Brianna Writes

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has become an instant favorite with Mexican Gothic, a haunting tale of a young woman set out to bring her ailing cousin back and, as a result, stumbles upon something far more sinister. Something so creepifying and chilling that it stays with you long after you put the book down.

Moreno-Garcia lures you in with her atmospheric writing, setting the scene so perfectly. She keeps you entranced just long enough to keep you empathizing with Noemi’s sense of helplessness, being trapped in High Place. The author keeps you on the edge of your seat with that sense of despondency and fear, eager to see Noemi and Catalina find a way out.

The characters are fascinating, and the Doyle family is absolutely terrifying, for the most part taking a wild turn for the supernatural, using horror and gothic tropes through the second half of the novel. Moreno-Garcia deftly uses the genuine, very horrifying concept of eugenics to ground that essence of wrongness and darkness that falls on the family from the moment High Place comes into view.

The conversations surrounding eugenics make for the foundation for the tale while adding the fantastic, monstrous details to High Place and the residents living (trapped) within its walls.

Noemi is an interesting protagonist in that she’s a young woman that you have possibly crossed paths with as opposed to these super-powered heroines that magically overcome every obstacle thrown their way without a struggle. She stumbles, she’s human, but she’s determined to fight and save her cousin, Catalina.

Francis was also an interesting character, especially regarding his dynamic with Noemi and his family. The author could have made him just as loathsome and horrid as the rest of the Doyles. But by making him Noemi and Catalina’s ally (and convenient expositional tool when it came to some of the family lore), the reader can get a better perspective on everything and manages to make him sympathetic.

I also appreciate that Moreno-Garcia doesn’t wholly absolve Francis of his part in his family’s activities, specifically when it comes to Noemi and Catalina’s situations. It makes his actions in the latter part of the novel commendable.

Mexican Gothic was overall a fun, frightening, gripping modern gothic tale that is absolutely a perfect spooky season read.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐