So I am not a horror reader, but I am the kind of reader who judges books by their covers. And this book has an absolutely gorgeous cover. I mean, have you seen this? It’s so beautiful.
Anyway, I am still in love with the cover regardless of the fact that I am still so confused by what the hell I am actually reading. As I started writing this, I still had a little over 2 1/2 hours to go in the audiobook, but I felt like I already needed to talk about it.
By the way, I am sorry this might have some spoilers, but I will mark them as they start. I’m confused and I want to make sense on it. My confusion probably has to do with the fact that I am not used to horror as a genre, but well let’s talk about this.
The writing is lovely and I love how immersive it is, but the story is really messed up. The book is fairly slow-paced – I felt like I was more than halfway through the book before anything started happening, and all of a sudden a lot happened in the last hour or so. Well, some things happened – not a lot happens in the book as whole if I’m being honest. But somehow I don’t think that’s a bad thing in this case? As I said, confused.
This books tells the story of Mexican socialite Noemi Taboada. She leads a fairly superficial if somewhat independent life for the 1950s. She flirts, and parties, and goes to university, and enjoys the privilege of being the daughter of a rich and influential man in Mexican City. She is spoiled and used to getting her way, but also deeply headstrong and independent, and being in her head is a treat.
All is going well in her life until her father sends her to visit her newlywed cousin, whose very unsettling letter they have just received. She has just married and moved into her husband’s family’s large house near a small village, and according to her letter either a) has gone insane and is in desperate need for psychiatric help, or b) is being haunted and needs to be rescued. Clearly, Mr. Taboada thinks it’s the first case, and semi-blackmails his daughter to go make sure Catalina is alright and receiving the care she needs.
Noemi gets to High Place, which is creepy as hell, and meets the Doyle family, who are all creepy as hell and incredibly racist, and needs to adapt to the life they lead, which you guessed it, is creepy as hell, until she can finally see her cousin who is sick and a bit creepy as well.
Well, that is the premise. From then, she tries to get a doctor for Catalina, and see her cousin regularly, and fails not to be creeped out by that creepy as hell family. Things happen. It’s a little gross and very creepy, and if all I’ve said interests you, stop reading and go read the book.
Thanks for reading this review 🙂
Now come the spoilers.
***SPOILERS***
WTF???
Mushrooms???? MUSHROOMS???? MUSHROOMS???
That’s the big bad?
I mean, gross. Also, WTF?
I guess I am glad the book had a clear ending, which I really appreciated, but I could have gone my life without having one of my favorite foods ruined for good.
That’s all.
Thanks for reading 🙂
