Review: Mexican Gothic

“She was the snake biting its tail. She was a dreamer, eternally bound to a nightmare, eyes closed even when her eyes had turned to dust.” - Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mexican Gothic

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia Publisher: Del Rey

ISBN: 9780525620785

My rating: 4/5

Summary

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 Noemí’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.

My reading experience

A dark and mysterious gothic novel, from beginning to end. In this book Noémi visits her cousin Catalina after she wrote a frantic letter. In this letter she claims her husband is trying to poison her and Noémi has to come and save her at High Place. Noémi heads to High Place, not sure what she will find. But the longer she stays at the strange place, the more gruesome things happen. Noémi is confronted by dark nightmares. Will she ever leave the place?

From the moment Noémi enters High Place it becomes clear that each character is full of secrets. Also it is very obvious that there is something odd with Catalina. Noémi clearly realizes this, however through the book I noticed some character development: from a naive girl to a strong female who is willing to fight back. This development is also noticeable for Catalina - and one of the things that makes the story so strong.

A terrifying thing about this book are the nightmares Noémi has during her stay. They were very detailed and gruesome! It makes the story very mysterious and you really want to know what secrets High Place is hidding. The more you read, the more questions you have. In the last 100 pages, these secrets start to unravel and become a horrifying story. I couldn't drop the book down for a second! Before I knew, I finished the book and I was left wondering for a while. Wondering what I would do in Noémi's place. A small thing I disliked about the ending is that everything went really fast. I would have loved some more details, however the fast and hasty ending does fit the story quite well. This, since the characters are on the run from the mysterious evil which lives at High Place.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. Before reading it, I've seen a lot of promising reviews about it, so my expectations were high. Luckily, all my expectations were met and I ended up loving this dark and twisted gothic tale. I sure want to read more books from Silvia Moreno-Garcia in the future.