Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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.
Here I go again…picking up a book (well….technically pressing PLAY on a book🤣) AGAIN that is DEFINITELY outside of my normal wheel house of reading.
Lemme just start by telling yall this:
This story is CRAYCRAY!!!!
AND this is a low level scary book!
I call it this because *most* people I know who enjoy this type of book would not describe it as officially scary…but yall know how I feel about ANYTHING with an OUNCE of the scary things….even low level is a LOT for me. (low level scary = high level scary in my book…and typically something I RUN THE EFF AWAY FROM!)
Why in the HELL did I read it in the first place, you may be asking.
Welll….I have no idea to be quite honest…I don’t know if someone recommended it to me or if I heard about it on NPR or something…but somehow this shit got on my library wait list and HERE WE ARE.
But I gotta say….it was a pretty friggin’ GREAT book, yall.
I surprised my own self at just how interested I became once I started reading…COMPLETELY kept me on the edge of my seat and on the tips of my toes.
If I could have read this covering my eyes and just peeking out my fingers like I used to do with scary movies, I totally would have.
It’s that kind of vibe.
You can tell from the beginning that something is very very off in the High House.
Everybody and everything there is CREEPY AF…but at first, it’s in that indirect, can’t put your finger quite on WHY kinda way.
It is SOME KIND OF EERIE, yall.
Almost the whole time you’re wondering “What in the ACTUAL HELL is going ON up in there??? And what is the DEAL with this family???”
Not only are they creepy times infinity, there is also this weird classist/white supremacy/patriarchal/eugenics thing happening with them too..both directly and symbolically.
That just adds to the fucked up-ness of this elaborate manor house.
For the longest time in the book, there is this HUUUUGE buildup….
Is the house haunted?
Is the family cursed?
Are they some weird ghost family?
Are they just crazy evil people messing around with people’s minds?
YOU JUST DON’T KNOW for the looonnnggest time.
But THEN….
when the truth is revealed….
WWOOOOOAAAHHHHHH.
Yall… the truth of this whole situation is WAY more effed up than ANYTHING you suspect!
This book is dark, weird, eerie, suspenseful and kinda gross—on quite a few levels—but I gotta admit….it was gripping….I could NOT stop listening.
This was a 2 day only audio listen for me. 😱
This author has a fantastic talent for descriptive detail…she captivates you with every paragraph and chapter. I def will be looking into more of her work….just maybe something NOT scary LOL
I heard this was being made into a Hulu series which I think would be fascinating …I’m just not sure if I will watch it.
If I do decide to watch when it comes out, I’ll be peeking thru my covered eyes…and pressing fast forward quite a bit🤣
I’m still kinda creeped out…I’m typing this review while the rest of my house is asleep and I’m freaking myself OUT hearing noises….. I need to finish this shit up and go read some nonsense British historical fiction book in my bed where my spouse is LOL
Bookworm friends…if you like low level scary thingys…you will FOR SURE love this book.
If you’re a fraidey cat like yours truly and are feeling a bit brave, go ahead and take a chance on this one…it really is a GOOD read.
Either way…this is definitely a book that lingers with you awhile after you are done…..like it or not.