Muñeca

“Wholly original and wildly romantic.” —People

“This gothic horror tale . . . [is] at once romantic and frightening. We may be only just heading into summer, but this one is already in my top 10 for the year.” —NPR

“Set in 1960s Oakland, Muñeca is a spellbinding blend of horror, fantasy, and romance.” —Alta Journal

“Cynthia Gómez packs a lot into Muñeca . . . It’s the kind of book I already want to reread.” —Locus Magazine

“[A] dramatic and entrancing gothic . . . Easily paced and richly layered, Gómez’s formidable novel debut will delight fans of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez, and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.” —Library Journal

“Set against the backdrop of the Bay Area in the late 1960s, Gómez explores the complicated nature of family and queerness in a story steeped in atmosphere and magic . . . Steeped in the history of the era, this quick read is perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Carmen Maria Machado.” —Booklist

“Muñeca blends gothic atmosphere with themes of love, loyalty, and power. This layered story follows a working-class Latine witch whose connection to a mysterious heiress leads her into a world where magic and sacrifice intertwine, creating a haunting and memorable narrative.” —Out South Florida

“Gómez’s historical scene-setting impresses” —Publishers Weekly

“[Muñeca has] an intriguing twist, though: The wielder of terrifying magic in the Miramontes home is no ghost, but a woman who must decide how far to take the power her grandmother taught her to use . . . this [is an] imaginative novel.” —Kirkus

“I went into this book cold when I saw it was a work of gothic horror by a Latine author. Should I have probably deduced from the title that it was going to involve a creepy ass doll? Pues si, But did I? Nope! Doll feelings aside, I’m glad I didn’t make the connection because I might have missed out.” —Book Riot

“Filled with longing and desire, Muñeca explores the true cost of freedom and the lengths we go to attain it. Cynthia Gómez’s writing is utterly hypnotic; from the very beginning, she had me completely under her spell.” —Monika Kim, author of Eyes are the Best Part

“What horrifying magnificence! Muñeca feels like an iconic classic you somehow missed—like We Have Always Lived in the Castle (if it was horny and intersectional) or Rebecca (if Rebecca had an actual protagonist). I adored it.” —Sam J. Miller, USA Today bestselling author of Blackfish City

“Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez is box with shining dangers inside. With captivating and alluring prose, Gómez stuns as a powerful new voice in horror!” —Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Vanishing Daughters

“Muñeca is the best sort of story: sexy, witchy, sapphic. A class-conscious fairy tale with teeth that I shall carry within my heart for years to come.” —Johanna van Veen, author of Blood on Her Tongue

“Muñeca takes the ‘one last job’ motif and spins it on its head with spells so believable that I can’t help but wonder what else Cynthia Gómez knows. A dizzying journey to finding love in spite of the systems that try to confine us. And the doll . . . the doll!” —Gus Moreno, author of This Thing Between Us

“Muñeca is a witchy exploration of love and found family that shows the fierce and rebellious reach of the female body and how profoundly important it is to love. Cynthia Gómez teaches us about gothic romance while taking sharp aim at its patriarchal constraints. I read it in one sitting.” —Rachel Eve Moulton, author of Tantrum

“A captivating, dark fairytale of a read wrapped in devastating magic and real life struggles. Tight and lovely, Cynthia Gómezdoes not disappoint.” —Donyae Coles, author of Midnight Rooms

“Under the pull of old charms, Muñeca is a haunting, seductive gothic of curses, desire, and the slow decay of colonial wealth. Cynthia Gómez entwines a working-class bruja with dangerous love and inherited power, weaving a story that consumed me—and the doll held me fast in her spell.” —Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro, author of Bochica

“A deliciously dark Gothic debut that goes deeper than the aesthetic, Muñeca is a feat of sorcery in and of itself—a taut, dread-filled tale constantly skirting the edges of desire and doom, one that kept me spellbound until the bloody, satisfying end.” —Victor Manibo, author of The Villa, Once Beloved

“Cynthia Gómez weaves real history, terrible magic, and swooning romance into a story that will capture readers like a spell . . . or a spiderweb. Muñeca is sure to satisfy Gómez’s longtime fans and win her plenty of new ones.” —Lindsay King-Miller, author of This is My Body and The Z Word

“The gothic elements [in Muñeca] reminded me of The Hacienda and Midnight Rooms: there is an unsettling feeling that persists throughout the book as Natalia must work to protect Violetta from those around her without getting caught.” —The Lesbrary