Mexican Gothic

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What other kinds of horror fiction have you read before? How did this one compare, in terms of the level of suspense? Grisliness? Your fear response?
• Was the reveal of the supernatural plot at the core of the story satisfying? Which elements of the plot did you predict before they happened? Which were surprising? 
• Have you read any other books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia? If so, did you like this one more or less than the others? If not, does this one inspire you to seek out her other work?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• This novel features characters trapped in a variety of ways, ranging from social expectations, to family duty, to literal captivity by a magical symbiote. Do these experiences of entrapment speak to your life? In what way?
• What kinds of horror are most effective for you in the novel? The body horror of the transformed Doyle women? The ecological horror of the invasive fungus? The mystery of the decaying house? The nightmares about sexual assault? Which was the scariest and why?
• How much did you know about the history of European colonization of Mexico and its postcolonial experience? Does this novel provide helpful