At a Glance

Title: Mexican Gothic

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Published: March 24, 2020 by Ballentine Books

Page: 352

Genre: Gothic, Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fiction

Goodreads Rating: 4.16 out of 5

My Rating: ★★★

Synopsis

My Thoughts

One of my most highly anticipated June releases and I was able to get an early copy! Color me stoked. If you read Gods of Jade and Shadow last year, you’ll know that Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a master at weaving fantasy. That plus her use of Mexico as a setting makes her stories completely compelling to me.

However, this one fell a little flat for me. May I had way to high expectations, maybe I just wasn’t in the right mind set, regardless this one just didn’t cut it for me.

Things I did love though include the amount of history used to convey the area where the story takes place, High Place. The unlikely romance between the younger Doyle cousin and Noemi. Noemi being far too outspoken for her time and wanting to continue her education. Noemi never leaving her cousin behind and ultimately being the heroine even though she is a socialite. Basically I loved the character of Noemi.

Francis Doyle was another character I really grew fond of. He’s quiet but intelligent and knows that his family is corrupt. The friendship that blossoms between Francis and Noemi is also a high point for me.

I also really enjoyed the theory of immortality that is present within the book but ultimately I think the fantasy genre took over the book and made it less horror and less mystery than I would have liked.

The imaginary is outstanding and while I loved the vivid descriptions and the unique take, I found myself losing track of the story because of my focus on the descriptions instead. I found myself comparing this book to The Tenth Girl and The Women in the Mirror and both of those were ★★★ reads for me, hence why I’ve decided to round down from 3.5 this time around.

I still think a lot of folks will enjoy this book. Especially if you like gothic stories and settings. The Gothic genre is really just not for me, I’m finding out. This book comes out June 30th. Get you pre-order in HERE!

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on Mexican Gothic. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books. Huge thank you to netgalley and Del Rey Books for my advanced copy. 

About the Author

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Gods of Jade and Shadow. She has also edited a number of anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu’s Daughters). Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination.

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and recommendation. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.