Reread 29/01/2022!
I adore this book - I really enjoyed rereading and noticing even more of the intricate details which had been woven jnto this narrative. The concept of the gloom and how it existed is such an interesting concept which I think is wholly under appreciated. The concept that the fungus was a sentient being which had a symbiotic relationship with the family and house itself was unlike anything I had read before. Rather than being a traditional haunting, the ghosts of Mexican Gothic were alive within the gloom, their consciousness trapped.
One thing I did notice this time was the way the dialogue was laid out, at times jt felt detached from the characters themselves and almost robotic. However, this also played into the atmosphere of the novel.
I had fairly low expectations going into this book due to various low reviews and commentary, however, boy did i love it. The way the book was written and the overall storyline was really unique to me, this is one of the first books i've read in this genre. While it was slightly slow to begin with, I was completely captivated by the setting and gothic theme of the book. The atmosphere was haunting and overall creepy. While some people might get uncomfortable with some topics within the book, I think that is partially the point, it is a gothic horror novel. I enjoyed that the author also included a snippit of romance in there, it added warmth and something to hold onto throughout the dark spots. This book was also about family and how the heroine was so determined to save her cousin, no matter how much she had to go through and suffer through herself. The ending was the best part, the pace sped up and you finally found out what was going on, and i personally did not see it coming.
Overall, this book was hands down amazing, completely blew my expectations out of the water!!