NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “It’s Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird.”—The Guardian IN DEVELOPMENT AS A HULU ORIGINAL LIMITED SERIES PRODUCED BY KELLY RIPA AND MARK CONSUELOS • WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New Yorker • Vanity Fair • NPR • … THE YEAR BY The New Yorker • Vanity Fair • NPR • The Washington Post • Tordotcom • Marie Claire • Vox • Mashable • Men’s Health • Library Journal • Book Riot • LibraryReads
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
“It’s as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic.”—The Washington Post
“Mexican Gothic is the perfect summer horror read, and marks Moreno-Garcia with her hypnotic and engaging prose as one of the genre’s most exciting talents.”—Nerdist
“A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush ’50s atmosphere.”—Entertainment Weekly
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I don’t often find a book that I can’t put down and get cranky if I get interrupted from reading it, but Mexican Gothic is one of these books. I really had no idea what it was about when I picked it up but I want to share with others that it is a great read! Highly recommended!
So many layers
Bizarre
Definitely loved the ending of this book: strange and fantastical. It just took a long time to get there.
I haven’t read any of the author’s work before and I was surprised to learn her material wasn’t translated from Spanish. For those who read translated works, you’ll know what I mean. Sometimes, the natural suppleness of language is just off by a hair in a translation. Moreno-Garcia’s language usage is quite formal and sometimes read a bit stilted.
The concept of a young debutante called to a remote mansion to check in on her disturbed cousin is interesting and I love a good moody tale. It took a while to get into the story though…the meandering beginning and thick details bogged down my interest and I couldn’t align with the protagonist Noemi. I put the book down for a couple months before getting back into it.
It was still a fight to get to the last 25% of the book, but here is where it got very interesting. This would have made an excellent short story.
I didn’t like this book
This one was real disappointment. And a big one.
First there was a hype. That book was all over the place (bravo on marketing -.-). And then, there is that gorgeous cover. I mean, just look at it. I’m sucker for beautiful covers, can’t help it there.
And then there was a book.
Genres in which people put it in the end had nothing to do with it. Not for me.
Was it horror? Ummm, not to me? Yes, there was traces of it, but I didn’t feel like in horror story. Some parts were gross but differently not scary, and they didn’t make my heart race, they only made my stomach roll. I guess that was the point and author made good job on that, but still.
It’s not mystery cause it’s just not, nor it’s thriller. Sorry guys, it’s just not.
About 60% of that book was boring, nothing really happened and I kept reading cause I wanted to know what the big thing about it was. Why the hype, and will it justify it.
An then we find out ‘plot twist’ or ‘the main thing’ why the house is like that and people in it ( I don’t want to spoil it to other people that still wanna read it) and I was like, and that is it? Really?! Like I was going trough all that gross stuff just to get that anticlimactic end? Cause, let’s be real, after you found out what it is, you know how all that shit needs to end.
So no, it was not shocking, it was nothing big and you could see the end from the space.
And yes, I’m disappointed and while writing this I still don’t know if I would give it 2 or 3 stars. I wanna give 3 stars just cause the cover, but it wouldn’t be right. Author knows how to write, there is no denying it but in the end, all that was not good enough, it was boring, predictable and nothing more.
A page-turning that brings the atmosphere of gothic romance to Mexico in the 1950s to amazing effect. With plenty of twists and turns and characters that are immensely relatable, this is an instant favorite. Perfect for anyone looking for a diverse lens to classic horror tropes.
Haunting and different
I hated the book. In descriptions and reviews it was compared to Rebecca and the Brontes. I don’t know how. It was more horror than suspense. I abandoned it about 1/3 of the way in.
Read this last year, actually, and have to say it was one of the best horror stories I read in 2020. It has a classic, well-written flavor about it…with a building atmosphere of dread, like watching a Rolls-Royce head into a horrifying accident in slow-motion. Moreno-Garcia really knows how to draw you in. Creeeeepy!
Full of dark corners and shadows. Mexican Gothic keeps you turning the page. The old,moldy,spooky house with the cast of characters that reminds you of gothic novels from the past, yet adding a touch of the supernatural was interesting and intriguing. If you enjoy a good mystery mixed in with a touch of horror,this is the story for you.
I am actually almost speechless! I picked this book up at the airport because I was drawn to the beautiful cover and I have seen Mexican Gothic on several “best of” lists. While I am mainly a hopeless romance reader, I am wanting to expand my reading repertoire. This was a gothic horror story, but the writing was superb. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s heroine, Neomi, is self-assured, smart, and witty. While describing the scary scenes, you are drawn into the colorful descriptions with trepidation and a feminist viewpoint.
Neomi is a new money debutante in 1950’s Mexico City, living in an active social scene with men following her around like puppies. She is a whimsical beauty who is given a challenge by her father. After a frantic letter with a disturbing plea for help from her cousin Catalina, he sends Neomi off to this remote old silver mining town to check out the newlywed and her current living situation. Once she has been received by Catalina’s new family, the Doyles, she begins to explore her cousin’s new home, High Place.
High Place is a super creepy crawly house teeming with moving mold along with a “zombie-Like” staff. I was getting a VC Andrews “Flowers in the Attic” vibe as they were keeping her cousin, Catalina, tucked away drugged and “resting”. Neomi constantly challenges the Doyle family’s draconian rules including no speaking at dinner, no smoking, and no leaving the house. As Neomi ingratiates herself to this new family, little does she know that she should just go home before there is no turning back. But she cannot go without assuring her cousin is in a good place and she also has a deal with her dad that she does not want to jeopardize.
Francis is the youngest son and a shy artist-type. As Neomi begins to dream horrifying nightmares and starts seeing strange visions, Francis always seems to find her and get her back to the house. He is her chauffer, confidant, and eventual savior. The other characters include Virgil, Catalina’s too debonair husband, Howard, the decrepit patriarch, and Florence, our spinster house mother of Francis. The last few chapters completely flip this whole scary story upside down and ties all Neomi’s unanswered questions in a creepy mushroom bow. And it is quite a doozy, but totally makes sense and turns this mythical gothic horror into a sweet gothic romance.
Mexican Gothic is a literary delight while still scaring the hell out of you. The horror aspect of this story is not anything that you will have nightmares about – although Neomi does deal with the disturbing visions with rationale in the beginning. If you are like me, I do not even watch horror movies because they keep me up at night. With references of Jane Eyre and Rebecca you get absorbed in the panic and disgust along with the simmering romance our author confirms in the last sentence. I wholeheartedly recommend Mexican Gothic as a momentary escape, even a beach read, that you will not want to put down once you start reading.
This book has received a lot of hype, and I did enjoy reading it, but I did not find that much new or different here. I did guess what was going to happen at the end. The mushroom connection is interesting, and the descriptions of the house and the people in the house were good. Not a bad read, but the information at the end of the book as to the historical background was more important than the actual story. Read the historical background first, then read the book!
Mexican Gothic is a chilling tale that keeps the reader on edge from beginning to end,
Brilliant Female Protagonist
Mexican Gothic is an excellent novel. What was striking about the opening was how Moreno-Garcia decides to introduce the reader to Noemí. The scene is striking, painting a decadent time in 1950s Mexico and introduces Noemí through a male lens.
This first impression paints a frivolous view of our main protagonist, but it works in favor of the plot because it showcases how the characters constantly underestimate her. Even the reader underestimates her. Noemí is an accomplished character, a studious one who wants to do something great, not just party, drink, and find a husband. Noemí wants to make a name for herself, which makes her incredible, her determination and resilience, her genius.
As a Mexican woman myself, I love and appreciate what Moreno-Garcia does with her female characters, breaking a mold and forging a solid direction outside of gender and racial stereotypes.
Creating a Story
Moreno-Garcia did an excellent job of building up the tension and chilling atmosphere as well. Mexican Gothic was reminiscent of Crimson Peak and the original American Gothic. However, there is something wrong, something unsettling about this house that Noemí goes to. After receiving an unsettling message from her cousin.
The atmosphere is chilling, creepy and makes the reader wonder what is real and what is not. Following Noemí through the dark halls, as she learns more and more of the dark history of High Place, the reader becomes increasingly unsettled.
The creepiness, visions, and gloom draw the reader into the narrative and mystery surrounding the house and its inhabitants.
Final Thoughts
Mexican Gothic is incredible. The pacing, the tension, the atmosphere, and the characterization draw the reader into the narrative. Furthermore, the ending was unpredictable and unique, offering readers something new and creepy.
I have never read a book like this. I have the kindle version but listened to it on audio simultaneously since I found it hard to put down. It was dark, twisted and thrilling.
I wasn’t expecting a horror novel and have never read one before. This kept me reading even though it was creepy. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read Silvia’s next novel.
An atmospheric, old-family-with-secrets-living-in-creepy-home gothic with a Lovecraftian plot.
Lots of buildup and tension when I just wanted answers. I was really into it for the first half of the book but then it started to drag. Just let the girl at her cousin… It was a circle of going to town (and getting some answers or a story), coming home and getting into a fight with someone at the house, demanding to see her cousin (and maybe seeing her, maybe not), weird dream, repeat.
Mexican Gothic is one of the most unique horror novels I’ve read, complete with a plot that kept me guessing. If you are in the mood for an atmospheric, close-quarters, gothic mystery, this may be the book for you! The horror is not intense, so if you are looking for a lighter horror novel, or are getting into horror, this may be a good place to start. I really loved the main character and her wit, she was fun to read.
There were some things in it that were triggers for me, however, they weren’t intense or graphic enough to bother me. If triggers are something you have to worry about, like myself, I suggest looking up the trigger warnings for this book.
Happy Reading!
I could not put the book down from the very first page! It took me on a ride involving unforeseen twist that kept me captured till the very end.