a very haunting house

Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mystery, thriller, fiction

Rating 9/10

Neomi heads to the High Place to where her cousin resides with her husband due to a recent letter that her cousin sent. Out of concern, she must investigate the odd behavior that was occurring with her cousin. As she resides she is told of the strict house rules as well as the story of the household. However, the townsfolk have a different story about the High Place. A tale of the ancestor going on a murderous rage that led to a suicide afterward with only one lone survivor. Her cousin talks in hallucinogen imagery that only she sees but no one else sees. After seeking a second opinion she was given the warning to leave before things got worse. As she continues to stay she comes across some more secrets about the violence that occurs. 

This was chilling in the sense that it slowly builds up. This was rather a short read but it was fantastic. I didn’t put it down and whenever I did I felt so bad. I needed to figure out what was going to happen. Then when it happened I was surprised. I was honestly hesitant about picking up this book until my boyfriend told me to just read it. He said it would be something I would like for sure and he wasn’t wrong. I did. The writing is well done and very descriptive. I felt like I stepped into the place and felt everything that the main character had felt. The characters were an interesting cast of characters for sure and the interactions felt so natural. Some mystery novels don’t have that feeling but this one did. The main character Neomi uncovering the secret and the truth was really interesting. It did take a long time because of the suspense build-up but it was rather interesting. Overall, I do love this novel. I did see this on TikTok and couldn’t pass up anymore on reading it.

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this was sweet.

I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter – Erika L. Sanchez

Young adult, Mexican heritage, grieving, mental health, fiction.

Rating 8/10

Julia is recovering from the death of her sister, and so does her family. They all are devastated and trying to cope in their own ways. However, her mother tries so hard to understand Julia and why Julia wasn’t like her sister. Julia doesn’t want to be like her sister. Rather she wants to understand why she looked at her phone before she got hit by the bus, or why there was lingerie in her closet. Plus, mysterious emails with some hidden truths. When Julia has had enough of her mother’s ways, something bad happens and caused them to become closer together with a newer understanding.

This book was so good and underappreciated. The book discusses mental health among Mexican families, their heritages, and traditions. A different perspective that is authentic and true because it is never easy trying to do things beyond the household without the parents being concerned for their child and how sometimes parents don’t understand their children and vice versa. I loved this book, and the pacing was nice, and the plot was thorough. Parts did bring tears to my eyes because I understand how it is hard losing a loved one who was close yet so far away. It is never easy, but life comes and goes. When I was grieving my grandfather’s death, I wished he could stay longer, but he had lived a long and fulfilling life. He is never really gone because I know he is with me in my heart. Like the main character, grief is different from person to person. I loved this book and do recommend this novel.