Review | Mexican Gothic

Title: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Date Published: June 30, 2020

Dates Read: May 27 - June 1, 2021

Current Goodreads Rating: 3.7/5

I decided to do a complete 180 after reading Dune and decided to read a horror novel. I've read a handful of horror books in the past, but they've never really felt all that scary to me. In the case of Horrorstor, the book just felt like one big jab at Ikea (which, I mean, it kind of was) and the Asylum series just felt like a cheesy horror movie that went straight to DVD, but Mexican Gothic gave me actual nightmares and if that's not your thing I'd suggest you stay away.

Trigger warnings - this book does deal with intense subject matter such as attempted suicide and attempted rape so please take care of yourself if you are affected in any way by those issues. Also, as a not-quite-so-intense kind of subject matter, there is a scene where one of the characters vomits a lot and, as someone who is not a huge fan of that kind of stuff, just be forewarned.

Ok, what happens? Glamourous debutante Noemí Taboada is forced to leave her fancy life of parties and flirtation when she receives a letter in the mail from her recently married cousin Catalina. The letter is practically incoherent - the scribblings of a mad woman - and a worried Noemí leaves Mexico City immediately to go to her cousin's bedside. What she finds is a mysterious family with an even more mysterious history. Surrounded by death and decay and secrets, Noemí quickly finds out that she may have gotten herself in deeper than she realized and there's no telling if she can get herself out.

Ok, what did I think? I've always said that a good book is a book that makes you feel things, whether that be anger, joy, sadness, or even fear. This is a book that made me feel things. I was sprinting down the hallway right next to Noemí as she ran for her life and I was practically screaming in fear as Virgil leered in close to her as she was helpless to defend herself. There's a reason this book beat out Stephen King's If It Bleeds in the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards by 38,000 votes and that's because this book is terrifying.

If you're not sure you're ready for this horror novel, but you want to get a taste of what kind of fear you'll experience when you are ready I highly recommend watching the movie Rosemary's Baby. My mom showed it to me when I was a teenager and I still think about it daily. The movie is all about how a woman is helpless to stop her husband and surrounding neighborhood from taking away her bodily autonomy. As a woman, that fear echoed deep in my bones and its the same kind of fear I had while reading Mexican Gothic. While Noemí isn't in the exact situation as Rosemary, she quickly loses all control and is trapped with a family that lacks all human emotions except for a drive to survive at all costs. I don't think there was a single moment while reading the novel that I assumed Noemí was safe. Even at the end of the novel I was sure there would be some kind of twist ending like Carrie's hand bursting out from the grave.

While this book preys on the fear of losing control, I think it does a great job of showing a woman fighting back. Rosemary's Baby was all about the fear and not really about the strength to fight back, but Mexican Gothic shows some of that fight and I think that is largely why I powered through to finish the book. If Noemí had given up and allowed herself to be taken over, there was no doubt in my mind I would have launched the book across the room and started reading something else, but the teetering back and forth of will she succumb or will she succeed kept me going.

What kind of horror is this? For a large chunk of the novel the fear is entirely psychological. The book starts with a woman, Catalina, losing control and needing to be rescued and, for the most part, that continues when Noemí enters the picture. However, the last quarter of the book does take a somewhat disturbing turn and if you're not a fan of gore - even the gore described via books - I would maybe try a different horror story. (Some spoilers ahead) The entire mystery behind the creepy family and the incoherent letter revolves around mushrooms (isn't it always mushrooms?). Basically the patriarch of the family buried his first wife alive so she could become the Mushroom Matriarch and breed more magical mushrooms that will extend his life indefinitely. Through the spores he can control the other members of his family, his servants, and anyone else who manages to fall into his clutches. He's basically a giant, pulsating ulcer (which, like, men, am I right?) and its just all very, very gross. You will be revolted and also really, really want to reach through the pages and jab some scissors through his eye.

The night I finished this book I had a truly disturbing nightmare and, while the nightmare was no fun, I did actually enjoy this book a lot. Just...maybe read it while the sun is out and not right before you go to bed.

(Also - there's apparently a limited series in the works? Let's be real, I'm going to watch it, but I'm fully preparing for the nightmares I'm going to be having afterwards.)

Long Story Short:

• Losing control is honestly probably my absolute worst fear

• Loss of control is the best kind of horror

• Men are always the worst in every genre

My Rating: 4/5