Mexican Gothic

I was confused by this book to say the least. I didn't even know what rating I was going to give it until I was almost all the way through the book because I had such mixed emotions about it. I am just starting to figure myself out as a reader and have definitely come to the conclusion that horror really isn't the genre for me, however, I did enjoy this book. After initially picking it up because many booktubers were raving about it and also the cover is absolutely beautiful and one of my favorites, I was taken by surprise after discovering just how gruesome and terrifying it was in some places but I did end up enjoying it ultimately.

The story is about a girl, Noemi, who is forced to go investigate her cousin's new husband and their estate after she receives a frantic letter with her cousin swearing that her new husband is poisoning her and that something wrong is going on at the manor of her new husband's family. The plot is something that really caught my attention and I thought it was interesting enough so I gave it a shot. I haven't read much horror whatsoever, so it definitely appealed to me. Not my usual thriller mystery but there seemed to be some aspects of it in this novel. I did struggle a little through through the first half of the book since most of the action and excitement takes place is the last part of it.

Further on, the characterization is superb. I got into the mind of many of the characters and I learned to love Noemi for her quick wit and refusal to be anyone but herself. Even the bad characters, though I was not able to feel much sympathy for them, I felt there was a very good amount of background and it was explained very well why they were the way that they were. It definitely made them more real in my eyes, not just the “villains” anymore because it gave them a flawed, human side and I was there for it. The story was very character driven and I loved seeing into all their minds, even if I got the chills all throughout this book because the characters were unsettling to say the least.

Finally, the writing style is mesmerizing. It painted vividly for me, the High Place manor with its creepy atmosphere and unknown things lurking at every corner. I think that's probably my favorite part of this book, that the writing was just a joy to read and I felt myself transferred to High Place as I read the book. It was just on the precipice of being too much with the details and the descriptions without reaching it. Beautiful writing, through and through.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this book immensely even if horror as a genre is really not my cup of tea and I prefer to stick to my thrillers. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not put off my some horrifying imagery and fans of twisty, horrory things. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, that's for sure. Not my absolute favorite but I can see how it would be for someone who is more into all the horrific things and likes the horror genre more than I do.