My Goodreads review: The Bewitching

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The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dark academia, multicultural witchcraft, and straight-up supernatural horror make a satisfying blend in Sylvia Moreno-Garcia's most recent foray into the shadows. As with many of her novels, this one is mostly a slow burn. The plotline stretches across three time periods -- 1908, 1934, & 1998 -- in both Mexico and New England.

Alba, a young Mexican woman (whose family may be cursed) in 1908, is the great-grandmother of Minerva, a 1998 graduate student -- who is in turn doing her thesis on Beatrice/Betty, a pioneering female writer of weird tales in 1934. When Minerva's research reveals Betty's own brush with the unexplained, she finds herself threatened by dangers both supernatural and otherwise. Her great-grandmother left her with a few valuable tips about witchcraft, but can the folk beliefs of rural Mexico possibly apply to the traditions of old New England? And if they do, will Minerva be able to access her own power in time?

It takes a while for the three separate story lines to intertwine completely, although each is compelling in its own right. Fortunately, Moreno-Garcia includes the appropriate date with each chapter. She also seasons the dark academia sections with intriguing book titles, some of which I may need to look up later. They feel very real, as do the practices and descriptions of rural Mexican witches. There's always something interesting to learn in Moreno-Garcia's novels, and this one is no exception.

The conclusion of The Bewitching owes as much to thriller-style pacing as it does to horror, and may wind things up a bit too neatly for some readers. I tend to prefer clarity, however, and was gratified that the author took time to tuck in loose ends. There is also an informative Afterword, detailing some of the more autobiographical aspects of this novel. Recommended for anyone who enjoys dark academia with intelligent heroines, or folk horror with a Mexican/South American flavor.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.




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