There are many different ways to view this book. You could take it too seriously and go deep into the history. You could hit it with all the points of what a true ‘Mexican  Gothic’ story should be. Yet, I am approaching this review as pure entertainment. I love reading more than watching movies.. but I love movies… this story read like a movie in my mind. 
     I picked up this book to be entertained and Canas did that. It was a slow burn, a pinch of predictability but in the end I finished the book entertained and ready for my next book. 

This won’t be sticking with me for years to come, but I didn’t think it was supposed to. Other reviewers are coming hard for Canas for not following some unspoken rules about how these time period books should be written, but I disagree. I also think you could take her author’s note and read that she too knows the importance of honoring history and mentions that this story is NOT for that… it is a haunted house, horror, thriller, magical story set in Mexico in 1820s.
      So for me, wonderful debut. I would recommend to anyone who needs to just step away from all the heavier books and get a little scaredwith The Hacienda.