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Elle's Reviews > Mexican Gothic
Mexican Gothic
by
by
Guys I'm sorry to say this but...
...what a dumb fucking book.
I was moments away from abandoning it halfway through (although I wanted to earlier if we're being honest) but I took to ŷ to see what I was missing, why it was getting such outstanding reviews. The word on the street was 'YES it was totally boring and slow for the first 2/3, but the twist makes it totally worth it.' So, if you came to this review page because you're thinking maybe it's worth your time, I'm here to tell you - it's not.
In fact, let me tell you what the twist is, since you're obviously a curious person.
-SPOILER APPROACHING-
It's the fungus. The Doyle family is tied to the house because they breathe in the black mold and ingest funky mushrooms in order to kinda become immortal. And they're all connected through it and they can never escape from the house and the oldest patriarch is able to control his family's actions because he is King of the Fungus. Remember M. Night's The Happening and how disappointed and outraged the audience was when they found out it was the trees? YEA. For the record, that plot "twist" still doesn't play out. But don't worry, because the house burns down and all the evil is eradicated (or is it????), a writing trope that is totally original with no story ever ending that way.
Noemi, our lead, was completely unlovable. The writing was repetitive and fraught with dragging, unnecessary detail. When the plot finally started moving (200 pages in), I was so beyond over the whole situation that I didn't care.
I don't get it x 34754. And I'm not normally so effusively cruel, but I just don't want some innocent reader to make the same mistake I did. As we all say, there are too many good books out there.
Oh, did I mention the fungus?
...what a dumb fucking book.
I was moments away from abandoning it halfway through (although I wanted to earlier if we're being honest) but I took to ŷ to see what I was missing, why it was getting such outstanding reviews. The word on the street was 'YES it was totally boring and slow for the first 2/3, but the twist makes it totally worth it.' So, if you came to this review page because you're thinking maybe it's worth your time, I'm here to tell you - it's not.
In fact, let me tell you what the twist is, since you're obviously a curious person.
-SPOILER APPROACHING-
It's the fungus. The Doyle family is tied to the house because they breathe in the black mold and ingest funky mushrooms in order to kinda become immortal. And they're all connected through it and they can never escape from the house and the oldest patriarch is able to control his family's actions because he is King of the Fungus. Remember M. Night's The Happening and how disappointed and outraged the audience was when they found out it was the trees? YEA. For the record, that plot "twist" still doesn't play out. But don't worry, because the house burns down and all the evil is eradicated (or is it????), a writing trope that is totally original with no story ever ending that way.
Noemi, our lead, was completely unlovable. The writing was repetitive and fraught with dragging, unnecessary detail. When the plot finally started moving (200 pages in), I was so beyond over the whole situation that I didn't care.
I don't get it x 34754. And I'm not normally so effusively cruel, but I just don't want some innocent reader to make the same mistake I did. As we all say, there are too many good books out there.
Oh, did I mention the fungus?
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Reading Progress
July 13, 2020
– Shelved
July 15, 2020
–
29.38%
"Does it get any better? It’s slow and winding and a jumbled mess of ideas."
page
94
July 16, 2020
– Shelved as:
absolutely-not
July 16, 2020
– Shelved as:
lil-spooky
October 31, 2021
– Shelved as:
botm
Comments Showing 101-150 of 236 (236 new)
The book starts off good then goes off the rails.
Good grief, I so wish I'd read your review before buying it on Libro.fm. Thanks for the spoiler. Really. Good to know it all burned 🔥 down.
YA’LL ALREADY KNOWWWW. This comment section is my favorite vibe.
I couldn't tell if it was really, really damn obvious that it was fungus or if my zombie-loving buddy has just thrown too many "fungus causes zombies!" books at me, but about 1/3 through I was like "Oh. It's fungus." Then Francis came skipping along, swinging his basket of mushrooms and was like "LOOK AT THE GILLS! MUSHROOMS!!" Yep. Fungus. Mra.
Thank you. I'm halfway through and bored out of my mind and now I can confidently just give up.
Haha!! You guys are hilarious 😆. All so true. I mean honestly, the premise had something going for it in my view but I think I took too many breaks in listening to it for it to be cohesive for me. And let me say, the audiobook was awful! I’ve never slogged through such a terrible read. The narrator sounded like she was reading it to a bunch of kindergarteners at story time! So patronizing. I just didn’t like her cadence and tone. Anyway, I may have liked it better if I just read it but there are too many other books out there to get to.
I completely agree with your review. This was a waste of time.
Not to mention the violence against women
Completely agree. Wish I had read these reviews earlier. I cam here to find out why was it rated highly and was pleasantly surprised that there are a lot of readers who think alike.
Thank you so much for the spoiler. I'm over half way and I hate this book so much. It's so boring and I don't care what happens to any of the characters. Glad to know it's mushrooms. I was thinking it was some sort of "sucking the blood from young healthy girls to give to the Obviously Ancient Guy to Keep Him Alive" plot. Although, seriously, mushrooms are much less exciting and still add up to IDGAF.
I'm relieved to read that others were as disappointed and bored by this book as I was. The whole fungus thing was completely ridiculous and the characters were poorly developed and most of them unlikeable with no redeeming qualities. Not sure how or why this hit the best seller list but I'm glad I borrowed it from the library and didn't purchase it. Ugh.
L wrote: "I'm relieved to read that others were as disappointed and bored by this book as I was. The whole fungus thing was completely ridiculous and the characters were poorly developed and most of them unl..."Unfortunately I bought it. But, I work at a bookstore so I got it for nearly half off! That is my only consolation. Terrible novel.
Agreed. HATED this book. It took me forever to finish because it was so boring and nonsensical. Oh well, on to the next!
Try reading chai’s review and her blog.
THANK. YOU. God, what a waste of my time.
People who are dissing this for being “unbelievable� �(1) Gothic Horror is always over the top, that’s the point. Don’t hate the Thing for acting in its nature, ahaha, the author leaned into the cliches.
(2) Very real theories regarding collective consciousness and panpsychism are burgeoning in many academic circles. We’re learning trees can communicate with one another. Nobody knows the origin of consciousness. The author just incorporates these concepts in context in the vein of any sci fi work.
It’s not the most well written, insightful, or artistic. It is definitely a beach read.
But it’s fun, and sometimes it’s nice to have fun! You’re all buzzkills.
agreed. I read everything but this was just too much weirdness for me.
I just finished this book and could not agree with you more. What a stupid mushroom story. I wanted Mexico and a proper, interesting read. Nope.
I completely agree with you lol I thought I was the only one who thought it was just weird and dumb.
I gave it 2 stars, but couldn’t agree more with you.
My abuelita’s stories are 100 better than this one, I wasted my time so bad 😫
Completely agreed. This book was a steaming pile of excrement.
Couldn’t agree more. It felt like I was reading the same three chapters for 200 pages, and also? Why the hell did she keep smoking in them peoples house when they asked her not to LMAO? Rude!
It’s just so boring. I’m 100 pages in and I’m so close to just tossing it aside.
Not to mention all the incest, vomiting bile into people’s mouths, pouring pus into a cup for someone to drink…� I don’t get it either. This review totally summed up my feelings.
Thank you. I’m 3 chapters in, ready to give up and came here. Giving it up with no regrets.
I didn't hate it this much, but I was really unimpressed by the big reveal. Plus, your review made me laugh--so, thank you.
*sigh* the happening was a perfect comparison
Best review of this book, so far. I was half hoping some magic mushrooms were going to come into play, no, just plain ass fungus. I liked the cover and the last page best.
Agreed!! I had to read this for a book club and can’t agree more. I’m reading the audio book and it was so slow and drab I didn’t even realize that was the twist when it occurred because the delivery was as drab as the rest of the book
I hated this book so much!!!!! It was so boring, I don't get the attraction and I'm a librarian. Now I am worried because her Gods of Jade and Shadow is our January book club book! :(
Thank you, Elle! I just finished this and wish I'd read actual reviews first, instead of just fawning praise from book clubs and magazines. Barf.
I agree with your review 100%! I usually don’t have such a strong reaction to a book - I ended up writing a long review about all of the things wrong with this book.
Yep. Couldn't even finish it because it was so boring!
Oh my God, thank you so much for saving me from wasting my time. I’m only on about page 80 and was already finding it about as tedious as could be - I’m so glad I read your review. That twist isn’t even a twist; it was so clearly something in the walls. Thank goodness I can move on to better books this holiday!
I love you and this review has given me life. Thank you for allowing me to DNF and find out what was up!
Hahaha gotchu girl! ❤️
It gives me Resident Evil Biohazard vibes.
Great review! Thankfully I gave up on this one!
I agree the book did give me a M night shyamalan vibes but I disagree that the book is not worth reading it's just not for you. I realize you wrote this comment a while ago but I'm still going to comment on your comment. The message of the book gives a warning to the reader that choices that one makes can affect you and the people around you for generations to come. The slowness of the book was the art form of the book. And this was refreshing to me because I needed to dig to get the message. that in itself was the point of the weapon of choice, that the author used in the book was fungus. think of how fungus creeps up on you, it settles into your home and festers. before you even realize that it's even attacking your home, you're breathing it in and it becomes a part of you. that was the art and the point of the story. so for you it wasn't worth reading but for all those other people out there that don't think so linear so straight this book was very refreshing this story a message that you can take with you, not something that you just read and put down.
Awful. Just plain awful! I did the same thing and kept thinking it had to get better given all the good reviews. How did it manage to just keep getting worse?!?!?
it was not a twist at all LOL
Khaliah Rhodes wrote: "I agree the book did give me a M night shyamalan vibes but I disagree that the book is not worth reading it's just not for you. I realize you wrote this comment a while ago but I'm still going to c..."lmao there was no art in this novel, sorry not sorry
Yas 👏 my words exactly. Stayed for the twist. Wish I didn’t. So dumb.
AuroraLW wrote: "Anybody else found the writing style obnoxious? It’s so forced and inauthentic..."ME! I did. I don't know how many words I had to "google" because I couldn't figure out why. Lugubrious??? Really what is wrong with Sad or Dismal or any other word. I felt like I was taking the SAT....FFS
I powered through and finished the book. Disappointed, but it's done. I don't have to go back to it again...and probably won't read any other books by the author.
THIS WAS MY EXACT REACTION. The dad described his own daughter as flighty and basically irresponsible.... THIS is the person you want to send to check on someone??