This classic Gothic tale is perfect when you are in the mood for an immersive spooky read.
This was the first novel I read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. She is a phenomenal author who I hope to be reading for a very long time.
Set in 1950s Mexico, you follow Noemí, a self-absorbed socialite who strikes a deal with her father to visit her ailing cousin in exchange for the consent to pursue her personal interests and delay marriage.
After a swift negotiation, Noemí learns more about her father’s concerns, and she is off to High Place, a remote property where her favorite cousin, Catalina, has been living with her new husband and his eccentric English family.
The trip to High Place drags Noemí into a world where the walls are alive, and one is never safe from prying eyes. She does her best to navigate the bizarre rules and expectations of the family while she struggles to identify what is making her cousin so ill.
This was an audiobook for me, and the format was perfect. I was completely swept away by the vivid imagery and stopped a few times, sponge in hand, to stare off listening to the rich details of Noemí’s peculiar and often dangerous experiences trapped in a place that seemed to be consuming everyone around them.
As with all Gothic tales, the monster is looming, and when you meet the creature, it is well worth the ride. I was fully shocked and a little disturbed by the ending of the novel.
I won’t give away the end, but I will say, pay attention to every detail. Nothing in the novel was mentioned by mistake, and everything is connected.
Enjoy it!