Mexican Gothic
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region. Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
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Community Reviews
Loved this book. I loved the foreshadowing on the Title page. The ending took a turn I only half expected. Couldn’t put it down!!
A little too slooooooow burn for me only the last 50 pages were truly interesting and kept you reading. Some truly gory images to keep you on your toe at the end.
5/5
When young socialite Noemà receives a troubling letter from her newlywed cousin Catalina, she has no choice but to go visit and figure out what seems to be the problem. Everything appears suspicious at the old cumbling estate that belongs to Catalina's new English husband and his family. From the family's insistence on relying only on their own English doctor, to their obsession with eugenics, and general shifty behavior, something is clearly wrong. Whatever secrets they're keeping are affecting Catalina and soon Noemà will have to unravel them to free both cousins from the tangled web they've found themselves in.
Zero notes on this book, it was excellent. The gothic ambiance was masterfully crafted, you could feel the tension from the very first appearance of the house. The beginning was a bit slow but a perfect set up for the events to come. I found the plot to be quite original, but the narration had enough clues that allowed me to put it together in a very satisfying way. Lovely atmosphere and descriptions, I did feel like I was in the story.
Noemà is the perfect heroine. She's educated, she's spunky, she is wordly but still young and willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. Her bond with her cousin Catalina, and the one she builds with Francis, was quite heartwarming. The Doyles were horrendous without coming across as a caricature, sadly those of us from "third world" countries have probably come across people like this in our own land. The juxtaposition of the two, very different, ways of living and beliefs was well executed. And of course, the central mystery of the plot was amazing, well narrated, and handled. I could not put the book down for the last 40% or so.
I will say this: do carefully check the trigger warnings. This book handles a lot of difficult subjects and nobody should put themselves through it if they know they cannot handle it. Besides horror tropes this book deals with attempted sexual assault, murder, gore, miscarriage, racism, eugenics, suicide, emotional abuse, abuse in every way to be honest, gaslighting, cannibalism, and so much incest, like SO MUCH INCEST.
"The walls speak to me. They tell me secrets. Don't listen to them, press your hands against your ears, NoemÃ. There are ghosts. They're real. You'll see them eventually."
When young socialite Noemà receives a troubling letter from her newlywed cousin Catalina, she has no choice but to go visit and figure out what seems to be the problem. Everything appears suspicious at the old cumbling estate that belongs to Catalina's new English husband and his family. From the family's insistence on relying only on their own English doctor, to their obsession with eugenics, and general shifty behavior, something is clearly wrong. Whatever secrets they're keeping are affecting Catalina and soon Noemà will have to unravel them to free both cousins from the tangled web they've found themselves in.
Zero notes on this book, it was excellent. The gothic ambiance was masterfully crafted, you could feel the tension from the very first appearance of the house. The beginning was a bit slow but a perfect set up for the events to come. I found the plot to be quite original, but the narration had enough clues that allowed me to put it together in a very satisfying way. Lovely atmosphere and descriptions, I did feel like I was in the story.
Noemà is the perfect heroine. She's educated, she's spunky, she is wordly but still young and willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. Her bond with her cousin Catalina, and the one she builds with Francis, was quite heartwarming. The Doyles were horrendous without coming across as a caricature, sadly those of us from "third world" countries have probably come across people like this in our own land. The juxtaposition of the two, very different, ways of living and beliefs was well executed. And of course, the central mystery of the plot was amazing, well narrated, and handled. I could not put the book down for the last 40% or so.
I will say this: do carefully check the trigger warnings. This book handles a lot of difficult subjects and nobody should put themselves through it if they know they cannot handle it. Besides horror tropes this book deals with attempted sexual assault, murder, gore, miscarriage, racism, eugenics, suicide, emotional abuse, abuse in every way to be honest, gaslighting, cannibalism, and so much incest, like SO MUCH INCEST.
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