MEXICAN GOTHIC: A horror novel that puts a twist on the "haunted house"

I’m finally back and with an extra special October treat. No tricks, I promise.

COVID has wreaked havoc on a lot of things, including my inspiration and mental health. Writing has seemed like a chore these past few months, so I’ve had trouble getting my mind on any project not related to work. But now that spooky-season has stirred up a little motivation, I’m finally back behind the keyboard to do something fun.

Mexican Gothic by the talented (and Canadian-Mexican) Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of those books that you really can’t put down. It’s a slow burn filled with an unsettling atmosphere and secrets, as well as one of my favorite things ever: an old, creepy house.

If you like the atmosphere of shows like The Haunting of Hill House, there’s no doubt that you’ll love this book. It creates this delectably dark mood from the very first few chapters. It follows our heroine, Noemí, after she receives a troubling letter from her newlywed cousin. She travels to visit her in a strange house where she lives with her even-stranger in-laws, and it doesn’t take long for sinister things to start happening. The slow burn of strange occurrences and haunted happenings makes you want to turn each page and see when the real terror lurking in this house will finally rear its ugly head. Brimming with mystery and suspense, the book keeps you guessing long after the final page is turned.

But plot aside (because I wouldn’t want to spoil anything) this book has a shining and endearing star that elevates the gothic novel into a story of resilience, believing in yourself, and some good ol’ gothic girl power. Noemí Taboada is a captivating heroine. She’s feminine and a little spoiled, but she has wits and a brain that put her up there with great literary detectives, demonstrating that femininity and bravery can very easily coexist. The fact that she’s a woman is a huge part of this story and it highlights a lot of societal problems that we still live with today, despite the fact that this book takes place in Mexico City in 1950. It raises questions about a woman’s place in society, the policing of a woman’s vices, and something that often plagues me and many other females in this world: whether a woman’s “hysteria” is to be believed. What endeared me so much towards Noemí was her stubbornness and refusal to take no for an answer-- especially in a time when a woman hears “no” much more often than “yes.” Noemí’s willingness to believe the unbelievable makes her perhaps one of the bravest heroines I’ve seen in a story, despite the fact that she’s up against something most people would have run away as soon as they stepped through in the door.

Horror can be an incredibly visual experience. It’s the unsettling images that it creates that upset us, that give us nightmares, that make us feel anxious even if we’re safe in front of a television or curled up on the couch with a book. What Moreno-Garcia does here with words is terrifying and brilliant. Mexican Gothic is such a vivid visual experience that I could easily see the horror in my mind-- more terrifying than my brain would have even been able to come up with without the author’s incredible way of describing how things looked, felt, tasted, and even smelled. Moreno-Garcia also doesn’t shy away from the hard topics. I've mentioned sexism, but the book also tackles racism, privilege and even eugenics. Real life horrors that we would do well not to forget, even in fiction.

If you’re in the mood for a book that will most definitely give you the chills, I couldn’t sing higher praise for the incredible experience I had reading this book. If you enjoy Moreno-Garcia’s writing, then I also highly recommend another of her novels, Gods of Jade and Shadow, which explores Mexican folklore and mythology as it takes us on a journey alongside a girl longing for a new life and a god longing to be whole again.

Let me know if you have any horror recommendations (movies or books) that I should check out! And if you read Mexican Gothic, I’d love to hear what you think! Thanks for reading and there will be more coming soon… Happy October.

#bookreview #mexicangothic #silviamorenogarcia #horrornovel #octoberbooklist