This book was nothing like I expected. At one point, quite late in the book, I was definitely thinking to myself, "What???" At that point, if someone had asked me if I liked it, I would have hesitated before answering. Did I like it? Well, thanks to the last 70 pages or so, I guess I can say yes. It's an odd and confusing story at times though.
I liked the protagonist, Noemi Taboada, a lot. She was intelligent, funny, spirited and confident. Of course it is these same characteristics that caused her "life plan" to veer off course. Noemi is sent to High Place (basically an "English Mansion" in the countryside in Mexico) by her father to check on her cousin, Catalina, who recently married Virgil and moved to High Place. Noemi's father had received a distressing letter from Catalina asking for help. So Noemi travels to High Place, which ends up being an extremely old, cold, dark and inhospitable mansion. No one visits except for the family doctor. No one talks at dinner. Catalina appears delirious and ill most of the time, and it's difficult for Noemi to even spend time with her.
Noemi tries to seek help for her cousin's condition from a local doctor. She also visits a local medicine woman on behalf of Catalina to get a vial of a "sleep remedy" that Catalina had secretly tried previously. Catalina has been diagnosed with tuberculosis by the family doctor, although she doesn't have symptoms of it and Noemi suspects she would be better served by seeing a psychiatrist. Catalina is disturbed by the walls of the house talking to her; nightmares; something in the cemetery, etc. Noemi quickly experiences the same things.
Virgil is extremely strong, healthy & handsome. Noemi can't decide if he can be trusted. He is charming and kind at times; and appears deceitful and evil at other times. The servants are all cold and uncommunicative. The only person who truly treats Noemi with consistent kindness is Francis, who comes across as weak and unattractive, especially compared to Virgil. The most disgusting family member of all is the patriarch, who is dying. He has black boils all of over his body and he reeks of decay.
Noemi finally asks Francis if the house is haunted - and she receives a non-answer. It's hard to know if the house is haunted, or the food/drink served them is tainted with an hallucination-causing drug, or if the mold growing everywhere is making them sick. It is at this point that things get really weird (over 200 pages into the book)! I certainly don't mind "supernatural" stories, but this one goes way outside my normal supernatural box!
The ending is a bit ambiguous as to what happens in the future, but I hope the best for the survivors of this living nightmare.
Wendy's Rating: ***3/4
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