghosts aren’t real. Even when the nightmares begin and she begins to sleepwalk Noemí isn’t one to be frightened off. She’s determined to figure out what is wrong with High Place. Even if the house poisons her, even if she too succumbs to its darkness.

Whew. This was a read that the deeper I got into the more it sunk into how horrific the chain of events were. This is a slow burner for sure but not one that can’t be enjoyed. I’m a big fan of Gothic Horrors and this didn’t disappoint in the slightest. The tension between Noemí and her in laws is palatable and that adds to the horror in a way. You never know who is going to snap and when and that adds layers.

At multiple points I wanted Noemí to just go “Fuck this! And Fuck you!” and leave but she’s a much better and braver person than I am lmao. Much muuuch better.

I really wasn’t expecting for how bloody and creepy this would be even though the title alone screams GOTHIC. I haven’t read the author’s previous works even though they are on my TBR so maybe I should not be too surprised but she does it very well. A lot of scenes I cringed from. I think my only problem with this overall was the romance aspect but as many of you know I am very anti-love but I felt as though we didn’t really need a romantic lover at all in this story and if we did the wrong man was chosen.

Besides THAT. There’s a nice balance of friction, horror, walking nightmares, and Gods,

Oh, how we love talk of the Gods.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, you have outdone yourself once again.

4.5/5

Thanks very much to Netgalley for this copy of my ARC. All opinions are my own.