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zalouis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Stalking, and Police brutality
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Gore
voxelbee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Rape, Drug abuse, Medical content, Infidelity, Classism, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Misogyny, Gun violence, and Colonisation
uranaishi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Torture
Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Classism, Cursing, and Vomit
nebulasaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Death, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Police brutality, and Torture
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Torture, Gun violence, Police brutality, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual harassment
maregred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Police brutality, Murder, Gun violence, and Violence
maryy_r0se's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
It’s the 1970s in Mexico City. Elvis, a boy who hates violence and loves rock ‘n’ roll, finds himself involved with the Hawks, a group aiming to suppress young political activists. Meanwhile Maite, a secretary, daydreams of an exciting and romantic life that couldn’t be further from her own. When Maite’s neighbor goes missing, Elvis and Maite’s lives begin to unexpectedly intertwine.
This and Mexican Gothic have really solidified Silvia Moreno-Garcia as one of my new favorite authors. She is such an expert at creating the perfect atmosphere, and I love how this book twists together at the end. A main criticism I have seen for this book is that the main characters aren’t likable. This is really funny to me because I find Maite so intensely relatable. She is certainly flawed, but in a way that resonates strongly with me. I love how she seems so unlike the type of characters we typically associate with “noir.” I also appreciate how different she was from Noemí in Mexican Gothic. Noemí was cool and glamorous; Maite was plain and awkward. Noemí is the kind of girl I wish I was; Maite is the kind of girl I actually am. It is a testament to Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing that she can create two such different characters with such nuance.
I would certainly recommend this one. If you’re struggling at all with the historical context, I would check out the author’s book kit. It gives a lot of historical context that I found super helpful! (I also recommend listening to the playlist for this one because the songs add so much to the atmosphere.)
Graphic: Gun violence, Police brutality, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
ekmook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence
chasinash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Blood