Spoiler Free Book Review of Mexican Gothic
Disclaimer: I am not paid or compensated in any way for writing this review or for any of the links or products I include.
Back Cover Synopsis:
He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemi. You have to save me.
When glamorous socialite Noemi Taboada receives a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging to be rescued from a mysterious doom, it’s clear something is desperately amiss. Catalina has always had a flair for the dramatic, but her claims that her husband is poisoning her and her visions of restless ghosts seem remarkable, even for her.Noemi’s chic gowns and perfect lipstick are more suited to cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing, but she immediately heads to High Place, a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside, determined to discover what is so affecting her cousin.
Tough and smart, she possesses 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 Noemi; and not 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, 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 Noemi digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemi, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to leave this enigmatic house behind .
The plot, Characters, and Writing
Mexican Gothic blew me away.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find gothic fiction these days, with the genre being as niche as it is. I do not know the inner mechanizations of book marketing, or how the horror genre is doing overall but whoever is marketing this book has it listed under “Science Fiction and Fantasy” which—what? This is not SFF. This is not a thriller. Mexican Gothic is a true gothic horror story from start to finish.
Hauntingly atmospheric, with a lush and evocative writing style, this novel immediately sucks you in. The time and place of the setting, 1950’s rural Mexico, were not ones that I was very familiar with, but I felt like I was standing there all the same.
With great respect to the author, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, I felt that this book was a huge leap up in terms of writing style and quality from her first book, Gods of Jade and Shadow. I very much wanted to love her story of modern Mayan gods and monsters, yet to me, the work did not wow. I was therefore a bit hesitant to jump into Mexican Gothic, thinking it would be more of the same. Thankfully, Moreno-Garcia is growing and thriving as a writer and she has honed her craft to an incredible degree in this work.
Although it has been compared to thrillers, this book is not overly plot-heavy. The pacing is tight and the tension is high throughout, with several sequences wherein neither the protagonist or the reader is quite sure what’s real. Though this device can certainly be frustrating in other works I did not find that to be the case here. It is a hallmark of the Gothic genre, and one that was used to great effect here.
At times it reminded me a bit of Knives Out, if only for the way that wealth, race, the patriatchy, and reader expectations based on genre were all thoughtfully and masterfully leveraged in the text. These things are very much not hidden in subtextual shadows but are laid out openly and addressed.
The scenes of sexual assault and threats of rape were well handled though they may very likely be triggering for some readers.
Other disturbing elements that may make unsure readers nope out: incest, cannibalism, mushrooms/fungus/mold, gaslighting, mind control.
“The world might indeed be a cursed circle; the snake swallowed its tail and there could be no end, only an eternal ruination and endless devouring.”
― Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mexican Gothic
As far as the characters go, I loved the protagonist, Noemi. This girl fought tooth and nail and took no guff the entire novel. She’s a smart, charming, tough-as-nails woman who absolutely refused to abandon those she loved, even to save herself.
Francis, I cared for less. He came through in the end and he’s certainly a sympathetic character for all he’s been through, but still. His complacency and general lack of agency made it hard to root for him.
Book Design
Disclaimer: much of this review is based on my physical copy of this book, so newer editions might have different design elements than what I describe here.
The cover is striking and bold. Cutting off Noemi’s face from the bridge of her nose up is an apt metaphor for her dehumanization and her inability to see what’s really going on at High Place in the beginning of the novel, despite her attempts to investigate.
I often have difficulty seeing red and green together predominantly and not thinking of Christmas, but the yellow touches on the cover and the exact shades and hues of colors chosen all worked together to prevent any seasonal associations.
Recipes
(Why only one recipe? This book was too good at describing the grotesque. Not even I can think about food with joy right after reading it.)