Mexican Gothic

I'm not sure what to give this...stars-wise.

I went in with the idea that this had the same vibe as Rebecca...one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE books. And yes, the secluded mansion home and the mystery surrounding the marriage and people at said mansion...but that is where the similarities END! So, with such expectations in my head, I didn't like the book very much. But, had I known nothing going in, would I feel differently? I don't know...

Also, without giving away too much, if you are squeamish, just walk away! It's not so much blood and guts as much as boils and rotting mouths. Yeaaaaaah. No, Thank You...

Overall, it was... ... ...fine. I think I would have really enjoyed the writing if I hadn't been so distracted by what was going on in the story. I prefer my Rebecca and could have done without all the very, very graphic descriptions.

Edited to add: This is a PERFECT description of the "gore" of the book that I found on the Goodreads page...

"Gore in the sense of bloody violence: none. But in the sense of bodily fluids ending up where you wouldn't want them? Yeah, that is part of the psychological horror."

The sexual assault and rape threat added a different kind of cringe to the narrative.

Mexican Gothic is a creepy tale that takes the mind on a colorful and grimy adventure to find out why Noemi's newlywed cousin sent a mysterious letter with a sketchy S.O.S. The author does a fantastic job of scratching all the itches for the gothic novel genre with impeccable wording, sensations and imagery. Her character development and pacing could use a little pick me up but overall this was an outstanding read.

Fun but silly.

This book stole my breath away. I admit, I went in blindly without knowing much of what it was about. The description doesn't give it away, but the cover and title is seducing enough. The characters are well-fleshed out and non-stereotypical while still touching on subjects of it's time. The world building is true to its gothic roots while giving us that taste of magic and at the same time, horror. Some of the pages of this book require re-reads to really understand what is going on, this is a book you sit with patiently, not breeze through expecting the next chapter.
I don't want to go into the details of what this book is about, but rather the experience of reading it and how unique it is. It's been a while since I've picked up a story that left me so thoughtful and mesmerized at the same time. Mexican Gothic is a must-read for everyone, regardless of what genre you're most interested in. The only bad part about it is finishing it.