E-Audio, 10:39:39
Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Published by: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Read from: July 20-25, 2020
Stand-alone
Source: Library (Overdrive)
TW:
For fans of: Historical Fiction, Gothic Horror, AdultNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . .
From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico. “It’s Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird” (The Guardian).
After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find – her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I have been waiting on this book since I finished her Gods of Jade and Shadow last year. And then when I heard it was a Gothic Horror story, I knew I HAD to get my hands on it. And man, Silvia Moreno-Garcia has done it again!
Noemí receives a letter from her cousin, asking her to come to her in the House where she now stays with her married family. She may seem like only a debutante, but she is also tough, determined, and not scared of her new cousin’s new family. When she arrives, she sees that not only is the family creepy, but so is the house itself. Can Noemí get herself and her cousin out of High Place before it’s too late?
I was so happy when I saw this was going to be a horror book! I love horror and I am super happy to read a horror book by someone other than Stephen King lol And this one was good. It was dark and twisty and weird, but not gory. The horror comes from her nightmarish dreams coming to life. It wasn’t something that kept me up at night, but it was still creepy enough that I remember getting goosebumps at one point. And although the big reveal wasn’t exactly scary, it was really gross and really weird. I remember having to go back and listen to some parts because it
The characters were another part of the book that I loved. Especially Noemí. She was strong, resilient, and super smart. Even after they made her think so many different things, she still stood by her own thoughts. She was super stubborn, and it reminded me of me lol
I also really liked the world building. I felt like I was at High Place and seeing all the weird and dark places in the castle. And the misty graveyards and dark hallways definitely helped make this book the creepy that it was. And let’s not forget about the other weird characters that helped make the atmosphere even more outta there. It was just all around weird.
The thing that gave me pause about this was the plot. It started out really slow. But I knew from Gods that I just needed to get through the first part and it would get better. And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened. I was super glad that I was able to speed it up a bit to get through the slow part, and then I slowed it down to make sure that I got all the information when it sped up.
This book was everything I wanted and I was so excited to finally get my hands on it. It wasn’t the five star read I was expecting, but it was very close. This book is definitely different than my usual YA read, but it served as a nice break!
Overall, I give this
What about you? Have you read this? Do you like horror books? Have you read her other book mentioned in this review? Let me know in the comments!