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Book: “The House of Gardenias” by Isabel Cañas
Publishing Info: Dutton Books for Young Readers, September 2026
Where Did We Get This Book: We received ARCs from the publisher at ALAAC26
Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound
Book Description: Sixteen-year-old Minerva has spent her whole life in the slums of the capital city of an unnamed country that resembles colonial Mexico. Though she lives in the shadow of constant government turmoil, her empty belly and her father’s brutality don’t leave time for politics—especially since her older brothers ran away. Minerva can’t take another beating or miss another meal, so she steals flees to a wealthy loyalist neighborhood to win a job as a lady’s maid to an elderly widow.
Minerva and Encarnación del Valle—the proud and acerbic widow—form an unlikely duo. They are both survivors in their own ways, stubborn and used to being underestimated. For a time, Minerva is happy. She has food and safety in a house lit and warmed by magical chispa. Why should she care who runs the country or how her employer afford the magic?
But when the viceroy sweeps back into power on a wave of horrific bloodshed that sweeps away any hope Minerva had of seeing her brothers again, Encarnación retreats to the del Valle’s mountainside estate, the Casa de la Gardenias. Minerva finds herself surrounded by dozens of more experienced servants and the cruel, scheming younger del Valles, but the living are the least of anyone’s worries at the Casa de las Gardenias, and soon Minerva discovers that this ancient estate is home to forces far older and more bloodthirsty than the fascist del Valles or the liberal guerrillas amassing in the surrounding wilderness.
Serena’s Thoughts
This is only the second book I’ve read by this author, but I loved the first one I read so much that I felt fairly confident going in that I would enjoy this one too! I wasn’t quite sure how her style would transfer to YA, however. Many authors seem to get caught in the weeds a bit when transitioning from one to the other, but the change from adult to YA seems particularly challenging. Too often, authors seem to interpret the changes needed through a lens of simplification, which often really kills what made their work special in the first place. But I’m glad to say that here Cañas made this jump fairly seamlessly! Other than the age of the characters and perhaps a very small tamping down of some of the horror, this reads first and foremost like an “Isabel Cañas” book and only secondly as a YA horror story.
And for me, the part that stands out the most between the adult book I’ve read by this author and this one is Cañas’s beautiful, atmospheric writing. “Lush” is a word that is probably thrown around too much, but I think it applies here. But what really stands out is the way that she uses this sense of atmosphere to ratchet up the tension and dread. The reader feels a real “presence” in the book, and this feeling only adds to the building horror.
But in a lot of ways, this book was also fairly tailor-made for me. I love a gothic story with a creepy mansion. I adore leading characters whose greatest strength isn’t necessarily bravery or literal strength. And I enjoy stories that slowly unspool while also winding the cinch tighter and tighter.
I do still struggle a bit with some horror conventions that aren’t necessarily to my taste. Look, I’m a “generally happy story” reader, and horror novels aren’t that. But Cañas also does a fantastic job threading that needle in a way that leaves even the most dedicated “happily ever after” reader largely satisfied by the ending. If you’re a fan of this author or gothic YA horror, definitely give this one a go!
Kate’s Thoughts
Much like Serena, I was quite interested to see just what Isabel Cañas was going to do with a YA novel. Her adult horror novels are so damn good, and while I absolutely do find a fair share of YA horror that I like, I also know that sometimes authors, especially authors who also delve in the adult side of things, can perhaps course correct a little too far when thinking they have to parse down the genre for a teen audience. But I needn’t have worried, because “The Hosue of Gardenias” does feel like YA, but it doesn’t feel like it is underestimating the reader because of it.
I really enjoyed the horror beats of this novel, as well as the dark fantasy systems of magic, hauntings, revenge, and colonialism all wrapped up in a Gothic bow. Cañas takes a country that COULD be Mexico (it absolutely lines up but isn’t ever explicitly stated as such) and examines political upheaval, imperialism, classism, and the way that sometimes those who can’t afford to be political find themselves caught up in politics. Minerva, our protagonist, is a teenage girl from a poverty stricken and abusive home life (thanks to her father) who finds herself hired on by an elite family named the del Valles that just so happens to be leading a violent far right coup. Minerva thinks that so long as she keeps her head down and her employers happy this will be easy living and CERTAINLY better than her previous circumstances, but when they relocate to an imposing estate known as the House of Gardenias, and the political turmoil starts to hit home, she finds herself having to look into herself… and also finds herself face to face with an entity named Ygnacio who is hellbent on revenge against the del Valles due to the violence and oppression they have doled out over the years (and towards his past self). I really enjoyed Minerva’s character arc as she starts to realize just how rotten the colonial state and the del Valles family in particular are, and how this is a tale as old as time that we see over and over throughout history. Cañas once again does a great job folding the history in with the horror tale at present.
And the horror aspects were really well done too, as were the dark fantasy magical systems at hand. The isolation of the daunting House of Gardenias makes for the perfect Gothic backdrop, and Ygnacio’s powers, rage, and haunting was creepy and at times tense… But he is also the kind of ‘villain’ that has a point, and I found myself enjoying him as the story went on, especially as he and Minerva get to know each other more and start to want the same things, and their fates become entwined. Cañas doesn’t promise any happy endings here, so be warned that this horror tale will potentially rip your heart out for Ygnacio and Minerva alike. But even so, I found it to be very satisfying, both on the horror and political fronts. It just hit a lot of the right beats for me as the story went on, and I quite enjoyed it.
“The House of Gardenias” is another great read from Isabel Cañas, and certainly a successful jump into YA! We still have some Halloween season left, so go check it out!
Serena’s Rating 8: Full of atmosphere and building dread, I was pleased to see Cañas make the jump from adult to YA so easily!
Kate’s Rating 8: Isabel Cañas continues to dazzle me with her horror tales, and “The House of Gardenias” is a well done YA debut!
Reader’s Advisory
“The House of Gardenias” is included on the Goodreads list “2026 Gothic”.
