Readin’ Report: The House of Gardenias
By Cielo Maria
Edited by Reilly Nelson
The House of Gardenias marks Isabel Cañas’s first foray into YA horror and she brings the same atmospheric and gothic storytelling, historical aspects, and deep characters that have made her previous adult horror novels so compelling. Equal parts haunting and thought-provoking, The House of Gardenias blends class struggle, political turmoil, and supernatural horror into a story that’s perfectly made for your spooky season TBR.
BEFORE WE DIVE IN . . .
Genre: Horror
Age Group: Young Adult (14+)
Content Warnings: War, violence, supernatural horror, gore, death, classism, political cruelty
Series Standing: Standalone
Spice Level: No spice
ABOUT THE BOOK (synopsis)
A stunning YA debut from gothic master Isabel Cañas, bestselling author of The Hacienda, Vampires of El Norte, and The Possession of Alba Díaz.
“Growing up in a city wracked by political violence and a home where she’s more likely to receive a beating than a meal, Minerva Treviño’s cowardice has kept her alive for sixteen years. But even she has a limit. Hungry and desperate, she musters enough courage to run away and take a job as lady’s maid to a wealthy widow who supports the deposed viceroy.
Minerva is happy serving Encarnación del Valle. She has food in her belly and the safety of a warm house lit by magical chispa. Why should she care who runs the country or how her employer affords the magic?
When the viceroy sweeps back into power, Minerva retreats with her gleeful employer to the family’s mountainside stronghold to wait out the inevitable rebel slaughter. At la Casa de las Gardenias, Minerva faces new threats in the haughty servants and cruel, scheming del Valles.
But the living residents of the house are the least of her worries. As Minerva quickly discovers, the ancient estate is home to forces far older and more bloodthirsty than anything she could have imagined” (Penguin Random House).
READER PROFILE
This might be for you if:
You love gothic horror with a historical and political edge.
Your fall playlist includes artists like Hozier, The Marias, Florence + the Machine, MonLaferte, and Ethel Cain.
Reading about a haunted house full of secrets, menacing ghosts, and ominous family history is your idea of a good time.
You love a strong female protagonist who isn't interested in being the perfect heroine.
You’re a fan of Cañas’s adult novels and are interested in how she moves through the YA genre.
You want something atmospheric for your spooky season TBR.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“Isabel Cañas is a Mexican American speculative fiction writer. After having lived in Mexico, Scotland, Egypt, Turkey, and New York City, among other places, she has settled in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and writes fiction inspired by her research and her heritage” (Penguin Random House).
WHAT READERS THINK
“Isabel wrote very compelling characters into this story as well as chilling descriptions of the more sinister things happening within the estate. I found myself looking over my shoulders a few times at night while reading 👀 This was thrilling and sad and overall an extremely well done story! I can feel the ending sticking with me and definitely suggest reading if you want a spooky gothic with bloodthirsty haunts and a brave FMC.” — Amanda Rose via Goodreads
“Quick-paced and engaging, with characters you immediately sympathize with. Gentler on both the horror and romance aspects than in her adult novels, Isabel Canas still maintains the tension and investment one feels in her story. I would happily read more YA fiction from her.” — kiracat13 via StoryGraph
“Throughout the novel, I often had the sense that more interesting things were happening elsewhere and that I was only hearing about them secondhand through newspaper reports or brief conversations. Certain story elements also felt underdeveloped by the end. For example, I kept expecting the chispa to play a much larger role. The novel hints at a darker origin for it and suggests that there is something deeply unsettling beneath the surface, but those threads never fully come together.” — Ariela Strombeck via Goodreads
BOOK REPORTER’S REVIEW
I was fortunate enough to receive a physical ARC of The House of Gardenias by Isabel Cañas from the Penguin Teen booth at Y’all West Book Festival in Santa Monica, California earlier this year. As soon as I heard that they had physical ARCs available, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy. Isabel Cañas has made a name for herself in adult gothic horror, so I was curious to see how she would make her initial entrance into the YA horror space with this debut novel. Spoiler alert: she absolutely nailed it!
One of the things I love most about Cañas’s writing is how she uses horror to explore much larger ideas, and The House of Gardenias is no exception. At face value, this novel offers everything a reader would want from a gothic novel: haunted mansion, family secrets, menacing ghosts, and an ever-present feeling that you are being watched by something or someone. However, underneath these conventions is a story that explores class, political oppression, colonialism, revolution, and what it means to survive when the systems are constantly against you.
Minerva’s character arc is one of my favorite parts of the book. At first, I found her a bit frustrating because of how little she cared about the political turmoil happening all around her, but the more I read of her circumstances, the more I understood her. Minerva isn’t apathetic because she doesn’t care about what happens; she is fighting for her survival, which can make the larger political picture difficult to worry about. I enjoyed watching her perspective slowly shift and realize that the things happening around her are connected to her own life and are worth fighting for, even if it comes at a cost.
I also appreciated how Cañas handled the complicated relationships between power, privilege, and caretaking. Some of the characters in this novel are incredibly easy to dislike, while others force you to sit in a much more uncomfortable grey area. I found myself thinking about whether someone can genuinely care for another person while still participating in or benefiting from systems that harm them. I don't think the book gives us easy answers, and I liked that it made the reader really think about these questions for themselves.
The haunted house was a character itself, but I wanted more of it! I wish that there were more details on the history of la Casa de las Gardenias, its previous inhabitants, and the supernatural forces living within it. I wanted more explanation surrounding the chispa and the rules of the magical world Cañas created. The mystery surrounding these things definitely adds to the gothic atmosphere, but I am also the kind of reader who will happily spend pages upon pages learning the history of a creepy house.
This goes along with my biggest complaint about the book: I wasn’t ready for it to end! I wanted more time with these characters, more time with the house, and more time to sit with everything before the story wrapped up with THAT ending. Although, leaving the reader with questions may be the mark of a good gothic horror novel.
The House of Gardenias left me thinking about its characters and its ghosts long after I closed the book. Cañas has created a YA horror story that is genuinely creepy while still giving readers plenty to think about beyond the supernatural. It feels like a natural extension of her adult work rather than a departure from it, and I hope this is only the beginning of much more for her in this genre.
If you’re a fan of Isabel Cañas, I don't think you will need much convincing to pick this one up. If you haven't read any of her novels yet, adding this one to your fall TBR is a pretty fantastic place to start!
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Dutton Books for Young Readers for providing me with an advanced reader copy!
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