The House of Gardenias

by Isabel Cañas

“This is gothic storytelling with a lyrical and devastating tale of one maid caught in a spiderweb of loyalty, courage, revolution, and monsters both dead and alive.” —Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The House Saphir

A stunning young adult 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.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Paranormal

Audible Audio

Expected publication September 29, 2026

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.

Reviews

[megs_bookrack]

ARC received. Thank you, Dutton Books for Young Readers!!

I always look forward to Isabel Cañas's latest releases, and I'm so happy to see she's going to be entering the YA-space. I can't wait!

[₊ ˚ ale ࿓ ♡ ⋆｡˚]

‎ ‎ ‎ ⌗‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ──🍋‍🟩🐈‍⬛ᝰ .ᐟ pre-read.
I GOT THE ARC, OMGGGG. YASSSS.

thanks to netgalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers for an arc in exchange of an honest review!

[Erin Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨✨A new fave author for me!!!✨✨

What a fantastic YA gothic novel!! The Possession of Alba Díaz was one of my favorite reads last year, so I knew I had to get my hands on The House of Gardenias. I’m so happy that I got to read it!

The House of Gardenias is a gothic atmospheric dream! I really felt for Minerva. Also, I liked her relationship with Señora Encarnación and Ygnacio. This book was more emotional than I was expecting. It really had me in my feels. The ending!!!🥺 I highly recommend this one!

I need to read more from Isabel Cañas!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released September 29, 2026 .

[Ember · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel Cañas YA debut stands proudly amongst her other works. I could hardly stand to put this down - the audacity of work when I had this book waiting for me at home?! I couldn’t wait to get home and read!

Minerva’s character was complex, and Cañas did such a good job capturing her. I felt frustrated with her at times early on for ‘not caring’ about colonial rule over her country. But I think that is the quiet genius of what Cañas is teaching us, what she’s showing through this story.
When your basic fundamental needs aren’t met - food, water, a safe place to sleep, a safe place to live…it becomes much harder to care. Of course that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t, but what she so perfectly illustrates is the reason why capitalism is so cruel, so ethically and morally bankrupt; why this system of power and oppression needs us to be tired, to be hungry, to not be able to reliably care for ourselves. They count on it, so that we’ll be unwilling or even physically unable to do anything about their oppression. Too worn down to fight back in any way. Too tired and jaded to dream of a better future, a better world.
But our dreams and our work for a better future will ultimately succeed, and reading stories helps us dream up better futures and worlds we can make together✨

I think the above lesson is especially powerful in a YA book, when teens are learning about the systems that keep us downtrodden, hungry, and burnt out - so that they learn that we always have a choice. That even the smallest act of resistance can be the sparks to something greater.

Cañas also did a good job exploring the colonizing elites, and showing how complex a character like Señora Encarnación can be. I wanted to hate her for being racist and supporting the brutal colonization of modern day México. But I couldn’t fully hate her because she truly seemed to love Minerva, and cared for her as a person in a way Minerva so desperately needed. When she protected Minerva from her father, my heart softened towards her, and I have wrestled with her complex moral ambiguity ever since.
Señora Encarnación’s family was AWFUL, damn. There wasn’t a single one of them I pitied, and it was darkly satisfying to see them be confronted by their own karma in the end.

I desperately wanted Minerva and Filomena to make it (the sacrifices she made for the rebellion - pretending to be interested in Leoncio? Ack, girl was STRONG af), and I was devastated that neither Minerva or Filomena (and Minerva’s other brother, Armando) didn’t survive to see what they had helped fight for. But just that Minerva, a 17 year old of such a difficult life, found the grit and courage to stand and fight anyways, to help Arnulfo escape to do what he was meant to do, was powerful.
Together they fought colonial rule and freed their homeland.
Ygnacio was a great character, and even though he was trying to be scary in the beginning, I always liked him. I really did want to know the lore behind who Ygnacio’s ‘kin’ were in the sarcophaguses upstairs👀🫣 I’ll be casually wondering about that forever. 😅

I was glad the ghosts had the peaceful garden and library after the remainder of the people fled the house. I wish Arnulfo and Minerva could’ve spoken one more time. 🥺
That’s my only real criticism of this book - I truly wish it had been 15-20 pages longer. A proper epilogue, a little moment of unrushed goodbye between brother and sister, and perhaps a little glimpse into the hereafter our brave ghosts finally found themselves in.

Even though the end was sad, I did like how Cañas reminded us that death, while parting may be bitter indeed, is not a defeat. In death our heroes continued to fight for those they loved, and root out and defeat the colonizers that remained in la Casa de las Gardenias. As dear Gandalf says in LOTR ‘End? No, death is not the end. Death is merely another path, one that we all must take.’

Overall, this is another triumph from Isabel Cañas - a haunting tale about courage, human nature, finding your role in the stories unfolding around you, and helping each other make a better world.

📖The House Of Gardenias releases September 29th, 2026!
✨Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Reader’s Group, Dutton Books For Young Readers, and Isabel Cañas for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for my honest review!💜

[From The Reader’s Nest · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I’ve read by her and OBSESSED!!! Such an excellent book!

[Faiza · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up! I’m a huge fan of all of Isabel Cañas’ books and thought this was a great addition to her work. I will say it was probably my least favourite of her works though!

Vengeful spirits, political unrest, class struggles - there was a lot this story had working for it. I enjoyed a lot of elements but I think some aspects felt a bit abrupt. Namely some character dynamics and personalities (trying not to be too spoilery) felt kind they changed too quickly, maybe if this had been a tad longer the changes would have felt more natural. I also sorta saw the ending coming so was really hoping I’d be surprised by a twist, but alas it did end how I expected lol.

That said, the atmospheric descriptions were amazingly immersive as always. The horror aspects were spookily well done! Pacing was good and this was a quick read IMO. Had fun despite some of the shortcomings.

thank you penguin teen for the eARC!!

[Cassie G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

———

4.5 ★

———

This is the first book I’ve read by Isabel Cañas and consider me immensely impressed! The depth with which our characters are fleshed out is astounding, the setting atmospheric, and the story itself is thematically jarring. It poses great questions about the lengths we go for those we are loyal to, and how our loyalties shift when self-preservation takes priority.

For a book I read mostly at nighttime, the horror elements do not disappoint. The suspense builds, the uncertainty and unrest seep into every shadowed place. Though I enjoyed the pacing throughout most of this book, I do think the ending felt rushed. That selfish part of me wishes for just a little more. Still, a really well-done work, especially as a debut into the YA genre.

[She’s Stranger Than Fiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Isabel Cañas is gothic royalty. This novel is her best yet. As political unrest surges through Colonial Mexico, Minerva, an impoverished maid, is brought to the stronghold of the viceroy’s family. There is something very wrong with the house and its occupants. The atmosphere is incredible as is the growing tension. Cañas shows full mastery of the slow burn, ratcheting things up while keeping the reader on tenterhooks. She keeps to the gothic spirit, relying on the claustrophobia produced by both the house and the events swirling within and outside it. There is very little gore, and the book is the better for it. This book is definitely a must read for gothic fiction fans.

This is my honest opinion of an uncorrected ARC. I would like to thank Isabel Cañas, Dutton Books, and NetGalley for allowing me this amazing opportunity.

[Nelly]

neeeeeedd September comw fasterrrr !!!!

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ I love Isabel Cañas books so when I saw this was a short YA I wasn’t sure what to expect but it definitely it exactly as it says. It still has her same beautiful writing style with that gothic dark atmospheric vibes with supernatural elements. However, I think she THRIVES in a romantic subplot and since this didn’t really have that I was a little starved of her usual writing. It’s like when you eat and it doesn’t fill you up but leaves you content for now. 😅 that’s how I feel

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so incredibly much to NetGalley and the publisher of this book for the eARC.

I adore Isabel Cañas, and I have ever since I read Vampires of El Norte, so seeing there was an eARC for her first YA gothic horror novel had me requesting it immediately. The House of Gardenias had me sucked into Minerva's difficult and challenging life from the start, following her as she tries to make her life easier during the Civil War, which in turn leads her to the House of Gardenias and horrors ensue. If went in blind I would have never known this book was a YA gothic horror, which is NOT a bad thing. This is an excellent first YA novel from this author.

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book I've read by Isabel Cañas and I think it's safe to say I'm a fan by now. All her books have fairly similar themes, like a star-crossed love affair and haunted house, but she does Mexican gothic horror so well, I would read the phone book if she wanted to take a stab at that, if people under 35 know what a phone book is.

My only criticism of this book is that for a YA debut, I thought it was rather dark for YA. The only thing YA about it really was Minerva's age, she starts the book as a sixteen-year-old and it follows her into 20 as she claws her way into coming of age.

In a Mexico-inspired land ripped apart by civil war, Minerva's brothers run away to join the insurgents and she escapes her abusive father to join the household of an elderly woman from the old regime. She is a bitter old woman but she is kind to Minerva and teaches her to play a game called Mice and Hounds. Minerva stays loyal to her even when she discovers the true source of the family's wealth, chispa, which is "mined" to provide electricity. The old regime seizes power and the old woman lives with her scheming family again in an ornate house full of secrets and ghosts.

There Minerva becomes acquainted with a terrifying specter in the house, Ygnacio, and she soon learns that the ghosts are preferable to the living. When her patron dies, she must learn how to become a Hound.

I loved Minerva's determination and female rage, though I wish I had gotten to know her backstory better. At first she seems like a mousy, timid thing but she has a will to survive and becomes an instrument of revenge. Her sweet slow-burn romance with the ghost wasn't a big part of the story, they never even kissed, but I found their friendship very tender.

This author excels at setting a spooky Gothic atmosphere and then ramping up the telenovela melodrama to keep you at the edge of your seat.

Some minor quiggles I questioned, like it seemed like still hanging on to ancient sarcophogi was this family's Achilles heel, but I didn't mind it because I liked that they were stupid and evil and had what was coming to them. It also showed the complexity of people by making the old lady the good person of that bunch.

What an ending, too.

I eagerly await Ms. Cañas's next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amanda Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn into The House of Gardenias by two things: the beautiful cover and the phenomenal author that wrote it. Isabel Cañas delivers her readers another gorgeously written gothic tale, debuting Gardenias as her first YA gothic horror! It’s haunting while also being thought provoking and fraught with turmoil in its portrayal of a city resembling colonial Mexico that’s fallen to political violence. Leaving those living in the slums suffering the most for it, which is where we meet Minerva.

After her older brothers leave without a word, 16 year old Minerva is left with 8 younger step-siblings. Not having time for political concerns, she looks for an escape from her abusive father and step-mother. Minerva soon finds herself filling her belly for the first time after being miraculously hired as a maid to a well-off widow whose loyalty lies with the very people who would view her as scum. With the city falling into deeper unrest, Minerva is forced to escape the only place she’s felt safe for a temporary stay at la Casa de las Gardenias, an ancient estate where she will wait out the danger and care for Encarnación dell Valle.

But they aren’t the only ones staying there. Between more family of dell Valle’s and the staff of the house, we start to peel back the horrors hiding behind everyone’s walls… including the house that’s watching them.

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.

~Thank you Dutton Books for Young Readers for the eARC! All opinions within this review are my own~

[BookishKB]

🌺🏚️ The House of Gardenias 🏚️🌺

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• Gothic Horror
• Haunted House
• Creepy Estate
• Historical Fantasy
• Political Upheaval
• Ancient Evil
_ _ __

📅 Pub Date: September 29, 2026
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Morgan Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I realize that almost everything Isabel Cañas writes is somewhat similar—1700s–1800s Mexico, war, ghosts, vampires, and demons—and yet I eat it up every single time. 😂

*House of Gardenias* was no exception. 10s across the board. The characters were fully formed and compelling, the atmosphere was spooky without ever being truly scary, and the scenes were so beautifully painted that I could see everything in my head.

If Isabel Cañas writes it, I want to read it. No notes. ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group and Dutton Books for the advance copy. I loved it!

[Michael Parisi Mercado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appreciated the ARC! Really enjoyed Isabel Cañas’ new book where I felt attached to Minerva and Ygnacio’s relationship. She did a nice job at drawing you into the story. This is the second book I have by this author and excited to read more of hers!

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: The House of Gardenias by Isabel Cañas

The House of Gardenias was always going to be a highly anticipated read for me because Isabel Cañas is an auto-read author at this point. Her ability to combine historical fiction, Gothic horror, and the violence of history into something genuinely atmospheric is one of the things I love most about her books, and that is absolutely present here. Minerva is a young girl trying to survive an abusive home and a country descending into political violence when she takes a position as a lady’s maid to the wealthy Encarnación del Valle. When they retreat to the del Valle family estate, Casa de las Gardenias, Minerva discovers that the political monsters outside the house may not be nearly as frightening as the ones inside it. The house is full of ghosts, secrets, and a family whose wealth is inseparable from the systems of power and violence that have made everyone else suffer. Cañas does atmosphere exceptionally well. The house feels claustrophobic and alive, and I loved the slow realization that the haunting is not just there to scare Minerva, but is intimately connected to the history of the people who built and inhabited the house.

What I liked most was the way the book approaches courage as something more complicated than simply being brave. Minerva has spent her entire life believing that her supposed cowardice is what keeps her alive. She stays quiet, avoids politics, obeys the people who have power over her, and focuses on getting through one day at a time. And honestly, I understood her. When you are poor, abused, and completely dependent on other people for your survival, political ideals can feel like a luxury. But as Minerva becomes increasingly aware of what the del Valle family represents and what is happening outside the house, she can no longer convince herself that staying uninvolved means staying safe. Her eventual decision to help Arnulfo escape and participate in the rebellion becomes a really satisfying evolution because she doesn’t suddenly stop being afraid. She simply decides that there are things more important than her own survival. I also appreciated how Cañas connects the supernatural to colonialism, class, and violence. Ygnacio initially appears to be another terrifying presence in the house, but learning his history transforms him from monster into someone who was himself brutalized by the same systems the novel is criticizing. The ghosts aren’t simply there to punish the living. They are the past refusing to disappear.

My biggest criticism is that I wanted this book to be longer. There are so many interesting pieces here that I kept wishing Cañas would slow down and let them develop. Minerva’s relationship with her brothers, Ygnacio’s history, Filomena’s connection to Arnulfo, and especially the mysterious creatures Ygnacio calls his “kin” all felt like they could have supported a much larger story. The Filomena reveal particularly bothered me because her sacrifice should have been devastating, but we only learn afterward that she and Arnulfo were romantically involved. It felt like the book was asking me to feel an emotional connection that it hadn’t actually given me enough time to build. I also found the chispa mythology interesting but not completely satisfying, and once Ygnacio becomes more sympathetic, some of the horror loses its teeth. I still loved the Gothic elements, but I don’t think this was quite as psychologically unsettling as The Hacienda or The Possession of Alba Díaz. That may partly be the YA structure. The ideas are there, but sometimes the execution feels compressed.

And then that ending. I actually liked where Cañas took it, even though I desperately wanted more time with it. Minerva, Filomena, and Armando don’t survive the revolution, and Minerva never gets the final goodbye with Arnulfo that I wanted for them. But I think there is something really powerful in refusing to frame their deaths as a defeat. They fought for a future they ultimately don’t get to experience, and the ghosts who remain behind at Casa de las Gardenias continue to exist in the garden and library after the living flee. The dead aren’t erased. They become the ones who remain, watching over the place and continuing to resist the people who brought so much violence there. Death becomes another form of resistance. I wish we had gotten another 20 or 30 pages to actually sit with that ending because it moves so quickly, but thematically I thought it worked. Overall, this is probably my least favorite of Cañas’s books, which says more about how much I love her other work than it does about this one. The atmosphere, historical horror, and underlying ideas are still exactly why I will continue to pick up anything she writes. I just wanted The House of Gardenias to give those ideas a little more room to haunt me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

[Ariela Strombeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC!

The House of Gardenias is a historical gothic novel set during the Mexican War of Independence. As someone who loves historical fantasy and gothic fiction, this premise immediately caught my attention: a haunted manor, political upheaval, and a supernatural mystery unfolding against the backdrop of a nation in transition. Unfortunately, while I loved the premise, the execution left me wanting more. In some ways, I felt that the YA aspect of the novel held the story back from reaching its full potential. The novel frequently returned to character dynamics and tropes that are common in YA fantasy, but those choices often undercut the tension and horror. Overall, I feel like this will 100% work for some readers but it just felt a bit flat for me.

Minerva
Growing up in poverty and in an abusive household, Minerva feels that she does not have the luxury of engaging with politics; her focus is survival. In theory, I found this compelling. However, in practice, her characterization often felt reactive rather than proactive. Many of her decisions seemed driven by the needs of the plot rather than by a clearly defined worldview. This stood out even more because so many of the characters around her hold strong political beliefs and allegiances. By the end of the novel, I still wasn't entirely sure where Minerva stood ideologically.

Arnulfo
A similar issue affected Minerva's relationship with her brother, Arnulfo. Much of her motivation revolves around protecting him, yet their relationship never felt fully developed. It's not that Arnulfo is a weak character (I actually wish we got a 3rd POV from his perspective) the problem is simply that we spend so little time with him that the emotional stakes of their relationship never landed as strongly as I wanted it to.

Ygnacio
I understood what the novel was attempting to do with Ygnacio. As we learn more about his history, he becomes less a monster and more a victim of colonial violence. I appreciated the novel's effort to humanize someone who was brutalized by the systems around him. However, for me, that shift also diminished much of the horror. Ygnacio begins the novel as an unsettling presence haunting the house, but as his backstory unfolds he increasingly occupies the role of a lonely, sympathetic boy. While I can see the intention behind that choice, it left me feeling less frightened than I expected from a gothic horror novel. The novel attempts to transfer that sense of dread to the other creatures Ygnacio refers to as his "kin," but they never felt like a fully realized threat. They appear throughout the story, yet I rarely felt the looming sense of danger that their presence seemed intended to create. As a result Ygnacio became too sympathetic to remain frightening, while the creatures that were meant to replace him as the primary source of fear never quite filled that role. I also found myself wishing the novel spent more time exploring the everyday realities of colonialism that created Ygnacio's suffering in the first place. The historical backdrop is fascinating, and the novel gestures toward the violence and inequities of the period, but I often felt those ideas remained at the edges of the story.

Plot
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. Another good example of this issue is the character of Filomena. For much of the novel, she exists primarily as a servant who belittles Minerva for her lower status. Later, she helps Minerva escape and is killed in the process. Only afterward do we learn that Filomena and Arnulfo were romantically involved. In theory this revelation should add emotional weight to her death, but because the relationship received no development beforehand, the moment never had the impact it seemed intended to carry . We just find it out in retrospect and it’s like… oh. That sucks.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession to make: if Isabel Cañas announced she was rewriting the phone book as a gothic horror, I'd probably request it before finishing the sentence.

She has become one of those rare authors for me—the kind whose name alone is enough. No synopsis needed. No reviews checked. Just me aggressively clicking the "Request" button and trusting the literary gods.

So when I realized she was venturing into YA territory, I had mixed feelings. Could the queen of atmospheric nightmares, haunted houses, and morally questionable people tone herself down?

The answer is yes.

And thankfully, also no.

The House of Gardenias still carries Isabel Cañas's unmistakable fingerprints: lush prose, unsettling imagery, complicated families, and the kind of atmosphere that practically crawls off the page and sits beside you while you're reading. It just happens to center around a sixteen-year-old girl who deserves approximately one million hugs and an unlimited dessert budget.

Minerva is not your typical fearless heroine. She survives by keeping her head down, staying quiet, and making herself as invisible as possible. Considering she lives in a world full of violence and an abusive father who mistakes cruelty for parenting, you can't exactly blame her. Survival has been her full-time job for sixteen years.

And honestly? I loved that.

There is something so refreshing about a protagonist whose greatest strength isn't bravery—at least not at first. It's endurance. Watching Minerva slowly realize that surviving and living are two entirely different things became one of my favorite parts of the book.

Then she arrives at La Casa de las Gardenias.

Friends, if someone invites you to a remote mansion in the mountains where the family smiles too much, the servants whisper, and the shadows seem to breathe...

RUN.

Leave your luggage. Leave your dignity. Leave your favorite cardigan if you must.

Just. Run.

The house itself completely stole the show for me. Isabel Cañas could probably write 400 pages about wallpaper, and I'd still be invested. Every hallway, every creaking floorboard, every dark corner felt alive. There is an oppressive, almost suffocating quality to the setting that had me reading "just one more chapter" at midnight, knowing full well I was going to regret it when I inevitably had to walk to the bathroom in the dark.

What I continue to admire about Cañas's writing is how effortlessly she weaves larger themes into her stories. This isn't simply a haunted house novel. It's about class, power, colonialism, survival, and the impossible choices people make when they're given only terrible options.

Because let's be honest: politics are a luxury when you're starving.

Minerva doesn't care who's in charge of the country. She cares about having food in her stomach and a roof over her head, and that perspective made the story feel incredibly human.

The first half is admittedly slower and more atmospheric than terrifying. If you're expecting nonstop jump scares and blood splattering across the walls every twenty pages, this may not be your book. Isabel Cañas prefers to sharpen the knife slowly while smiling politely at you.

And when things finally begin to unravel?

OH, THEY UNRAVEL.

By the final third, I was completely invested. The tension skyrockets, the mysteries begin to click into place, and suddenly I remembered why Isabel Cañas has become one of my favorite voices in gothic fiction.

Also—and I say this with affection—I would like to formally invoice this author for the emotional damages inflicted upon me by the ending.

Overall, The House of Gardenias gave me strong Isabel Allende and Laura Esquivel vibes—the kind of stories where history, folklore, family legacies, politics, and the supernatural sit together at the same dinner table and somehow make perfect sense. There is a dreamy, almost magical quality beneath all the darkness that reminded me why Latin American gothic fiction feels so unique. Isabel Cañas continues to prove she belongs in that literary conversation, creating stories that are not only haunting but deeply rooted in culture, memory, and resilience. Add a terrifying mansion, bloodthirsty secrets, and one unforgettable coming-of-age journey, and you have a book that will linger in your mind long after you turn the final page.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | Dutton Books for Young Readers for sharing this very intriguing YA horror's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Tera Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunted mansion high on a mountain, a strangely attractive ghost with a taste for vengeance, and a strong female lead who has nothing left to lose… what else could a girl want in a gothic fantasy?

I was really excited to receive an ARC of this novel. It follows the story of Minerva, a girl whose family has been forced to the slums by the revolution raging in her country. When she sees an advertisement for a position as a lady’s maid to a womanwho has fallen to the wrong side of the political tracks, she jumps at the chance to raise herself from near starvation. When the political wheel spins once again and the lady’s cousin again becomes leader of the country, Minerva follows her to a family estate, the House of Gardenias, but this place is far more than an old house. As Minerva learns more about the history of the family within, she starts to understand that the family who saved her might not be as noble as she originally thought.

I am really partial to Latin American fiction and even more partial to post colonial gothic fiction. I love the revolutionary tenor and the attention to the details particularly of female lives. I love how these novels show how the political affects the household / the personal.

This book is a good testament to how revolution can sound great in theory but be horrible for the common man. It is easy to have revolutionary sentiments when you are not starving to death. I liked seeing this reality lived by Minerva. I also really enjoyed watching as she realized that perhaps some things are worth personal sacrifice. The ways her life intersected with the political was really well thought out and really well written.

On a more gothic note, Minerva’s encounters with the supernatural in the House of Gardenias were creepy, yet also “human” enough as to keep my interest. Gothic novels tend to have evil that is nameless, faceless, and motiveless. Without spoilers, this novel doesn’t take that route. Minerva sees the evil, talks to it, understands it, even somewhat embraces it. Women are always cast in the role of redeemers in these books, as little pure balls of goodness in a dark world. They never seem to take vengeance themselves. Minerva is not those women. It’s refreshing.

One thing that I honestly needed more of in the book was an explanation of what “chispa” was. I may just be facing a language divide here. I get that chispa is like electricity. I also get that it has a supernatural quality in the book. But I needed more explanation than that. Where did it come from? How is it mined / concentrated/ gathered? Not having definitive info didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the book, but it did kind of annoy me that I was unclear about what this commonly referred to thing was.

In the same vein, I do have one more gripe, a gripe I pretty much have about every single gothic novel I have ever read. I thought more explanation about the magical / supernatural phenomena would have been interesting. I guess I am just a really logical person. I like to know why things work the way they do. I would have liked to have known the history of the House of Gardenias: its former habitants, its construction, etc. With that said, I enjoyed the book without more explanation, so who knows? It might have detracted from the great-as-is storyline.

In short, this book is really freaking good. If you want a gothic fantasy that is slightly creepy and utterly satisfying, this is the book for you.

5 stars

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something about Isabel Cañas and her writing where she build ups and slowly pulls you in leaving you staring off at the wall as your mind catches up. At least for me this is what I'm currently going through.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | Dutton Books for Young Readers for the chance to Arc. These are my own thoughts and review.

I have read all her works and she does beautifully in building the horror, pulling you in, and making it atmospheric, and bringing more than one element that work together.

This is a YA novel so keep that in mind. You follow the story of a young girl named Minerva who has gone through abuse and neglect from her parents, her older brothers have left her to fend herself at the abuse of her stepmother and to fend for food against her step siblings. She decides to leave the house for a better life and finds a flyer looking for a maid. She takes the chance and goes to Casa Azafrán where she meets señora Encarnación and convinces her of hiring her.

I enjoyed the relationship between Encarnación and Minerva, how she cared for her, taught her to be a better person, and showed her favorite pass time a game of mice and hounds. (Think of it as chess) Encarnación defended her from her father when she tried to take her back and gave her a better life. Even though there was a good part to Minerva's life at the same time there is a coup happening. The president has fallen and liberals are being disposed of, anyone associated with them will be killed.

Minerva's brothers Arnulfo and Armando are caught in the midst of this as Arnulfo survives and searches for her. She finds her and pleads her to go, but she refuses. Her mind is made that she has a good life currently and wouldn't like to go back. Soon Encarnación gets a letter that due to the coup and fall of the Valbuenistas the Del Valles are back in power and she is to go back to the House of Gardenias. They both pack their things and make the travel to the mountain top, where the grand eerie house sits.

This is where the horror begins The house, the spirits, and the harsh reality of the Del Valles come to light.

This book was a slow build up as the moving parts begin and everything begins to lay out for you. You get two POV of Minerva and Ygnacio. The horror doesn't start till 30% in and it is a house, spirits, take the land back type of horror. Where the spirits that live in that house know the secrets of that household, seek revenge, and want to feed on the chispa (the life/soul of Del Valles) Definitely think its a read that requires patience and time, but a good one. I love the ending and a bit sad it ended the way it did and also happy it ended the way it did.

[Hope Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this one. I really did. Unfortunately, The House of Gardenias and I have decided that we can be friends, but we're probably not exchanging Christmas cards.

First of all, THE HOUSE. Give that creepy old mansion a five-star review because it is doing the absolute most. Shadows? Secrets? Ghosts? Terrible vibes? Check, check, check, and PLEASE CHECK. Every time Minerva walked into another suspicious room, I was basically yelling at my Kindle, “Girl, we have been over this. DO NOT GO IN THERE.”

The atmosphere is easily my favorite part of this book. Cañas creates such a gorgeous, eerie setting that I could practically feel the humidity, the shadows, and the general sense that something terrible was waiting around the corner. The house has personality, and unfortunately its personality is “I have several murders in my walls.”

I also really liked Minerva. She's smart, stubborn, and increasingly done with everyone’s nonsense, which I can absolutely get behind. Her story has some great moments, especially as she starts realizing she doesn't have to simply accept the hand she's been dealt.

BUT.

This book is a slow burn. And I mean SLOW. Like, “Did I accidentally pause the book?” slow at times. The first half took its sweet time getting where it was going, and while I appreciate atmospheric buildup, eventually I was ready to shake the book and say, “Okay, we understand. The house is creepy. PLEASE PROCEED.”

Then we finally get to the big stuff and suddenly everything is happening at once. The ending felt rushed compared with how much time we'd spent building up to it. I wanted more time with some of the characters and more payoff from a few of the threads that had been dangling around.

There were also moments when the romance wasn't quite giving me what I wanted. I went in expecting more swoon and got more “we are surrounded by ghosts and political upheaval, so maybe let's deal with that first.” Fair enough, I suppose.

Still, there is plenty here to enjoy. The writing is beautiful, the atmosphere is chef's kiss, and the combination of ghosts, history, political unrest, and one deeply suspicious house makes for a pretty unique reading experience.

Three stars feels right for me. I admired this book considerably more than I actually loved it.

Would I recommend it? Sure.

Would I personally move into the House of Gardenias?

Absolutely f*&*%$! not.

I have seen enough horror movies to know that the minute the house starts whispering, I am putting it on Zillow and moving approximately 700 miles away.

[Tara Baja · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House of Gardenias is Isabel Cañas YA debut, and I'll be honest, I couldn't get into it at first. It seemed a little too political for me, with the hostility between the Viceroyalty (rich and powerful) and the Valbuenvistas (poor and powerless). While the setting is never mentioned specifically, you see the South American context. For example, Spanish is used sporadically between characters, neighborhoods and even mansions i.e La Casa de Gardenias (The House of Gardenias).

The book is broken into five parts with the viewpoints of a young man named Ygnacio, and a young girl named Minerva, which is who the book mostly focuses on. She's from a poor family, abused by her father, hated by her stepmother, and misses her older brothers terribly. She's tired of being hungry and yearns for a better life. In what she thinks is a selfish decision, she decides to run away to become a maid. She eventually finds herself working for an older woman who happens to be a part of the injust Viceroyalty.

Señora Encarnacion is a part of the Del Valle family, and her cousin is the all powerful Viceroy. An enemy to the poor who mistreats the Valbuenvistas. Minvera doesn't care, she just does her work, keeps her head down and pays no attention to politics. That is until la revolución begins and one of her brothers finds her. He's joined the resistance and wants to keep her safe. But Señora has been invited to go to the Del Valle family home in the mountains for safety, La Casa de Gardenias and takes Minerva with her.

When they get there, Señoras family are super shady and you can tell they don't like her and vice versa. Even the servants are shady to Minerva. Regardless of the shadiness of La Casa's residents, it's the shadows that should be created. This is where I finally got into the book. Ygnacio and Minvera finally meet around part three and from there the story really picks up! It may remind you a little of Mexican Gothic, but in my opinion, a lot more political and less "romantic".

This is not a love story. Nevertheless, it doesn't take away how beautiful the it is and how much I cried at the end. If NetGalley, Isabel and her publishers, Penguin Young Readers Group | Dutton Books for Young Readers hadn't offered the book as an advanced copy in reciprocity for my honest review, I would have never heard of it. I'm thankful my request was accepted. As a Latina, I look for Latinx authors to support, and with this book, I've definitely become a fan!

[Lilah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you very much to the author and publisher, and to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The House of Gardenias is a historical gothic thriller set in an undefined colonial Latin American country. It follows Minerva Treviño, a sixteen year-old girl, as her pursuit of a better life eventually leads her to the eponymous Casa de las Gardenias. The house is inhabited by colonisers, but bears a dark, harrowing secret.

This novel’s best feature is its choice subject matter. While much horror media has featured indigenous resentment, rarely has it been platformed to be told by own voices. In this novel, the colonial themes need not be limited to one country; Cañas’s choice to not define a country is a wise one, making the story’s messages applicable across all of Latin America and indeed in many other postcolonial places where indigenous voices are silenced and land is stolen.

I also appreciated Cañas’s atmospheric writing. Like other reviewers, I would call this novel more gothic than horror, especially in its second half. The horror elements are significantly subdued by the reveal halfway through, for better or worse depending on what the reader is looking for.

Despite the novel’s excellent premise, I found the structure and writing fairly jarring. The first half is considerably slower than the second, and quite preventably so. There is a lot of syntactical repetition, wherein things are repetitively elucidated upon more than I’d prefer. I also found my immersion quite jarringly broken by the repeated and evidently deliberate (by virtue of their consistency) changes in narration tense from third person present to first person past to first person present, then past again.

While I initially had the impression that the novel was overwritten based on the aforementioned repetition, I now believe that its word count was perhaps somewhat misguided. I would have liked to see the characters of the other staff in the house, including Sara, Filomena, and Cosme, more fleshed out than they were, while perhaps trimming some of the more flowery meditations from the first half.

Overall, this is a solid novel well-suited to its teenage target audience. It addresses themes such as colonialism, resistance, survival, and loyalty in a manner that is suitable for teenage readers while remaining sufficiently educational.

Rating: 3.5 stars

[Tye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing an ARC for review

This is my first Isabel Cañas book and it surely won't be my last.

The House of Gardenias is set a post-colonial Mexico with political unrest. It is a haunting blend of historical fiction and gothic horror--two of my favorite things.

What first stood out to me--aside from the lyrical and haunting writing--was that Cañas did not shy away from the harsh realities of war despite this being a YA novel. Rarely while I was reading was I even reminded that I was reading a YA novel. This book is dark and often quite gruesome. I appreciate that the author trusts her audience with such serious themes.

Minerva was a protagonist that I really loved. It's not often you get to follow a main character whose main goal is to blend in and be invisible. She didn't care about politics or the reasons for war. She just wanted to survive. But that didn't mean she was a doormat. Minerva was quite courageous and strong when she had to be. And I liked that her motivations remained entirely selfish in that she was just trying to protect the people she cared about.

Ygnacio was the second POV we followed and I feel a little conflicted on his character. Or, rather, his personality. His more charming and boyish tendencies felt a little out of place and dialogue sometimes felt anachronistic to the time period. It was during interactions with him and Minerva that I sometimes was taken out of the story a bit.

But conceptually (and without spoiling), I loved Ygnacio. His place in the story was really interesting.

My favorite part of gothic horrors is, of course, the atmosphere and I can tell Cañas is a master of her craft. Her writing is lyrical and subtly unsettling--just as the genre demands it to be.

I do, however, feel the ending might have been a bit rushed. I liked the ending, but it did seem to be over before it even started which heavily contrasted with the slower pace of the rest of the novel.

Regardless, Cañas has made a fan of me and I look forward to now checking out the rest of her works.

[Alexandra Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

****Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an advanced eArc in exchange for my honest opinion****

I am continually being impressed by Isabel Canas, whether it's her recent adult or YA books. I am here for her uphill climb!

5 Stars. I have zero notes. This was a perfectly paced, spooky book. I got the chills, I caught myself looking over my shoulder or jumping at loud sounds. That is all you can ask for in a horror book.

I thought the events in the background of this story created the perfect tension for the plotline of the House of Gardenia's. The instability of not knowing who is running the government, Minerva slowly going from not caring about politics to understanding that no matter who runs it nothing changes for the better. To her getting that spark of fire in her soul to tear the whole thing down and try again. Yes! I love her perspective on this, she grew up in the lowest class so she has that mindset of giving everything up for a chance at something better. But she does not shy away from the comforts she received with Senora Encarnacion either. Very realistic and mixed human emotions.

I was thoroughly freaked out before I knew what was stalking Minerva. The face in the mirror, the echoing footsteps, the cold sensations. Ygnacio I liked from the start, the hunger for what was taken from him. The care he eventually had for Minevera, the ache of rightful revenge against the De Valle's. I also enjoyed how Minerva didn't get cowed into doing something she didn't want to do. She stood up for herself and what she believed in with ferocity!

I thought the Chispa was a really intriguing concept for this book. I didn't know what to expect with it but when I found out what it really was I was shocked.

The setting was stunning. No notes. I fell into the vine filled jungles with toxic bright butterflies, colorful birds of prey and the ever there mist, the gardenia strewn house with long dark hallways, shifting shadows and compressed sound.

10/10 recommend for Spooky-tober.

[Jazlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House of Gardenias was such an atmospheric and compelling gothic horror. I especially loved the relationship between Minerva and Señora Encarnación. Their bond was one of my favorite parts of the story, and I appreciated how Isabel Cañas allowed their relationship to be complicated rather than simply good or bad.

Cañas does a great job exploring colonialism, class, power, and the ways those systems affect the people living under them. Señora Encarnación supports a brutal colonial system, making it difficult to sympathize with her, yet she genuinely cares for Minerva and provides her with the safety and compassion she has been denied for most of her life. She treated Minerva like family rather than simply as a maid.

The Casa de las Gardenias was another highlight. The estate had such an eerie, oppressive atmosphere, and I loved the feeling that something ancient and dangerous was lurking beneath the surface. The supernatural elements blended really well with the political unrest, making the story feel increasingly unsettling as it progressed. The house almost felt like a character of its own.

Señora Encarnación's family was absolutely awful, and I had very little sympathy for any of them. I also really enjoyed Ygnacio and was intrigued by the mystery surrounding his kin and the three sarcophaguses upstairs. I would have loved to learn even more about them and their lore!

The book is definitely a bit of a slow burn, but the ending made it worth it for me. And that ending?! Unexpected, but wow. I definitely did not see it going that way. My heart broke for Minerva and Filomena, and I found myself hoping things would work out differently for them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It’s a story about colonialism, class, power, and survival. Minerva is a character I’m still thinking about, and I think that says a lot about how well Cañas wrote her. The atmosphere, complicated characters, and unexpected ending ultimately made this a 5-star read for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Teen for the arc. All opinions are my own.

[Rowan's Bookshelf (Carleigh) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you publishers via Netgalley for the ARC!

Isabel Cañas is quickly becoming one of my very few auto-buy authors, and *House of Gardenias* absolutely did not disappoint. It has everything I love about her work: a haunted, oppressive atmosphere, rich cultural elements, complicated characters, and a good amount of macabre romance.

Minerva, a poor girl in a fictional country that feels rooted in Latin American history and culture, faces political unrest and her employer (and kind of friend). She places her trust and safety in the hands of an older woman who needs an assistant, and the two become close. But when they are forced to flee to the House of Gardenias, Minerva finds herself dealing with much more sinister things than hunger, fear, or insurgents.

I loved this, which is exactly what I expected from Cañas. Nobody writes an old haunted house quite like she does. The atmosphere is incredible from the start: heavy, eerie, and full of the feeling that something is wrong just beneath the surface. The world feels imaginative and unique without being so far removed from reality that it loses its cultural relevance.

The characters are also really well developed. Everyone has their own motivations, history, and reasons for making the choices they do, and nothing is ever completely black and white. I especially liked that the story takes a turn partway through that I was not expecting, but it still felt natural to the book and made me even more invested in where it was going.

I am a little unsure why this is being marketed as YA beyond Minerva being around seventeen. There is not much gore and no sexual content, but the themes and writing feel mature enough that I think teens and adults could both enjoy it equally. It is thoughtful, atmospheric, and much more emotionally layered than a lot of books that get placed under the YA label.

Overall, I absolutely lovedthis. Instant buy.

[vlm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The House of Gardenias is a haunting, atmospheric gothic novel that blends supernatural horror with historical fiction in a way that feels both unsettling and deeply emotional. Isabel Cañas once again proves she has a gift for creating immersive settings filled with creeping dread, rich folklore, and unforgettable characters.

Minerva is an easy protagonist to root for. After escaping an abusive home, all she wants is safety, food, and a chance at a better life. Watching her grow from a frightened girl into someone determined to face horrors both human and supernatural made her journey compelling from beginning to end. Her relationship with the sharp-tongued widow Encarnación is one of the highlights of the novel. Their bond develops naturally and brings warmth to an otherwise dark and dangerous story.

The Casa de las Gardenias is every bit the gothic mansion readers hope for. It is filled with secrets, unsettling magic, sinister family dynamics, and an ever-present feeling that something is lurking just beyond sight. The atmosphere is wonderfully eerie, with plenty of tension that kept me turning the pages.

What makes this story stand out is how it balances its ghostly horrors with themes of survival, power, oppression, family, and resilience. The political unrest and social inequality add real weight to the story without overshadowing the supernatural elements. Everything works together to create a world that feels vivid and believable.

If you enjoy gothic fiction with unforgettable settings, complex characters, chilling folklore, and slow-building suspense, The House of Gardenias is one to add to your reading list. It is beautifully written, emotionally resonant, and deliciously creepy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Annmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a NetGalley arc.

Unputdownable. Maybe the best book I've read this year.

I started reading this before a plane trip and had a hard time having to put it down to leave the plane. I wanted to know what happened next and what would happen to the characters.
Fast paced, spooky, unexpected, interesting, attention grabbing, well written.
If you liked the vibe of Blood Over Bright Haven, I think you'll like this one. The stories aren't alike but there's a similar feel to it that's hard to describe.

Minerva is desperate to survive an unkind world. She lives in a poor and abusive family, her only respite were her older brothers who left her behind one day and never looked back, so she's determined to get out and survive. She finds a flier for a maid wanted in a rich part of town and flees desperately while the others are sleeping to take the role. This is her chance, she can't go back now.
The Lady she ends up attending to is the cousin of the old Viceroy, who was ousted in favor of the new President, she's still loyal to the viceroy though. Her new employer develops a soft spot for Minerva and for once in Minerva's life she knows comfort and companionship and what it's like to go to bed and not be hungry. She used to hate all the rich and powerful because they were greedy and ruthless to those deemed beneath them, but maybe they're not all bad.
There's a coup and the old viceroy and his men fight for power and start a war, the lady is called back to the family house in the mountains for safety during the time of unrest in the city. The house of Gardenias is an imposing building with a presence of its own.
things rapidly devolve and Minerva finds herself alone and without an ally again in a house that is not what it seems with enemies around every corner, she must find a way to survive and exact her revenge along the way.