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Elle's Reviews > Mexican Gothic
Mexican Gothic
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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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Mexican Gothic.
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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 1-50 of 236 (236 new)
message 1:
by
Cat
(new)
Jul 16, 2020 02:31PM
This is one to avoid for sure. Good review!
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OH NO! this was next on my list lmao
I’m sorry if I ruined EVERYTHING. If you do read it! Please oh please tell me your thoughts! I was so blinded by rage that I may have missed it’s good qualities.
PREACH! Like you, I came here 190 pages in, to see if the slog was worth it, but I only saw positive reviews so I slogged on, Oops. Not only is it stupid, the baby-eating really turned my stomach. I mean, really???
If I didn’t know better I’d think I wrote this review myself lol. I was still considering a DNF with like 50 pages left.
Thank you. I had exactly the same thoughts penned in my review but was a bit more brutal.
Heather wrote: "Thank you. I had exactly the same thoughts penned in my review but was a bit more brutal."sighhh, had to be done. nice to meet another kindred spirit!
19? 20 maybe? I honestly couldn’t tell you.
Struggling on this one!!!! I can’t stand Noemi, the rest of the “family� is nuts, the cousin is a wimp!!!! Page 105 and why am I still reading this!!!!
Amen sister! It. Does. Not. Improve. 😤
awful!!! I laughed when i found out it was fungus.
Like you, I'm trying to find redemption in the book or a reason to continue. So glad I stumbled upon this review. You basically saved me even more time trying to skim to see what the big reveal is. Thank you!! � I can now move on to my next read. 😁
Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh, while you’re mentioning the fungus, did you catch the part where Noémi reminds us she is very beautiful and way out of unattractive Francis’s league but that she is drawn to him anyway? I wonder if they’ll get together at the end!! Even though he is not her type at all because she is very beautiful. But she is drawn to him anyway.
I wonder if they’ll get together at the end!
OMG how could I forget about how skinny and waify and sickly yet lovable he is?!
Couldn’t agree more!
Thanks for saving me from this one!
M’lady - it is my ABSOLUTE pleasure. I hope you pick up something amazing instead! ❤️
I agree completely! I finished it because I bought it but I'm baffled by the positive reviews. I didn't read the author's earlier books and maybe they were written well but this one was amateur writing with tons of cliches and lack of nuance/sophistication. I found the tone juvenile and the plot ridiculous.
I struggled with this, too, but kept on keeping on because the reviews made me think “wtf am I missing?� Just finished it today. Into the donation box it shall go. Just “eh�. Didn’t capture me at all.
I agree. There was a lot of unnecessary detail. And I think I’m a fungus major now after reading that. I’m still deciding if I like it or not. I will admit that I had some creepy nightmares while reading this. Final thought. Still To be determined .
Honestly kudos to you for allowing it to sink in. Maybe I would have found more merit in it if I had.
After reading this review and all the comments below, I suddenly feel less alone in the world...
Patrick - we’re all here for youuuu 🙃
I'm joining this club gladly. What utter trash. And the writing! "he put his hand in his jacket's pocket", "drinking water from the bathroom's faucet", plus about 20 other versions. FFS someone teach this woman how to use an apostrophe. Multiple uses of "there're". Woeful dialogue and a few sentences that made no sense at all. Who the hell edits this shit?
Lauren wrote: "Patrick - we’re all here for youuuu 🙃"Ha! Should I be scared? :)
Thank you for putting my thoughts into words. The fungus plottwist was just really a BAD plottwist since who would suspect the MUSHROOMS as the mastermind behind everything. Like yeah sure, Francis picking up as mushrooms could technically be considered a "foreshadowing", but is it really when the villain is a bunch of fungus???
Chenchen - FUNGUS IS NEVER A RESPECTABLE VILLAIN. And who would have thought we’d actually have to make statements like that? Libby - I somehow did not pick up on any of the PREPOSTEROUS lack of editing. Lord help us, what a nightmare.
Thank you for validating my utter disgust with this book. A total waste of time!!!
Thank you! I felt the same way! What a stupid book. Booooooorrrrring for the first 3/4 and really stupid for the last 1/4. I’m very easily scared, but this wasn’t scary at all.
Seriously. One of the worst books I’ve ever read.
I agree. I wanted to like it so bad but it kind of sucked. And the love story was like ?????? Lol
Wtf did I just read and why didn’t I read your review before???? I don’t think I’ve ever uttered What the f�- as many times as I did reading this. 😑
HAHAHAHAHA heard that!
The fungus, the almost rape scenes, the incest, oh the fungus!!! It was unbearable
I wish I had $1 for every time the word mould/mold was written. And I agree with another comment here - not scarey. I’m a chicken shit normally but I felt nothing reading this other than boredom.
Yes! You took the words right out of my mouth. I pushed myself so hard to read this for my book club or honestly I would have just put it down and never picked it back up. Also, if it takes until you’re 2/3 way into a book for it to get better, that should really say something about the book. Right? Thank you for being honest. So confused about all the good reviews.
Niniluv - I have the same sentiment exactly! It’s like, if it takes a haircut a month to look decent - GO SEE A DIFFERENT STYLIST. I’d be interested to know what sort of discussions y’all had. And yes to Radha & AnnMarie - totally awful and strange and droll.
Why couldn’t it just be ghosts or a creepy controlling husband 🤣
So so True. A boring book, with people i didn't really care about. I gave it 1 star, only for my struggle to finish it. Terrible!
Just managed to get halfway through this dull book. Really don’t get what the hype is about. Went through reviews so I could get a synopsis and drop it. Thank you!
I’m so glad the review helped and you were able to save yourself! 😻
Totally agree, don't read if you value your time, this book could have been one third of its current length. Boorinf and as a Mexican, I see a big failure on capitalizing true Mexican spooky houses.
Yes! I hated the character and couldn't care less about her. Also that plot twist didn't seem very supprising as she kept going on about the mold and even wondered if the mold was affecting Catalina. I kept reading because in the reviews most seemed to think it was worth it. It wasn't. Aggravatingly slow and cliché.
The fungi reveal hardcore reminded me of old-school kitschy sci-fi. I liked the book, but the fungi was a choice lmao. Your review made me laugh!
I'm glad I'm not alone in being disappointed by the fungus. It could have gone with more of a botany angle or something. �( •_� )�
Omg I felt the same way! I actually wasn't even able to finish the book because it was so boring so thank you for summing it up. I agree Noemi is terrible and so unorginal. The more I read the book I honestly couldn't get over the premise. Who would send their teenage daughter to deal with what was obviously some kind abuse that was occuring in the household? But even when I let that go it still wasn't compelling at all.
Good looking out!!!!! I literally had it in my cart after seeing it won horror novel of 2020. After reading through lots of favorable reviews, I decided to check out a few 2 star options...... THANK GAWD I DID!!!!
