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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh MAN. This is my favorite Silvia Moreno-Garcia book by leaps and bounds. This is everything I wanted The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo to be. The tension was awful and heart-breaking, but it wasn't wholly predictable. I loved Vera and Salome and Jay and even Nancy, a little bit. I loved Marla and Joe. Tragedy loomed at the end of this book like a skyscraper, but I didn't know who wouldn't make it to the end until the final scene.
I can't wait for this book to come out so other people can read and experience this story.
I can't wait for this book to come out so other people can read and experience this story.
This is my latest favorite book!! The biblical storyline was sooo fascinating to me and I loved getting all of the political intrigue and backstory (though mostly fictionalized) about a bible anecdote I heard many times in church. The 1950s Hollywood storyline was also very compelling and I loved the common themes that connected the two timelines. The writing was also excellent and so evocative of the settings and emotions in the story. I felt so immersed! It was definitely intense at times and I couldn't put it down!!
I highly recommend this book!! It reminded me of a mash up of documentary style of Daisy Jones and the Six with the dual historical timelines in Husbands and Lovers and a little bit of the interpersonal dynamics in the Knives Out movie, but it's definitely its unique story and so well done!
While I think this is a really really great book I also think the biblical story was just so up my alley that's definitely influencing my review a lot so ymmv! Also I listened to the audiobook and highly highly recommend that since they have a full cast narration.
Also: if you start this book and are a little confused about all the characters and some of the political backstory, do not fret!! Just keep reading! Context is seam essly repeated a bit throughout so you'll know what's happening.
I highly recommend this book!! It reminded me of a mash up of documentary style of Daisy Jones and the Six with the dual historical timelines in Husbands and Lovers and a little bit of the interpersonal dynamics in the Knives Out movie, but it's definitely its unique story and so well done!
While I think this is a really really great book I also think the biblical story was just so up my alley that's definitely influencing my review a lot so ymmv! Also I listened to the audiobook and highly highly recommend that since they have a full cast narration.
Also: if you start this book and are a little confused about all the characters and some of the political backstory, do not fret!! Just keep reading! Context is seam essly repeated a bit throughout so you'll know what's happening.
I love every book this author writes. A masterpiece intertwining old Hollywood glam with a dark plot line.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed listening to this one! Loved the old Hollywood setting and how it shaped the characters and relationships, and how the author wove the ancient historical tale throughout as well. Even the most deeply flawed characters had very, very relatable vulnerabilities.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set in 1950s Hollywood it seems like every actress is vying for the role of Salome, a biblical figure known for her dance of the seven veils. The book is told between Nancy, the woman who wanted the part more than anything, and Vera an unknown Mexican actress who is thrust into the limelight. Back in the times of John the Baptist (who makes many appearances) we watch as the real Salome struggles with with the same situations Vera is portraying on the big screen. Every once and a while there was flashbacks from minor characters being interviewed in a documentary style setting about what happened on set and behind the scenes. These interludes helped add depth to the story and as a huge fan of documentaries I was here for it.
If you are going to read this book I would HIGHLY recommend going for the audiobook. It is narrated by a full cast and each one of the narrators deserves a standing ovation. Many of the negative reviews I saw said that it was slow moving or just not enough happened. I agree that it is slow moving and you don't get a satisfying ending, but the story was enthralling in a way that only Silvia Moreno-Garcia can write. I never knew what was going to happen next or even how the story was going to end (every guess I made along the way was wrong). The Seventh Veil of Salome felt like I was watching to a documentary-style show, full of all the intrigue, racism, and sexism that you would expect from 1950s Hollywood.
If you are going to read this book I would HIGHLY recommend going for the audiobook. It is narrated by a full cast and each one of the narrators deserves a standing ovation. Many of the negative reviews I saw said that it was slow moving or just not enough happened. I agree that it is slow moving and you don't get a satisfying ending, but the story was enthralling in a way that only Silvia Moreno-Garcia can write. I never knew what was going to happen next or even how the story was going to end (every guess I made along the way was wrong). The Seventh Veil of Salome felt like I was watching to a documentary-style show, full of all the intrigue, racism, and sexism that you would expect from 1950s Hollywood.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this book was going to be somewhat like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo which is one of my favorite books (as displayed on my profile).
Besides the old hollywood setting, it wasn't like that book at all, lmao. At least to me, it was more boring than TSHOEH, though that's probably because I was confused at the sheer number of people we had to keep track of, along with the messy formatting (which I'll go into more about later).
Let's get on with the review, shall we?
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Characters
Vera Larios
She was alright, I guess. That's my opinion on her; I didn't find myself hating her but I didn't find myself loving her either.
To me, she was just a rising starlet in Hollywood dealing with the pressure of the studio system and the racist comments being thrown her way. Which, don't get me wrong, I do have a problem with that (I remember visibly wincing at the comments made about her ethnicity in this book) but also I expected it, considering this book takes place in Hollywood 1955, which...wasn't the kindest towards POC actors/actresses.
My heart may have broke for her in the last few pages of the book whereshe witnesses Benny shoot Jay right in front of her and, as I said, I cringed at the comments/nicknames made about/given to her by other characters in the book. Other than that she was just okay to me.
Nancy Hartley
Let me tell you this. She was vile. While reading her POV, I balked at some of her actions and dialogue. But at the same time, I feel there could have been more to her you know?
To me, she seemed like a flat one dimensional villain that is written to contrast with Vera and provide a foil or something. Which, maybe that was the author's intention in the first place. But still, I feel there could have been much more that could have been written about her.
Throughout the book she brings up her past with her formerly famous tap dancer father who since has fallen out of the limelight. As a young girl, Nancy was enrolled in singing and dancing lessons by her father so she could carry on his long gone legacy, which she failed to do, leading to a soured relationship. I would've loved to see more glimpses into their relationship. She mentions a lot how she disappointed her father. Why not show how? Maybe we could have gotten a few flashbacks to a younger Nancy and as the flashbacks progressed, we can see her father become more and more dissappointed in her.
And this leads to my next idea. After these flashbacks of Nancy and her father, the book could've branched out to an older Nancy as she tries and fails to make it big in Hollywood. These moments can be connected to the failures she faced under the eyes of her father, which makes her failures in Hollywood all the more gut wrenching. Because, to Nancy and possibly the readers, it will feel like a double failure: both under the watchful gaze of her father and later under the pressure of Hollywood's golden age.
This inclusion, to me at least, would make Nancy at least a little more sympathetic. While reading, I felt sympathy for her, but very little. It also would add to her story and not make her seem like such a flat mean girl characters/foil to Vera. But this isn't a book about Nancy so idk. 🤷♀️
Salome
To be honest, I only read the first two chapters of her POV in full; the rest I just skimmed. Even then I was so bored that I sped read her chapters to get them out of the way.
I don't know. Reading about biblical politics bores me half to death and I tried (and failed) to understand the two chapters I didn't skim over. After those chapters I didn't even care anymore for her POV. Part of me wonders what would be different about this story if her POV wasn't included. The 1950s chapters intrigued me more (though not by much tbh).
Okay, there is one (1) thing I did understand in her POV and that's when she saw John the Baptist for the first time. And she was like 😍😍😍. Because she heard him speak for what? A few minutes? She's never met him properly before nor has she ever seen him in person. This is basically insta-love before it was coined that term.
Jesus Christ.
Plot
...What plot?
To me, there wasn't much of a plot in this book or maybe I'm just dumb and I missed it. The only thing I can think of isthe parallel between Salome witnessing John the Baptist getting beheaded and Vera watching Jay get shot. Even then, that's not really much of a plot in my eyes.
I believe the reason I couldn't identify a plot in this book was due to the VERY messy formatting of this book
First off, there's so much POV switching that it drove me insane. There were the three main POVs (Vera, Nancy, Salome) and then there were other POVs from side characters in the novel sprinkled throughout.
Switching between three POVs is fine with me. But then the author add in all the other snippets from these side/(very) minor characters, which are supposed to be first hand accounts of the events from the novel years in the future. But all these snippets do is describe things that are already happening in the story, that will happen in the story or that the reader can easily infer. They don't really add anything to the story itself and like Salome's POV, I wonder what the book would be like if they took these all out. I don't think there would be much of a difference.
Also the author switches constantly between first and third person POV. First person POV is used for the future accounts and third person is used for Vera, Nancy and Salome's chapters which detail the events of the novel as they unfold. (I say "chapters" loosely because this book is broken more into page breaks/sections than actual chapters).
This may not be the case for some people, but for me, having to read a third person chapter and then having a small account from first person POV and then switching back to third person confused the hell out of me, especially when I put the book down after the chapter. I feel this book could've benefitted from being in just third person POV.
It got a little better near the end of the book but the first half was still really messy to me.
Additional Details
I don't have much to say except for one thing. I wished the book delved a little more into Jay Rutland and his life. It did a little bit when it came to his relationships with his parents as well as his passion for piano. Other than that there wasn't much to latch onto and I wish we got more from him (even if it was just through a conversation with Vera).
On a different and more random note, every time I read "Jay Rutland" or "Jay", I thought of Jay Gatsby, lmao. It doesn't help that they're both rich.
Anyways, I'm sure I've blabbered enough so I'll stop the review/my ramblings here.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
- Connie
Besides the old hollywood setting, it wasn't like that book at all, lmao. At least to me, it was more boring than TSHOEH, though that's probably because I was confused at the sheer number of people we had to keep track of, along with the messy formatting (which I'll go into more about later).
Let's get on with the review, shall we?
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Characters
Vera Larios
She was alright, I guess. That's my opinion on her; I didn't find myself hating her but I didn't find myself loving her either.
To me, she was just a rising starlet in Hollywood dealing with the pressure of the studio system and the racist comments being thrown her way. Which, don't get me wrong, I do have a problem with that (I remember visibly wincing at the comments made about her ethnicity in this book) but also I expected it, considering this book takes place in Hollywood 1955, which...wasn't the kindest towards POC actors/actresses.
My heart may have broke for her in the last few pages of the book where
Nancy Hartley
Let me tell you this. She was vile. While reading her POV, I balked at some of her actions and dialogue. But at the same time, I feel there could have been more to her you know?
To me, she seemed like a flat one dimensional villain that is written to contrast with Vera and provide a foil or something. Which, maybe that was the author's intention in the first place. But still, I feel there could have been much more that could have been written about her.
Throughout the book she brings up her past with her formerly famous tap dancer father who since has fallen out of the limelight. As a young girl, Nancy was enrolled in singing and dancing lessons by her father so she could carry on his long gone legacy, which she failed to do, leading to a soured relationship. I would've loved to see more glimpses into their relationship. She mentions a lot how she disappointed her father. Why not show how? Maybe we could have gotten a few flashbacks to a younger Nancy and as the flashbacks progressed, we can see her father become more and more dissappointed in her.
And this leads to my next idea. After these flashbacks of Nancy and her father, the book could've branched out to an older Nancy as she tries and fails to make it big in Hollywood. These moments can be connected to the failures she faced under the eyes of her father, which makes her failures in Hollywood all the more gut wrenching. Because, to Nancy and possibly the readers, it will feel like a double failure: both under the watchful gaze of her father and later under the pressure of Hollywood's golden age.
This inclusion, to me at least, would make Nancy at least a little more sympathetic. While reading, I felt sympathy for her, but very little. It also would add to her story and not make her seem like such a flat mean girl characters/foil to Vera. But this isn't a book about Nancy so idk. 🤷♀️
Salome
To be honest, I only read the first two chapters of her POV in full; the rest I just skimmed. Even then I was so bored that I sped read her chapters to get them out of the way.
I don't know. Reading about biblical politics bores me half to death and I tried (and failed) to understand the two chapters I didn't skim over. After those chapters I didn't even care anymore for her POV. Part of me wonders what would be different about this story if her POV wasn't included. The 1950s chapters intrigued me more (though not by much tbh).
Okay, there is one (1) thing I did understand in her POV and that's when she saw John the Baptist for the first time. And she was like 😍😍😍. Because she heard him speak for what? A few minutes? She's never met him properly before nor has she ever seen him in person. This is basically insta-love before it was coined that term.
Jesus Christ.
Plot
...What plot?
To me, there wasn't much of a plot in this book or maybe I'm just dumb and I missed it. The only thing I can think of is
I believe the reason I couldn't identify a plot in this book was due to the VERY messy formatting of this book
First off, there's so much POV switching that it drove me insane. There were the three main POVs (Vera, Nancy, Salome) and then there were other POVs from side characters in the novel sprinkled throughout.
Switching between three POVs is fine with me. But then the author add in all the other snippets from these side/(very) minor characters, which are supposed to be first hand accounts of the events from the novel years in the future. But all these snippets do is describe things that are already happening in the story, that will happen in the story or that the reader can easily infer. They don't really add anything to the story itself and like Salome's POV, I wonder what the book would be like if they took these all out. I don't think there would be much of a difference.
Also the author switches constantly between first and third person POV. First person POV is used for the future accounts and third person is used for Vera, Nancy and Salome's chapters which detail the events of the novel as they unfold. (I say "chapters" loosely because this book is broken more into page breaks/sections than actual chapters).
This may not be the case for some people, but for me, having to read a third person chapter and then having a small account from first person POV and then switching back to third person confused the hell out of me, especially when I put the book down after the chapter. I feel this book could've benefitted from being in just third person POV.
It got a little better near the end of the book but the first half was still really messy to me.
Additional Details
I don't have much to say except for one thing. I wished the book delved a little more into Jay Rutland and his life. It did a little bit when it came to his relationships with his parents as well as his passion for piano. Other than that there wasn't much to latch onto and I wish we got more from him (even if it was just through a conversation with Vera).
On a different and more random note, every time I read "Jay Rutland" or "Jay", I thought of Jay Gatsby, lmao. It doesn't help that they're both rich.
Anyways, I'm sure I've blabbered enough so I'll stop the review/my ramblings here.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
- Connie
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated