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Needful Things

Needful Things by Stephen King
Published by Gallery Books on March 20, 2018
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Supernatural
Pages: 816

Stephen King’s underrated Needful Things is a darkly satirical novel set in his fictional town Castle Rock, Maine. I appreciated Needful Things more on my second read. The thick 700+ volume features dark humor, multiple character perspectives, critiques on capitalism and religion, and characters from earlier King books. This work is also notable because it is one of the first novels King published after becoming sober (it contrasts strongly to the chaotic Tommyknockers).

Castle Rock, Maine is also featured in King’s: Cujo, The Dead Zone, and The Dark Half. Needful Things was described as the last Castle Rock story at the time of its publication (but King has since featured Castle Rock in short stories and novellas). Leland Gaunt, a mysterious man, moved into town and opens a shop called Needful Things. The store sells a mishmash of items including antiques, baseball cards and art. Gaunt’s store is unique because there are no set prices for his wares. Instead, every sale is a negotiation between him and the customer. In addition to a monetary cost, he asks his customers to play a small prank on one of their neighbors. These pranks set the people of Castle rock at odds with each other. Gaunt especially fuels the fire between the Baptists and Catholics of Castle Rock. The story is told from the perspective of many of the Castle Rock residents. The main protagonist is Alan Pangborn, the town sheriff and magic trick enthusiast. He is coping with the death of his wife and son who died in a tragic car accident. Alan is currently dating Polly Chambers a seamstress who suffers from the most extreme case of arthritis in literature. There is also the town’s head selectmen Danforth Keeton, who has a gambling addiction and is convinced that “persecutors” are out to get him. And Ace Merrill, the bully from King’s beloved short story Stand by Me, returns to Castle Rock. Ace is struggling to find money to pay off a debt to organized criminals making him a prime target for Gaunt to manipulate.

My favorite part of Needful Things is the dark humor and satire. The squabbles between the residents of Castle Rock quickly escalate to extremes. The Castle Rock women committing murder because of petty pranks feel like over exaggerated scenes from the Real Housewives. Leland Gaunt is a unique villain in the early parts of the book. I believe he embodies the evils of American capitalism and commerce. I love any King story that has multiple perspectives, my favorites being Salem’s Lot or The Stand. Maybe some people are put off by King’s tendency to drop references and characters from his previous works into his books, but I love all the Easter Eggs. Brian Rusk a schoolboy is Gaunt’s first customer and one of my favorite characters. King has mastered writing child characters, probably why I’m currently loving his latest release, Fairy Tale.

I found the pattern of customers purchasing from Gaunt and then playing a prank on someone to be repetitive after a while. And it does become difficult to keep track of who played a prank on who. Gaunt is an interesting villain at the start of the story, but I thought he devolved into a more one-dimensional villain by the book’s conclusion.

Needful Things is essential reading for any King fan. That being said, this is not among his best books and not something I’d recommend to a reader looking to try Stephen King for the first time.

Hawk Mountain

Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib
Published by Random House on July 21, 2022
Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Gay, Psychological, Thrillers, Horror
Pages: 320

I am kicking off spooky book season with a review of the fantastic Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib. This was one of my favorite reads this year. Habib’s debut novel is an emotional and tense queer horror novel with an excellent plot twist and gruesome body horror.

Todd, a single parent, is at the beach with his son Anthony when he runs into a childhood classmate. Jack relentlessly bullied Todd in school, but now he is thrilled to reconnect with Todd. Todd is thrown off because they have not seen each other since they were at odds in their teens. Jack ends up sleeping on Todd’s couch and spending the night. Anthony and Jack quickly hit it off, and Jack continues to sleep over. Todd begins to question Jack’s motives and whether running into each other at the beach was a coincidence. I will share nothing more to avoid spoiling this twisty story.

I loved how dark and tense this story was. The twist about a third of the way into the book made me audibly gasp. This is not the book to de-stress; I was at the edge of my seat. Habib delivers the body horror. There is one horrifically explosive scene that I will never forget. This is a character driven story; you really get into the psyche of Todd. Flashback chapters from Todd and Jack’s childhood are interspersed in the first part of the novel. There are also some sections told from Anthony’s point of view. I was impressed at Habib’s ability to write in a child’s voice. Anthony’s sections are written in a childlike stream of consciousness. The novel concludes with a powerful, emotional ending. This is the first time a horror book brought tears to my eyes.

If you are looking for gay horror novels to read this fall you can’t go wrong with Hawk Mountain. Below are my thoughts on the gay themes in the book. Feel free to stop here to avoid some light spoilers.

Warning Light Spoilers:

Hawk Mountain focuses on toxic masculinity and the internal unrest of closeted gay men. The violence in this book is caused by society’s failure to accept gay men. For me, this book is about how being so deep in the closet can make one project and externalize their self-hatred onto others, with disastrous and extreme consequences. Reading this book, I was heartbroken for closeted people who are unable to openly be themselves, especially queer people from my parent’s generation who grew up in a time when coming out can be met with such oppression.

Lapvona

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh
Published by Penguin on June 21, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Horror, Literary, Magical Realism
Pages: 320

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh is disturbing and wild. The dark and twisted events in Moshfegh’s latest work were right up my alley. The novel gave me A24 horror movie vibes, specifically Robert Eggers’ The Witch. Nearly every character in Lapvona is unlikeable. I did not leave the story feeling good about humanity. The novel is a wonderful hodgepodge of genres: horror, magical realism, fantasy, and historical fiction.

Lapvona takes place in a medieval village where life is extremely rough. Marek is the motherless son of Jude, a shepherd. Jude is abusive to Marek and has an intense attachment to his sheep. In the forest lives a witchy, blind woman named Ina (my favorite character), who has nursed many of the village’s children, including Marek. The lord of the village, Villiam, is deranged and supported by the problematic village priest, Father Barnabas. Marek goes to live in Villiam’s wealthy home after an unexpected tragedy. Meanwhile the villagers suffer from the effects of a harsh drought.

I realize the above synopsis is vague, but I do not want to spoil all the shocking WTF moments in the story. This book is not for everyone, but fans of horror will be pleased. Nothing is off limits in this highly irreverent book. I really enjoyed Moshfegh’s writing. Her word choice is clear and direct without superfluous phrases, making Lapvona a fast read. I struggled to find significant themes or the point of this novel. But I do think the story works as a criticism of the United States government. I found the buffoonery of Villiam to be very reminiscent of President number 45. Villiam has no concern for the well being of his people and spends his free time doing outrageous stunts. The contrast between the those living in Villiam’s manor and the starving villagers reminded me of the disconnect between the US government and the people it serves. Ina is an amazing character. Her arc is fantastic, and I wish more of the book had been told from her perspective.

Overall, I enjoyed the shocking moments of Lapvona and its overall vibe. I wish the book was more focused or had clearer themes. I felt like much of Moshfegh’s message went over my head. Or perhaps she just wanted to write a book with loads of shock value? Nonetheless, I certainly plan on checking out more of Ottessa Moshfegh’s books soon.

Rose Madder

Rose Madder by Stephen King
Published by Viking on 1995
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Thrillers
Pages: 420

A magical painting, a deranged abusive husband and a menacing bull can all be found in Stephen King’s, Rose Madder. Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It is a unique entry in King’s bibliography. Rose Madder reads as a thriller, with some magical elements, inspired by Greek mythology. Norman Daniels might be the most evil and terrifying villain King has written. This was a fun read that I’d place in the middle tier of my King rankings.

Rose Madder begins with a brutal prologue that details a violent moment of domestic abuse between Rosie and her husband, Norman. The novel picks up years later, on the day Rosie decides she’s had enough. While Norman, who is a cop, is away at work, Rosie steals his bank card and leaves, hoping to never return. Upon arriving at a new city, Rosie finds refuge at the Daughters and Sisters Shelter and eventually finds a job and apartment. Meanwhile, Norman is hell-bent on locating Rosie and getting his revenge. The magical elements of the story come into play when Rosie finds a painting that catches her eye at a consignment store. However, the painting ends up being more than it seems.

I really enjoyed the tension that King maintained throughout the book. I was scared for Rosie as Norman closed in on her location. There were passages that had me at the edge of my seat. My favorite character in the story was Gert, another woman at the shelter. Gert teaches the women self defense and is the key character in my favorite scene. Norman was a great villain you love to hate. The passages told from Norman’s perspective were so disturbing and twisted. I felt unsettled reading those. I also enjoyed all the Greek mythology King wove into the story.

The magical sections of the book felt jarringly placed. It didn’t feel like I was reading the same book at times. I wish King had more smoothly integrated the magical elements into the real-world sections.

I have two problems with Rose Madder that I’d like to see reworked if it’s ever adapted for the screen (spoilers to follow). Norman Daniels is a twisted, evil man. For some reason King decided to add gay elements to his violent tendencies. King also suggests that Norman’s behavior originates from his dad molesting him when he was young. The gay serial killer trope is overdone and harmful. One does not become gay because they were molested by someone of the same sex and gay people are not any more likely to be serial killers than anyone else. Norman Daniels would have been plenty terrifying and deplorable without the addition of these gay elements. My second gripe is with the role of the black woman in the painting. This woman is one of the few black characters in the novel She appears to be Wendy (a previous victim of Norman). In the painting she acts as a servant to the blonde women. The optics of this are not good.

I enjoyed my time with Rose Madder. I find this to be one of King’s most unique novels. I had no clue where he was going with the painting and enjoyed the book’s suspense.

Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Miscarriage, Lots of Violence

The Troop

The Troop by Nick Cutter
Published by Simon and Schuster on August 16, 2016
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Thrillers
Pages: 384

I really hope my review does this book justice, because The Troop by Nick Cutter is the best horror novel I’ve read this year, possibly ever! If your stomach is strong enough to handle the disgusting carnage contained in The Troop’spages, then this is a must-read. Boy Scouts and body horror are near and dear to my heart. I immediately purchased a copy as soon as I heard this book combined both. This was my first time reading a Nick Cutter book and I was impressed. This book includes some of the foulest descriptions I’ve ever read (many made me audibly gasp) along with well written characters.

Five scouts, along with their scout master are camping on Falstaff Island, off the cost of Canada when a mysterious stranger arrives on a boat. The stranger is emaciated and clearly sick. The scout master decides to provide medical care to the man and soon discovers that he is infected with a deadly and highly contagious parasite. The story becomes a fight for survival as the scouts try to escape the island. Each of the five scouts represents a distinct archetype, such as the jock, the nerd, and the loner. Cutter does an excellent job of developing the characters beyond their archetypes through flashbacks. The scouts were all equally developed, which I appreciated. This way it was not obvious which boys would survive the longest. Throughout the island narrative Cutter incorporates excerpts from different forms of media (newspaper articles, interviews, trial notes) that slowly reveal the origin of the parasitic monster. Nick Cutter has credited Stephen King’s Carrie for the inspiration of the media clippings between the chapters.

Without spoiling the best bits, here are a few stomach-turning quotes from the novel:

“Christ he was so hungry. He’d eaten so much at that roadside diner that he’d ruptured his stomach lining—the contents of his guts right now were leaking through the split tissue, into the crevices of his organs”.

“The flesh over his skull had melted down his forehead. The electricity had somehow loosened his skin without actually splitting it. Gravity had carried the melted skin downward: it wadded up along the ridge of his brow like a crushed-velvet curtain, or the skin on top of unstirred gravy pushed to one side of the pot. His hair had come down with it. His hairline now began in the middle of his forehead”.

“…his gums had been eaten back from his teeth, and all but one—his left front incisor—had loosened and fallen from their gum beds; yet they remained connected by” his “braces, gray teeth linked like charms on a gruesome bracelet, clicking and clacking in the dark vault of his mouth, all hanging by that one tenacious tooth…which, as” he “watched, slid from” his “gums with a slick sucking sound, a bracelet of teeth bouncing over his lips, his chin, tumbling to the cellar steps”

If these repulsive excerpts are your jam I beg you to add this novel to your TBR immediately. Essentially, this book is Lord of the Flies with a lot more violence. I was left unsettled and jumpy, just like after I’ve viewed a great horror film.

Trigger Warnings: Gnarly Graphic Violence, Animal Violence

Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark

Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson
Published by Hachette Books on September 21, 2021
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, Comedy, Film, Horror, LGBTQ, Memoir
Pages: 272

“How’s your head?” “I haven’t had any complaints yet”.

This is one of the many hilarious quotable lines spoken by the legendary Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira. I’ve always known who Elvira was, but other than associating her with horror and sex I honestly did not know much about her. Upon seeing many positive reactions for her newly released memoir and after watching her wonderfully campy film, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, my interest was piqued. I made my first book purchase request at the library and was thrilled when a copy of Elvira’s memoir was ready for me to pick up a few weeks later (reminder to take advantage of your local libraries). Elvira is a queer icon. She embraces spooky weirdness, has great wit, and is resilient as hell.

Yours Cruelly covers Cassandra’s story from childbirth in Manhattan, Colorado up until present day. When she was 18 months old Cassandra was badly burned from a pot of boiling water, leaving her covered with scars. Cassandra was embarrassed of the scars and felt like a misfit, which drew her to all things spooky and weird. Most of her childhood took place in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As a teenager, Cassandra was obsessed with music, which led to some hilarious encounters while stalking famous musicians. Immediately after completing high school, she became a show girl in Las Vegas, eventually travelling to perform in Italy. Cassandra then relentlessly pursued a career in acting, hoping to land her first major role. Eventually Cassandra was offered a job, hosting horror movies on television. Thus, Elvira was born. Elvira became a household name, mainly by straight men. Eventually Cassandra’s sultry, spooky character was featured in two films. The later parts of the memoir describe Elvira’s experiences with motherhood, living in an actual haunted house, and her first marriage, which led to divorce. Elvira then finds love with her current partner of sixteen years, T, a woman. This book is Elvira’s coming out to the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. Elvira is extremely witty and a great storyteller. Her stories feature plenty of shocks, including many famous names. On top of that, Elvira is one tough cookie. She never gave up on her Hollywood dreams, even when in trying times. I believe this book would be inspiring for anyone pursuing an unconventional career. While the book is full of humor, there are some sad, heartbreaking moments as well. Cassandra was raised by an abusive mother and endured multiple sexual assaults and a verbally abusive marriage. Yet she never lost her plucky, go-getter attitude. Even before coming out, Elvira had close ties with the gay community. She was inspired by drag queens while working as a go-go dancer in high school and toured with The Groundlings, a gay, male comedy troupe throughout the US. Elvira was hesitant to come out earlier because she feared losing support from straight men, who make up a large portion of her fanbase. But I believe Elvira won’t ever struggle for lack of fans. The LGBTQ community will celebrate Elvira for the icon she is, especially with her brand of campy humor and love of Halloween.

Normally I am not a fan of celebrity memoirs, but Yours Cruelly is truly special. Few books can make me laugh aloud, but Cassandra succeeded several times in her memoir. Hopefully this book will kickstart a new era in Elvira’s career. I am here for any future movies, tv shows or books!

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

Which Stephen King Book Pairs with Which Wing Sauce?

Happy Halloween! To celebrate this fantastically spooky holiday I wanted to pair books written by my favorite author with flavors of my favorite food. Stephen King and chicken wings both hold a dear place in my heart. I had fun deciding which King novel best complemented different flavors of wing sauces.

Barbeque wings complement a story with a slow burn and a lot of heart. King’s foray into historical fiction, 11/22/63, immediately came to mind. Like any good barbeque this story takes time to develop, it cooks low and slow. Thankfully the slow place results in juicy, saucy characters that readers become invested in.

Ghost pepper wings bring the pain and the fury. Carrie’s telekinetic powers unleashed upon her cruel classmates, after humiliating her at prom, is a satisfying blaze. Following years of bullying and abuse from a batshit crazy, religiously obsessed mom, Carrie has a lot of anger and rage to unleash. The way Carrie destroys the school’s auditorium reminds me of the destruction waged upon my digestive track after eating super spicy wings.

Buffalo wings, the classic wing flavor, and my personal favorite. The aroma of buffalo sauce is intoxicating and brings an instant smile to my face. I had to pair these magical snacks with a classic Stephen King novel. I think Salam’s Lot is the perfect choice. The book features many of the classic King-isms: set in a small New England town, told from multiple perspectives, a scary supernatural element, and well written kid characters.

Soy-Garlic: Soy sauce and garlic are like chocolate and peanut butter. Two distinct flavors that mesh perfectly together to form an ultimate, cohesive flavor. The genre mashing in King’s Dark Tower series is a western with horror and fantasy elements. The series is a beautifully cohesive tale with a satisfying conclusion (at least for me). The Dark Tower also ties together the King universe by including characters, locations, and references to his other novels. Just like soy-garlic flavored wings the Dark Tower is a fantastic blend of flavors.

PB&J flavored wings are probably one of the weirder wing flavors I’ve tried. Surprisingly the sauce paired well with the chicken. I would pair PB&J wings with one of King’s weirder books that somehow still works for me (probably an unpopular opinion). The Tommyknockers, a strange novel featuring aliens, is a bit off the wall, but I enjoy its weirdness.

Lemon Pepper a non-conventional flavor choice when ordering wings. An unconventional King book that I love is The Long Walk. Fans of Netflix’s Squid Game will enjoy this book. Straying away from his supernatural wheelhouse, King tells a dystopian story where teens competing for a prize by walking on a road for as long as they can. If they fall behind or stop, they are killed. Only one can win.

Sweet chili wings deliver sweetness with a spicy bite. Pet Sematary perfectly compliments sweet chili wings. Pet Sematary is known for being one of King’s most terrifying novels because of its brutal twist, matching the spicy bite of the chili. The sweetness comes from the heart of the story, which is focused on love, family, and parenthood.

Honey Mustard is such a crowd-pleasing sauce, so I started to think which Stephen King novel would appeal to the widest range of readers. And I came up with Joyland. Joyland is not too scary to turn away readers who dislike horror. Also, the book is a manageable length, unlike some of King’s doorstopper epics (which I love). I think this book has an interesting mystery with well-developed characters that would appeal to people who usually dislike King’s books, while still appeasing the Constant Readers.

Garlic Parm: Unfortunately, in my early 20s I became cursed with lactose intolerance. I wanted to choose a King book that is as full of shit as my toilet after I ingest cheese. Thus, I’m pairing garlic parm wings with the lackluster Cell. I don’t recall many plot details from Cell, but I do remember not enjoying it. The novel is not on par with King’s usual work. While cell phones causing a zombie apocalypse is an interesting premise, the book has no memorable characters and a dull ending.

Smoked – Smoke is similar to steam, which is a key element in King’s excellent follow up to The Shining. In Doctor Sleep Rose and the Knot’s steam hungry followers are fantastic villains. Smoking meat well results in yummy smoky flavor infused down to the bone. Just like how Danny is deeply smoked in the trauma of his childhood.

The Changeling

The Changeling by Victor LaValle
Published by Random House Publishing Group on 2018
Genres: African American & Black, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Supernatural, Suspense
Pages: 431

The Changeling, especially the first half, is literary tension at its best. Victor Lavalle’s novel is part urban fantasy, part contemporary fairy tale with a splash of horror. He manages to weave in themes of parenthood while featuring the city of New York. I LOVED the first half of this book. I was at the edge of my seat and glued to the words on the page, despite being on a warm sunny beach while on my honeymoon. Unfortunately, Lavalle did not stick the landing. The second half of the book was meh, it wasn’t bad, but compared to the perfection of the beginning I was disappointed.

Because the joy of this novel is its suspense, I am going to give a limited description of the plot. The protagonist, Apollo Kagwa, is an avid reader (we would be great friends). Apollo’s father left him and his mother when Apollo was young. He sometimes has creepy dreams of his dad. Apollo eventually starts a book dealing business. He meets Emma, a librarian and they eventually get married. Emma and Apollo have a baby, named Brian, after Apollo’s father. Emma and Apollo are determined to be perfect parents, but Emma begins to act out of character leading to her committing a shocking act. This event leads Apollo on a magical journey.

I loved Lavalle’s prose. He is an excellent storyteller, and his writing is a pleasure to read. I love when a protagonist has a book related occupation. Reading about Apollo’s reading interests and how they flourished into a career of procuring and selling used books was great. The tension that builds in the first half of the story is off the charts. Based off the limited plot summary I read on the book’s back cover, I knew Emma was going to do something shocking. The slow burn leading up to those events ratchets up the tension. And the description of the scene when IT happens is very intense and scary. I also really appreciated Lavalle’s inclusion of themes of post partem depression, black fatherhood and experiences living as a black man in NYC into the story.

Explaining my critiques of the second half of the novel, without spoiling the plot, will be a challenge. The second half of the book features most of the magic and supernatural elements in the novel. Lavalle had too many great ideas. I believe editing the story down and using just a few of these elements would have created a tighter story. For me the plot at the end of the novel became muddled and character motivations did not make sense. I also found interest in the novel declining towards the end of the novel. This was a shame after start of the book when I was losing sleep because I was so captivated by the story.

Despite the weak ending, The Changeling is worth the read. Lavalle is a talented writer and storyteller. I found themes of parenthood especially relevant because my husband and I recently adopted a puppy. The scene of THE incident has become one of the most tense and memorable scenes I’ve ever read.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
on October 13, 1993
Genres: Classics, Fiction, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 176

I was on the hunt for a classic horror novel to add to my 2021 spooky reading lineup. I couldn’t think of a better choice than Oscar Wilde’s homoerotic “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. Oscar Wilde is a historical figure of interest for me. He was bold enough to live openly as a gay man in the 19^th century, resulting in imprisonment. After references to Dorian Gray in contemporary media, such as Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, I wanted to read the original work. I knew the general premise of the novel, a young attractive man never ages, while a supernatural painting of him does. I was not expecting the story to become a critique on the purpose of art.

When the story begins, readers are introduced to Dorian Gray, a young attractive man, and two older gentlemen Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton. Basil and Lord Henry are obsessed with Dorian because of his youth and beauty. Dorian is the muse for Basil’s paintings and is the subject of his best work. Upon seeing Basil’s painting of him Dorian becomes aware that he will one day age and lose his beauty. He makes a fateful wish, saying “If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that—I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!” (Wilde 19). This ends up being the classic scenario of be careful what you wish for. Dorian never ages, but the painting, which he hides away from others does. Under Lord Henry’s influence Dorian becomes obsessed with living a beautiful, happy life at any cost. With each immoral act he commits the portrait of Dorian grows hideous, while real Dorian remains unchanged.

A Picture of Dorian Gray is very gay (ha! A rhyme). Basil and Lord Henry’s competition for the attention of the young, attractive Dorian feels way more than friendship. Dorian originally wrote a more homoerotic version of the story that was “toned” down before publication. I’d love to read the bits deemed too gay that had to be deleted. Wilde makes his support for the movement of aestheticism clear in the preface. He believes art should have no morals. Art is meant to stand alone as an aesthetically pleasing work. This contrasts the Victorian style where stories were crafted to teach readers moral lessons (Charles Dickens was an example of this). I think both philosophies place too many limitations on what art is. However, I believe this novel ironically contradicts Wilde’s aesthetic philosophy because the story ends with a moral message. Dorian’s pursuit of an aesthetic life corrupts him and lead to tragedy at the novel’s conclusion. Wilde fails to write this story without including a moral.

A Picture of Dorian Gray was a challenging book to read. The language from Wilde’s time is difficult to understand, resulting in a slower reading pace. Also, there were sections in the book that referenced many people and events that were not familiar to me. Chapter XI is an entire section made up of these references. The chapter reads as a long list of aesthetic objects Dorian acquires to surround himself with beautiful things. Reading this chapter was a struggle for me and I found myself skimming most of it.

I am impressed with The Picture of Dorian Gray. I enjoyed reading a novel from the 19^th century with so many gay references. While the language was challenging to read the experience made it well worth the effort. Wilde’s philosophy of aestheticism was interesting and led me to reflect on my own artistic philosophy. I recommend picking up Dorian Gray for a short, spooky read. And don’t feel guilty skimming through the sluggish parts!

I wanted to end with a fascinating quote from Oscar Wilde that I am still processing. “Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry what the world thinks of me; Dorian what I would like to be—in other ages, perhaps.”

Mexican Gothic

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Published by Random House Publishing Group on June 30, 2020
Genres: Latinx, Fantasy, Fiction, Gothic, Historical, Horror
Pages: 320

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic is a buzzy horror novel that I’ve seen featured all over Booktube and Bookstagram. Readers looking for a horror novel with an intelligent and assertive female protagonist should consider adding this to their Halloween reading lineup. Noemi Taboada receives a concerning letter from her cousin Catalina. Catalina has recently married Virgil Doyle, an Englishman, and moved into their family home called High Place located in the mountains near El Triunfo, Mexico. The Virgil family established themselves at High Place after operating a nearby silver mine. In the letter Catalina claims that Virgil is trying to poison her. Noemi’s father sends her to High Place to check in on her cousin. While at High Place Noemi is allowed little contact with her cousin, who is supposedly suffering from consumption. The house is very creepy and depressing. Most of the Virgil family is less than welcoming. The Virgil family is led by the patriarch Florence Doyle who spends most of his time hidden away in his private wing. The only friend Noemi makes is Virgil’s brother Francis. The novel follows Noemi solving the mystery of the Doyle family and uncovering the secrets within High Place.

I really enjoyed the character of Noemi, who is an intelligent and strong female protagonist. Too often in horror novels the main characters are either too helpless or too naive about the peril they’re in. There was excellent body horror in the later portions of the book. Some gnarly descriptions of a particular character’s body in the later portions of the book were wonderfully repulsive. There are also some dark dream sequences that I enjoyed. The book has themes of colonialism. The Doyle family has set up their home in Mexico to run a mine and Florence is an avid supporter of racial eugenic theories. High House is almost a character itself in the novel. The descriptions of the home and its impact on the mood and characters is strong and reminiscent of gothic classics (major Fall of the House of Usher vibes).

My biggest critique with the novel is how the big twist is handled. I saw the answer to the main mystery from a mile away and assumed there would be another surprise layer to the story. Unfortunately, it played out exactly as I predicted. Moreno-Garcia leaves too many obvious hints. I expect most readers will figure out what is going on before they even make it halfway through the novel. For me horror novels where the plot centers around a mystery need to deliver an unexpected answer. Authors need to balance having the mystery be solvable while also making the mystery clever enough that most readers will be surprised when they discover the answer.

Mexican Gothic did not wow me as much as I expected it to. There are great aspects to the novel, but the too easy to solve mystery really soured my opinion. However, if you want a Halloween book with a Latinx protagonist or a recent release with gothic elements this may be worth the read. Hopefully the Hulu adaptation of Mexican Gothic will do a better job of making the story’s twist less obvious.