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Mexican Gothic: Vintage Book Review

 Posted by on Oct 14, 2024 at 5:08 PM
Oct 142024
 
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Mexican Gothic vintage book review by Tam Francis

The Synopsis

Mexican Gothic Del Rey Publishing (June 30, 2020)  by Silvia Moreno-Garcia fits into a 1950s Gothic style horror mystery with hints of Historical Fiction and romance set a small villiage in Mexico.

Receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin, Noemí embarks on a journey to High Place, a remote estate nestled in the Mexican countryside, cloaked in mystery and mist. Amidst its ancient halls, she confronts a foreign world where her cousin’s English husband, a captivating stranger, holds dominion over secrets buried deep within the region’s silver mine and the mansion they live in.

Noemí, with her glamorous allure and sophistication reminiscent of a bygone era, finds herself thrust into a role far removed from the glittering soirées of Mexico City. Armed with determination and resilience, she faces the looming specter of her cousin’s husband, whose charm masks a darker, more sinister nature. Additionally, she also encounters the patriarch of the house, an enigmatic figure whose fascination with Noemí hints at hidden agendas lurking beneath the surface.

Mexican Gothic inside cover illustration for Tams vintage book review

In this mansion, where doom whispers through its halls and visions of blood and glowing entities haunt her dreams, Noemí’s sole confidant is the youngest scion of the family. Gentle and withdrawn, he harbors secrets of his own. Consequently, as Noemí delves deeper into the mysterious family and their past, she unravels a tapestry of supernatural violence, madness, and manipulation obscured by the family’s once-great wealth and the legacy of a faded mining empire.

Caught in the web of intrigue and danger, trying to save her cousin, Noemí is emeshed into the perilous and hypnotic world of High Place, where reality blurs with nightmare and escape becomes increasingly elusive. In the heart of this enigmatic house, she may discover truths that could shatter her perception of reality and bind her to its dark legacy forever.

Mexican gothic vintage book review high place

Mexican Gothic Vintage Book Review: What I liked about it

  • As a historical fiction writer who has two paranormal titles, and coming off reading The Night Tiger, I loved the surreal, supernatural aspects of the novel.
  • I absolutely adored the creepy cemetary and the mushroom picking (and botanical lesson) with Francis.
  • I love that before we got to the tiny town and High Place, we got a glimpse into the glamorous and cosmopolitan nightlife of 1950s Mexico City.
  • Having read classic horror in my teens, the obvious references to HP Lovecraft, Jane Eyre, and even Sir Author Conan Doyle was delightful.
  • Francis’ mother was a particularly perfect trope of the evil mother as were most of the characterizations, especially the characters in the town.
  • Her descriptions of Noemí’s fashion was spot on and I loved it!

Favorite Quotes from Mexican Gothic

“A woman who is not liked is a bitch, and a bitch can hardly do anything: all avenues are closed to her.”

“It was easy to kiss someone when it didn’t matter; it was more difficult when it might be meaningful.”

“…she was trapped between competing desires, a desire for a more meaningful connection and the desire to never change. She wished for eternal youth and endless merriment.”

“She wanted to be liked. Perhaps this explained the parties, the crystalline laughter, the well-coiffed hair, the rehearsed smile. She thought that men such as her father could be stern and men could be cold like Virgil, but women needed to be liked or they’d be in troublento the field, the fireflies drew back as if golden doors yawning open to welcome them into a new realm where anything was possible.”

“Our bodies hide so many mysteries and they tell so many stories without a single word.”

“It’s no good telling tales without a drink.”

mexican gothic vintage book review victorian_meets_1950s_gothic_ghost_romance

What I Wanted More Of

  • A little more forward movement of the plot or having some of the set-up atmosphere-building condensed or added a little more action. More concrete tension that wasn’t just hinted at. It didn’t start to get unput-downable until about page 200.
  • A little more romance and sexual tension, I know the author was trying to emulate the classic gothic romances, but it’s a modern novel, and I would have loved a little more steam and spice.
  • I would have like to spend a little more time in Mexico City with Noemí, her cousin, and her suitors.
  • I could have gone for MORE of Noemí’s fashion descriptions
  • How fun would it have been if Noemí and Francis had snuck off to a dance in the little town or even a cantina where she might have introduced Francis to 1950s music.
  • I could have used a peak into the mine. It was talked about so much, I feel like Francis would have shown it to her.
  • I also wanted to know her cousin more, we get just tiny glimses of her.
  • Atmostpheric title. Mexican Gothic reminded me of a local restuarant called: Seafood and Steak. Sure, it tells me what it is, but it doesn’t give me vibes or poetry in the title.
Mexican Gothic Vintage Book Review

Overall

One of the most likable facets of historical fiction has to be the mini-history lessons and exposure to other eras and cultures which is very well done in this novel. Of course, my readers who like that vintage vibe coupled with the mild horror and supernatural, paranormal elements will easily sink into this story. If you’ve read The Flapper Affair or Ghostoria, I know you will love Mexican Gothic!

There was enough 1950s fashion, vintage flair, and romance that kept me in the vibes and I think will you too. Anyone who likes romance and ghosts and a little paranormal mystery with a smattering of historical fiction will vibe on Mexican Gothic.

Vintage Enthusiast Rating

Fashion: ♥♥♥♥

Music: ♥

Dance: ♥

::

Do you like historical ghosty, horror paranormal stories? Have you read any other of books set in Mexico with a gothic vibe? Have your read any of Moreno-Garcia’s other novels? What did you think of the cover? Did it feel vintage horror enough for you? Did my Mexican Gothic vintage book review inspire you to read it?

Tam Francis, author

Tam Francis is a writer, blogger, swing dance teacher, avid vintage collector, and seamstress. She  shares her love of this genre through her novels, blog, and short stories. She enjoys hearing from you, sharing ideas, forging friendships, and exchanging guest blogs. For all the Girl in the Jitterbug Dress news, give-aways, events, and excitement, make sure to join her list and like her FB page! Join my list ~ Facebook page

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Oct 022024
 
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The Synopsis

This Ravenous Fate (Sourcebooks Fire, August 6, 2024) by Haley Dennings is the first book in a lush Sapphic vampire duology set against the backdrop of Jazz Age Harlem, where desire simmers beneath the surface, and death prowls the night.

It’s 1926, and reapers—once-human vampires cursed by a horrifying affliction—are stalking the streets of New York. The Saint family’s powerful reaper-hunting empire dominates the city, eclipsing even the criminal syndicates that run Harlem’s glitzy nightclubs. Eighteen-year-old Elise Saint has returned from Paris, burdened with the weight of her family’s legacy. But as the reluctant heir, there’s more than duty on her mind—there’s the looming danger that Harlem’s reapers are out for her blood.

Layla Quinn, a reaper forced to confront her darkest truths, was once Elise’s closest friend. Turned into a reaper five years ago after a betrayal that cost her everything—her parents, her humanity, and Elise’s loyalty—Layla has been living in the shadows, trying to survive the horrors of her new existence. Her transformation is just one of many born into America’s brutally racist history, a legacy of exploitation and experimentation that still haunts her.

Some reapers strive to retain and regain their lost humanity, while others give into their violent cravings and a series of savage, unexplained murders have the city on edge. When Layla is wrongfully accused of one such killing, the Saint patriarch offers her an unthinkable deal: partner with Elise to uncover the truth behind the rumors of a reaper cure. As they delve deeper into the Harlem’s dangerous underworld, the unresolved passion between them resurfaces, even as their history threatens to tear them apart. Together, they must navigate a world where love, revenge, and redemption are all on the line—while an ominous new threat looms over both reapers and humans alike.

Jazz Age Harlem, with its vintage glamor pulses with life—and death—in this intoxicating tale of betrayal, queer love, and the search for salvation.

This Ravenous Fate Book Review: What I liked about it

  • I loved being in 1920s Harlem.
  • How Denning kept the novel within the appropriate realm of YA titles, steamy but not smutty.
  • As an historical fiction writer who has two paranormal titles, I loved the surreal, supernatural aspects of the novel and thought they were well done.
  • Visiting the Cotton Club and the Savoy was a real treat.
  • Being a fan of classic Lit and the Harlem Renaissance, I could sense Dennings influence and love for Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, Toni Morrison, Langston Hughes and others.
  • The hints of jazz that were peppered throughout the narrative.
  • Dennings didn’t shy away from the gore and carnage of being a vampire, nor the sometimes ugly seediness of craving human blood.
  • I loved how the cover art looked a bit like a womb. Am I the only one seeing this?

Favorite Quotes from This Ravenous Fate

“The aching sadness that rushed through her at the sight of her childhood bedroom was followed by a quick burst of fury. Fury at the person that made her afraid of a space that was supposed to be sacred to her.”

“She wanted to feel something other than responsibility, she wanted to act without the worry of whether she was being perfect.”

“It’s easy to do anything when you love someone. Even if it’s the hardest choice you’ve ever made.”

“Humanity was the one thing Layla wished she had.”

“You tried to rip my heart from my chest, but you’ve already had my heart; it’s always been yours—”

This Ravenous Fate book review

What I Wanted More of from This Ravenous Fate

  • More upfront acknowledgement of Elise’s sexual preference. It was written like a reveal, but that seemed a little disingenuous.
  • A little more romance and sexual tension. It certainly picked up towards the end, but the relationship could have been even better with furtive looks and fiery feelings before they got over their “dislike” for each other.
  • I could have spent a lot more time in the jazz clubs. I love this era, the glamour, music, and dance.
  • Having interviewed Frankie Manning and Norma Miller who danced in the Savoy, more description of the dancing, especially the Charleston, Black Bottom, and other dance trends would have been the bees knees for me.
  • More historical accuracy to the vintage fashion. I was thrown off by so many zippers in the women’s dresses. (Most would have had snap or buttons hidden in a placket).
  • Even though it was a woman-centric story, I would have loved more description of the men’s fashions, too.
  • The story could have used a little more exploration and explanation of the reaper gangs, the deal with the Saints, the local gangsters, and overall world-building.
  • Having researched 1940s slang for the Jitterbug Dress trilogy and 1920s slang for The Flapper Affair, Dennings would not have gone amiss adding in era-fun slang, especially with the Cotton Club performers, Layla, and gangster types!

Overall

For a first novel, Dennings (I read her first draft was written during NaNoWriMo), did an admirable job of embracing the horror and romance tropes without making them tedious. She struck a very nice balance and drew a wonderful parallel to the oppression and racism in Harlem at the time with the vampires and the non-vampires. She also did a great job illuminating that most white people were NOT in Harlem to help people of color, they were there to exploit. She never become too heavy-handed and the moral imperative always fit the narrative. This is a wonderful horror romance read to add to your spooky season reading list! Of course, my readers who like that vintage vibe coupled with the mild horror and supernatural, paranormal elements will easily sink into this story. If you’ve read The Flapper Affair or Ghostoria, I know you will love The Ravenous Fate.

Vintage Enthusiast Rating

Fashion: ♥♥♥♥

Music: ♥♥♥

Dance: ♥♥♥

::

Do you like historical horror paranormal stories? Have you read any other of books set in Harlem with a vampire vibe? What did you think of the cover? Did it feel vintage horror enough for you? Did my The Ravenous Fate vintage book review inspire you to read it?

Tam Francis, author

Tam Francis is a writer, blogger, swing dance teacher, avid vintage collector, and seamstress. She  shares her love of this genre through her novels, blog, and short stories. She enjoys hearing from you, sharing ideas, forging friendships, and exchanging guest blogs. For all the Girl in the Jitterbug Dress news, give-aways, events, and excitement, make sure to join her list and like her FB page! Join my list ~ Facebook page

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