Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work has been hit-or-miss for me in the past. I liked Gods of Jade and Shadow, loved Mexican Gothic, but didn’t much care for The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. I’m happy to report though, that I very much enjoyed The Bewitching. This is a gothic horror novel, following three young women across three different timelines. The main storyline follows Minerva, a graduate student in the 1990s, who is writing a graduate thesis about obscure horror novelist Beatrice Tremblay. The second timeline follows Minerva’s great-grandmother Alba as a young woman in Mexico City as she battles unseen malevolent forces. The third timeline tells the story of Beatrice Tremblay, as uncovered by Minerva in her research. Tremblay was a college student in the 1930s, when her roommate disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As Minerva continues her research, she realizes she will need to learn from the past if she is going to survive the present.
This was such a creepy, fun book. I love the way the three timelines felt stylistically distinct, but wove together to create an interconnected storyline. I thought Alba and Minerva were both really interesting protagonists, and it was fun to watch the ways their stories echoed each other. The Beatrice Tremblay storyline was less interesting, but still added an interesting perspective. There were also some surprising twists, some that I predicted, and some that I didn’t see coming at all. This is a deliciously spooky read for anyone who enjoys tales of witches and dark magic.
