The Bewitching

If any author is going to get me to read horror, it will be Silvia Moreno-Garcia.I came here for the witches and the dark academia setting, and I knew that Moreno-Garcia would masterfully weave in multigenerational timelines, which she did.I loved Mexican Gothic, as bizarre as it was, and I was looking for that same bold atmosphere here. This is more of a slow-moving plot, using creepy occurrences and sensations to set the mood. It’s eerie and unsettling, and I loved that in each of the three timelines, we meet strong females facing challenges in their day, as well as being threatened by the same dark force.This book may require a bit of your patience, but it's worth every moment. Take your time and savor it.𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝:Latinx FolkloreStrong Women’s VoicesDark AcademiaWitchcraftMultigenerational TimelinesSlow-burning suspense🎧 In sharing my time between the physical book and the audiobook, I found the narrator, Gisela Chipe, to have a warm, rich voice that fit the atmosphere perfectly. I might have enjoyed a different narrator for each timeline to distinguish between the time periods and characters, but Gisela used varying accents and tones for each character, which was very helpful.

An eloquently written tale of witches...but definitely not of the stripe we see so much of in recent years! Moreno-Garcia's world has them insidiously preying on people and savoring their torment. I truly enjoy her narrative voice - well spoken, calm, and quietly leading you through a tale of creeping horror. Loved the book!

The tale travels in three different paths in time, that merge into one reality. Once again, Moreno-Garcia’s writing mesmerizes and blends old world wonders with new world grit.Mas por favor.

This was my first read by Moreno-Garcia, and all the hype? VERY earned. She blew me away by brilliantly blending literary/historical fiction and horror into something genuinely unnerving and wholly discussable. I loved the structure of the three interrelated eras and found myself deeply invested in the main figures of each.I figured out one piece of the plot early on, and found myself trying to unravel the rest of the mystery based on the parallels I saw between 1908 and 1934. It was the best kind of mystery—one that kept me guessing until the very end and still managed to surprise me, even when I was certain I had it all unraveled.The prose is masterfully written—beautiful, tense, and eerie without ever losing its literary depth. This would definitely make a great book club read. It doesn't even need to be a horror-focused book club. In fact, I think it would be interesting to present it to a group that doesn't normally read horror and see what they thought.The witchcraft horror here is spooky in the best way—quiet, creeping, and unsettling. I’ve read a lot of horror, but not much focused on witchcraft, and this landed beautifully. It’s rich with folklore and strange truths, and even though I didn’t know the history behind some of the tales and practices, the story felt deeply authentic. The author's note at the end only confirmed my suspicions and was utterly delightful.As an aside, I can’t stop laughing about another reviewer’s comment: “Girl. That’s your uncle.” I thought about that the ENTIRE time I read Alba’s sections because… GIRL. THAT’S YOUR UNCLE.Content WarningThis story contains violence against animals, including the violent death of a cat (aftermath described) and the on-page slaughter of a rabbit. These scenes are brief and the author doesn’t linger, but they are graphic and may be upsetting, especially for readers who are sensitive to this sort of thing, like I am.🎧 AUDIO-SPECIFICAs for the audio? Oh my God, I don’t think I’ve had a better narrator experience. Gisela Chipe absolutely makes these characters. The accents, the tone, the nuance—she breathes life into Moreno-Garcia’s already fascinating cast. Each character is so distinct. For example, Alba’s mother has this slightly affected, almost bored tone that feels so perfect. She vibes city-girl-who-married-country-boy (which she is). Virginia’s sweet and timid tone; Minerva's beautiful Mexican accent; and the affected voice of the obscenely wealthy New Englander, Carolyn. The voices she uses paint a portrait of each character every bit as much as the prose.TL;DR —A book club-worthy witchcraft horror, perfect for those who like their historical fiction to have teeth. If you can get the audio, do! It elevates the already 5⭐ story to a whole other level.(ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group and ALC courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and the libro.fm Audiobook Listening Copy Program.)

I enjoyed this Gothic style tale. My only complaint was that you see where it is going at 30% in. Still fun to see how they get the baddies but I would have liked a twist or two