Mexican Gothic- Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Enrapturing in the most grotesque sense.

Mexican Gothic had me in its grasps and only now that I’ve finished it, do I feel I can breathe fully again.
What can I say? This was terrifying. Moreno-Garcia has a masterful mind. This is one of the most atmospheric pieces I have ever read.

Noemi finds herself at High Place, an eerie English house tucked into the Mexican countryside, after receiving a distressed letter. Her newlywed cousin, Catalina, implores her rescue, insisting her husband is trying to poison her in this literal toxic house. It is assumed that her cousin is experiencing psychological duress. Noemi goes to receive more information on Catalina’s medical condition. She instead finds herself uncovering an inconceivably grotesque plot and must now not only rescue her cousin but also save herself before it’s too late.

At its climax, my entire body responded to this story. My jaw clenched, shoulders hunched together, lips pressing firmly into one another, tension enveloping my entirety. I was lightheaded. If this had been a movie, I would have paused it at this time, gotten myself a glass of water, and regained my composure before continuing but for all that is good and holy, I needed to get the hell out of High Place. I needed to keep reading through the parts that truly shook my bones, through the words that made my skin crawl. I’ve never been so horribly repulsed by a story, and I say that as a compliment.

This is, however, more than haunted house story on steroids. Moreno-Garcia’s story serves as an allegory for colonization and dares to defy the 1950’s doting housewife stereotype. 💪🏽 (This 30 year old, unmarried Latina is a fan.)
What freaked me out the most about Mexican Gothic was the incorporation eugenics and the lengths one will go through to create a “infallible” race. It was all entirely TOO believable for me. That’s what makes for a terrific thriller, in my opinion. The fact that it could (albeit a huge stretch) really happen. People like this exist!

At its core, Mexican Gothic is a brilliant example of the human condition and the lengths one will go through for power and control and the lengths others will go through for love.

Allow me to CIRCLE back with my opening statement: Mexican Gothic is enrapturing in the most grotesque sense.

Trigger warnings:
This book contains sexual assault, stillbirth, miscarriages, incest, & last but not least cannibalism

Spoilers & Random thoughts-

This book ruined mushrooms for me.

What’s with all pushing hairs out of faces?

Major Chamber of Secrets vibes

The lily of the valley reference- poison


I would by NO means say this was a slow read but when you do get to the high point (no pun intended, ) it’s like a swift punch to the gut and the story is put into high gear.