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linnaboobooks's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy to read and review.
Set in Mexico during the 1970s with its dangerous political climate, two very different people go through life in parallel. Things become more complicated for Maite after her next door neighbor goes missing, and Elvis has to further navigate his way as a mobster.
A typical noir type novel with the added setting of Mexico and the cultural aspects applied, I think this very well could be a better movie or miniseries than a novel. The ease of which I got through it was great, although I kept getting confused as to what exactly was going on and became lost. And times where I couldn't tell if or how things were tied together. So it was a bit messy to me at times to keep up with what was going on.
Maite, although a touch annoying, she happened to be surprisingly realistic in her daydreaming and somewhat vapid ways. Which added to the noir atmosphere, it fit and felt right. And the same with Elvis.
The author does a fantastic job in creating atmosphere, as I've learned from a previous novel of hers, and I continued to be amazed by this and her characters. The nuance brought out hits all the right points of the genre she's writing in. I'll continue to read anything she puts out that interests me. Also I must add the afterword is a must to read.
content warnings for politics, gun violence, violence, sexual harassment.
Set in Mexico during the 1970s with its dangerous political climate, two very different people go through life in parallel. Things become more complicated for Maite after her next door neighbor goes missing, and Elvis has to further navigate his way as a mobster.
A typical noir type novel with the added setting of Mexico and the cultural aspects applied, I think this very well could be a better movie or miniseries than a novel. The ease of which I got through it was great, although I kept getting confused as to what exactly was going on and became lost. And times where I couldn't tell if or how things were tied together. So it was a bit messy to me at times to keep up with what was going on.
Maite, although a touch annoying, she happened to be surprisingly realistic in her daydreaming and somewhat vapid ways. Which added to the noir atmosphere, it fit and felt right. And the same with Elvis.
The author does a fantastic job in creating atmosphere, as I've learned from a previous novel of hers, and I continued to be amazed by this and her characters. The nuance brought out hits all the right points of the genre she's writing in. I'll continue to read anything she puts out that interests me. Also I must add the afterword is a must to read.
content warnings for politics, gun violence, violence, sexual harassment.
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I purchased a copy of this book at a library book sale.
"Velvet Was the Night" follows Maite and Elvis in Mexico during the 1970's. Maite is a secretary who is barely scrapping by, and she is completely oblivious to the protests happening right outside her door. Her new neighbor, Leonora, asks Maite to watch her cat for her for a few days. But, when a few days turns into longer, Maite is thrust into a world she had no idea existed. Elvis has a violent way of getting what he wants, and when he is tasked with finding Leonora, he will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy to his boss.
This was a fantastic historical fiction, and the first historical fiction I have read that is set in Mexico. I did not even realize this story was inspired by true events until the author's note at the end, because this novel reads like an exciting, fictitious story all on its own. The fact that it is inspired by real events makes it all the more interesting.
Maite as a character was insufferable, but that kind of made the story progress in an interesting way. Maite has the habit of fabricating her life because her real life is not at all interesting and is in actuality kind of sad. Her whole motivation for wanting to find Leonora is because she needs the money Leonora promised her to pay for her car to be fixed. Even when Maite discovers that Leonora might be in trouble and is mixed up in some dangerous things, Maite is still really only motivated by money.
Elvis was such a complex, morally gray character. We all know what he is doing is wrong, and he should not be harming people in pursuit of truth, but he is also just this loveable guy that got mixed up in the wrong crowd in an attempt to survive. I really enjoyed his story arch and reading from his perspective.
This story, in spite of being a historical fiction, has some twists and turns that I did not see coming, and that kept me wanting to read more. Once I started, I could not put this book down. I was pretty happy with the ultimate resolution and where the story ended up.
I definitely recommend this story if you are looking for a peak into Mexico's corruption in the 1970's.
"Velvet Was the Night" follows Maite and Elvis in Mexico during the 1970's. Maite is a secretary who is barely scrapping by, and she is completely oblivious to the protests happening right outside her door. Her new neighbor, Leonora, asks Maite to watch her cat for her for a few days. But, when a few days turns into longer, Maite is thrust into a world she had no idea existed. Elvis has a violent way of getting what he wants, and when he is tasked with finding Leonora, he will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy to his boss.
This was a fantastic historical fiction, and the first historical fiction I have read that is set in Mexico. I did not even realize this story was inspired by true events until the author's note at the end, because this novel reads like an exciting, fictitious story all on its own. The fact that it is inspired by real events makes it all the more interesting.
Maite as a character was insufferable, but that kind of made the story progress in an interesting way. Maite has the habit of fabricating her life because her real life is not at all interesting and is in actuality kind of sad. Her whole motivation for wanting to find Leonora is because she needs the money Leonora promised her to pay for her car to be fixed. Even when Maite discovers that Leonora might be in trouble and is mixed up in some dangerous things, Maite is still really only motivated by money.
Elvis was such a complex, morally gray character. We all know what he is doing is wrong, and he should not be harming people in pursuit of truth, but he is also just this loveable guy that got mixed up in the wrong crowd in an attempt to survive. I really enjoyed his story arch and reading from his perspective.
This story, in spite of being a historical fiction, has some twists and turns that I did not see coming, and that kept me wanting to read more. Once I started, I could not put this book down. I was pretty happy with the ultimate resolution and where the story ended up.
I definitely recommend this story if you are looking for a peak into Mexico's corruption in the 1970's.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Police brutality, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Grief, Death, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual content
aislinn_mac2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
janagaton's review against another edition
2.0
big disappointment for me tbh/: didnt feel connected to any of the characters, nor did i really care about the plot. the cover is stunning & there are some notable quotes, but this one definitely fell flat for me. I'll still read her other books because I loved Mexican Gothic, but I'm really sad this one didn't live up to the hype.
courtneyyyyz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
3.0
Edit: Updating to a 3, every time I think about this book I'm annoyed by the "romance" aspect because of the age gap and its technically all I think about. So its hard to keep the four star when I only think about what I didn't like in the book.. (I talk about it more in the spoilers)
This was not what I was expecting but I enjoyed it regardless.
I enjoyed the characters and it was fun joining for the adventure as they worked to uncover what was going on. Some interesting twists and turns.
I did NOT like the romance part because as far as I could tell with the information provided the guy was only 19 and she was 30.. As someone in her 30's the idea of dating someone in the 20's let alone still in their teens is very off putting. Now its possible that he is a year or two older than that, but based on the fact that he was 17 when he joined the group and he mentioned only two years passing before he got to where he was now... I dunno.
I did really like their dynamic and wish he was older and there was a little more of it since it was a big part of the story without being a big part of the story, I dunno. Its weird feelings.
This was not what I was expecting but I enjoyed it regardless.
I enjoyed the characters and it was fun joining for the adventure as they worked to uncover what was going on. Some interesting twists and turns.
Spoiler
I did NOT like the romance part because as far as I could tell with the information provided the guy was only 19 and she was 30.. As someone in her 30's the idea of dating someone in the 20's let alone still in their teens is very off putting. Now its possible that he is a year or two older than that, but based on the fact that he was 17 when he joined the group and he mentioned only two years passing before he got to where he was now... I dunno.
I did really like their dynamic and wish he was older and there was a little more of it since it was a big part of the story without being a big part of the story, I dunno. Its weird feelings.
swell_gal's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I liked Elvis and no one else.
gilbertbg1's review against another edition
3.0
I have never read a noir mystery before, but I will pick up anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia ever writes. This book was very good, but I think the genre may not be for me. I spent the book metaphorically craning my neck, trying to see past the corners that blocked the real information from the page. The characters were wonderful, and the choice in how and when they meet was unique and lent a fun level of anticipation to the book, but in the end, I hoped for more. All in all, this was an interesting read, something totally new for me, and I truly enjoyed it.
pam2375's review against another edition
2.0
This is one of those reviews where I begin by saying, "It's me, not you"! I just did not care much for this book. It was dark and violent.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advanced readers copy. This book is scheduled to release in August 2021.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advanced readers copy. This book is scheduled to release in August 2021.