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trilbynorton's review
2.0
"Most people would probably say the best concept album of all time was The Dark Side Of The Moon, but Meche preferred The Kinks’ Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)."
Whatever you might say about Silvia Moreno-Garcia's debut novel - too little magic, too much teen melodrama - at least it recognises the brilliance of The Kinks' farewell to the British empire.
Whatever you might say about Silvia Moreno-Garcia's debut novel - too little magic, too much teen melodrama - at least it recognises the brilliance of The Kinks' farewell to the British empire.
allfawkesgiven's review
I have read several of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books (Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Velvet Was the Night, Daughter of Doctor Moreau) and really enjoyed them; Signal to Noise felt choppy to me by comparison. I found myself getting into the story only to run into sections where I felt jolted out of the narrative because whatever scene I was reading would abruptly conclude on a strange beat before it had even started, then shift into the next scene...only to do the same thing again. Whenever this happened, it left me crinkling my brow over why that scene had been included in the first place.
I learned this was actually an early writing of hers--that possibly pre-dates her other work--and was just published in 2023. So this may explain why the writing felt so much different than the other novels I've read of hers.
I think the story was enjoyable and many fans will enjoy this book! Ultimately, I decided to DNF because of the choppy scenes and move on to the next Moreno-Garcia book I have on my list.
I learned this was actually an early writing of hers--that possibly pre-dates her other work--and was just published in 2023. So this may explain why the writing felt so much different than the other novels I've read of hers.
I think the story was enjoyable and many fans will enjoy this book! Ultimately, I decided to DNF because of the choppy scenes and move on to the next Moreno-Garcia book I have on my list.
sarabz's review
4.0
This book started off a little slowly for me, but I was caught up in it by the end. I liked that the main character, Meche, was kind of a jerk. Everyone was flawed, but that didn't mean you hated them (except maybe Constantino and the literature teacher) - they made sense in their contexts. I also enjoyed that the magic was discovered by these regular kids. There was no "destiny" or special connection to the power, just a passion for music. Meche did have a talent for magic, but no more than she did for computer programming. The music embedded in the story was also a lot of fun.
the_enobee's review
4.0
Signal to Noise is a slam dunk 4 star read, with the added bonus of introducing me to some incredible music. Probably my favorite new (to me) song was El Algun Lugar by Duncan Dhu. I ended up making a playlist out of all the references and it's a blast between all the great '80s references from both US and Mexico in addition to some essential Jazz and Traditional. Loved the dynamic of Meche/Sebastian and the underlying story of the magic in music, belief, and family. Cool stuff, and definitely want to read more Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
_ash0_'s review
5.0
More book reviews at Bookish Muggle
Signal to Noise is a magical realism novel written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
I regret not reading this book earlier though, since it was amazing! I had no idea I would end up loving this book as much as I did, when I started reading it.
The story is about a girl Mercedes, nicknamed Meche and her two best friends - Sebastian and Daniela. The story starts in present day, which is 2009 and then goes back and forth between the present and the past, which is 1988 when they were teenagers. In the present, Meche no longer talks to her father or her best friends and the story slowly unveils what happened in 1988/89. Back in 1988, Meche discovers that she can do magic using music. She then teaches her friends and they together start doing black magic using music. The magic eventually destroys friendships and lives and you will discover more as you read the book.
The book talks about the responsibility that comes with power. Just because you have magical abilities, can you just curse anyone and everyone? The teenage years were beautifully portrayed and I cannot remember reading another book with such nice portrayal of friendship and love. I loved this book mostly because of the characterization. The characters seem like real people with feelings. The book had me on hook until I had finished it. It was difficult to keep it down without wondering what Meche, Sebastian and Daniela were up to next.
It is not a fast paced book by any means. It is a slow burn but never got boring for even a minute. I did not want this book to end. Also this is probably the first Magical Realism book that I enjoyed. I never liked books in that genre before but this book changed everything. I realize how amazing this genre can be. Everything looks normal but then something magical suddenly happens in someone's life. It is even more magical than being transported to a different world like in traditional fantasy.
The novel is set in Mexico and that makes it different and unique. Now can’t wait to try more books by this author. This book was written very well. This book is also full of references to songs, albums and music from 1980s - both Mexican and English. There are some references to yummy Mexican food as well. I am not sure why this book isn't more famous. It is now one of my all-time favorites and I am definitely going to reread it multiple times in the future.
Some of my favorite quotes from this book -
Signal to Noise is a magical realism novel written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
I regret not reading this book earlier though, since it was amazing! I had no idea I would end up loving this book as much as I did, when I started reading it.
The story is about a girl Mercedes, nicknamed Meche and her two best friends - Sebastian and Daniela. The story starts in present day, which is 2009 and then goes back and forth between the present and the past, which is 1988 when they were teenagers. In the present, Meche no longer talks to her father or her best friends and the story slowly unveils what happened in 1988/89. Back in 1988, Meche discovers that she can do magic using music. She then teaches her friends and they together start doing black magic using music. The magic eventually destroys friendships and lives and you will discover more as you read the book.
The book talks about the responsibility that comes with power. Just because you have magical abilities, can you just curse anyone and everyone? The teenage years were beautifully portrayed and I cannot remember reading another book with such nice portrayal of friendship and love. I loved this book mostly because of the characterization. The characters seem like real people with feelings. The book had me on hook until I had finished it. It was difficult to keep it down without wondering what Meche, Sebastian and Daniela were up to next.
It is not a fast paced book by any means. It is a slow burn but never got boring for even a minute. I did not want this book to end. Also this is probably the first Magical Realism book that I enjoyed. I never liked books in that genre before but this book changed everything. I realize how amazing this genre can be. Everything looks normal but then something magical suddenly happens in someone's life. It is even more magical than being transported to a different world like in traditional fantasy.
The novel is set in Mexico and that makes it different and unique. Now can’t wait to try more books by this author. This book was written very well. This book is also full of references to songs, albums and music from 1980s - both Mexican and English. There are some references to yummy Mexican food as well. I am not sure why this book isn't more famous. It is now one of my all-time favorites and I am definitely going to reread it multiple times in the future.
Some of my favorite quotes from this book -
"There is magic everywhere, if you look carefully."
"Magic gets you what you want, but it doesn't solve your problems."
"If happiness doesn't come to you, you take it."
"You don't get to rewind your life like a tape and splice it back together, pretending it never knotted and tore, when it did and you know it did."
vorsoisson's review
It’s an interesting premise and I liked the writing, but the main character makes increasingly cruel choices throughout the book and never really redeems herself, though it feels like we’re supposed to think she does. I’m going to keep an eye out for more works by this author, but I’m hoping for a more enjoyable protagonist.
dandi's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
simplymemle's review
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.5
The idea of the book - great. I would’ve really enjoyed it except the main character is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve ever read. Nearly unredeemably so…to the point that I almost DNF-ed the book. Love Silvia but did not love Meche.
tamara_joy's review against another edition
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Classism, Sexual assault, Bullying, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Infidelity, and Chronic illness
zcitlali's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.5