Mexican Gothic - A Spooktober Book Review

Picking Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia for Spooktober book club read has been one of the best decisions. Main elements of the story here are - subtle horror, gothic vibes, definitely not for the kids.

Now, when I think of horror, I usually assume that there is going to be a certain ghost or ghost like situation. This book in particular managed to scare me and creep me out with the obvious conclusion that humans can be worse than ghosts when it comes to torturing a soul.

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Who is the story for?

If you are into dark houses, grey skies, a ghost town, sketchy characters, house rules that don't make sense, unexplainable events, elusive dreams and a big past event that killed a lot of people then this book is for you. You will connect a lot to the vibes of the book if you enjoyed reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

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What I loved about this story?

Oh where do I begin! When I started reading it, I had a mindset that there is going to be a scary dark house and the main character is gonna be haunted by the ghost of past of the house. But as I reached about sixty percent in the story, I was absolutely taken aback by how the events unfolded. It is coming from a seasoned fiction/horror reader.

There were some parts of the story that absolutely creeped me out. For example the old man of the house, Howard Doyle - his first impression in the story was so sketchy and I kind of hated the man from the beginning but as the story unfolded, I realized that I was more creeped out from his words and his presence than the apparent ghost itself. But I guess that gives the story its character.

The way the main character of the story, Noemi, is being manipulated is crazy. At one point she was about to give into madness. That is what I enjoyed the most in the story. You know it is a good writing when it's challenging to figure out who the actual villain is. Its illusive, the dreams are so immersive that as a reader it became difficult to distinguish between what was real and what wasn't.

Right about climax I got this 'Stranger things' vibes but with an adult version of it.

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My favorite lines from the story

“So I’ll be wed in the Church of the Holy Incestuous Mushroom?” she intoned. “I doubt that’s valid.”

"Underneath the layers of decorum, all you do is want"

"Men were always so afraid of tears, of having a hysterical woman on their hands"

“A woman who is not liked is a bitch, and a bitch can hardly do anything: all avenues are closed to her.”

“One could construct a hundred different narratives, it didn’t make them true.”

“Noemí, just because there are no ghosts it doesn’t mean you can’t be haunted. Nor that you shouldn’t fear the haunting.”

“The future, she thought, could not be predicted, and the shape of things could not be divined. To think otherwise was absurd. But they were young that morning, and they could cling to hope. Hope that the world could be remade, kinder and sweeter. So she kissed him a second time, for luck. When he looked at her again his face was filled with such an extraordinary gladness, and the third time she kissed him it was for love.”

I think it is safe to say that after reading this story, I sort of have an aversion to mushrooms. You will know once you read it. If you haven't yet read this, pick this one up. Especially during autumn!

You can add it to your reading list from here - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53152636-mexican-gothic

Happy Reading!