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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
*2.5 stars*
I wasn't the biggest fan of this book. The storyline kept me somewhat interested, but it was over-the-top dark at times and I didn't like a single character. There wasn't anything unique about this story, either. Overall, it was okay, but I wouldn't recommend it.
I wasn't the biggest fan of this book. The storyline kept me somewhat interested, but it was over-the-top dark at times and I didn't like a single character. There wasn't anything unique about this story, either. Overall, it was okay, but I wouldn't recommend it.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just honestly always amazed by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and her ability to write so many great stories that are all so different.
This book tells the story of a life-changing summer in the life of 18-year-old Viridiana. Viridiana lives in a sleepy town in Baja California wedged between the desert and the wild sea. She dreams of escaping her predictable existence of marrying and taking over her mother’s shop. A world of intrigue and opportunity opens when she gets hired to translate for glamorous American ex-pats who rented a house at the edge of town. She immediately falls for their charms, but things quickly take a different turn than she had expected.
When I first picked up this book, I expected a run-of-the-mill thriller but found much more in this book. The perspective of the main character is beautifully captured. The book is full of the yearning of youth and the big questions of identity and fate. It also strongly anchored in the local community and their expectations of proper behaviour. The book feels like a slice of life from a particular time at a particular place in the world that is not often depicted in mainstream Western culture. The thriller story that is driving the narrative is well thought-through. I found the motives and characters believable and genuinely wanted to know what happens next. In contrast to many other novels in the genre, the book does not build up tension through cheap tricks that are then insufficiently resolved or fall flat at the end. Altogether, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am keen to check out other books by this author.
When I first picked up this book, I expected a run-of-the-mill thriller but found much more in this book. The perspective of the main character is beautifully captured. The book is full of the yearning of youth and the big questions of identity and fate. It also strongly anchored in the local community and their expectations of proper behaviour. The book feels like a slice of life from a particular time at a particular place in the world that is not often depicted in mainstream Western culture. The thriller story that is driving the narrative is well thought-through. I found the motives and characters believable and genuinely wanted to know what happens next. In contrast to many other novels in the genre, the book does not build up tension through cheap tricks that are then insufficiently resolved or fall flat at the end. Altogether, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am keen to check out other books by this author.
*takes a long drag from my cigarette* Silvia Moreno-Garcia? I haven’t heard that name in years... Psyche! Of course I have-I love this woman everything she’s written-and Untamed Shore is no different! Who’d have thought that noir was just what the doctor ordered? Once again Moreno-Garcia proves herself as a veritable factotum of genres.
This book weaves coming of age with noir crime thriller in a way that is absolutely delicious. And spends great time exploring the protagonist’s interior, making you want to cheer for even her most questionable of actions.
If you’re looking for the fantasy elements of some of her other books, you won’t find them here, but rest assured, this book is yet another testament to Moreno-Garcia’s skillful pacing and imagery.
This book weaves coming of age with noir crime thriller in a way that is absolutely delicious. And spends great time exploring the protagonist’s interior, making you want to cheer for even her most questionable of actions.
If you’re looking for the fantasy elements of some of her other books, you won’t find them here, but rest assured, this book is yet another testament to Moreno-Garcia’s skillful pacing and imagery.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-arc.
This is my second Moreno-Garcia novel, and I really enjoyed it. I love that she tries something new with every book she writes. This story is a noir set in 1970s Baja California. We follow our protagonist, Viridiana, who is 18 and feeling stifled by the village that expects her to work in her mother's store, get married, and have children. She longs to escape, and earns money working as a translator and giving tours to rich tourists. When she is offered a job working as an assistant for three tourists - a rich man, his wife, and her brother, it seems like a great gig and a way to escape the drudgery of her life. However, things quickly go off the rails.
This story wasn't a typical thriller, though a lot of those aspects are there. It was a slow burn, taking its time to build up to the plot twists. But once you get there, the pay off is worth it.
This was definitely a very character driven novel. I really liked the character of Viridiana. She seems to be a bit naive at the beginning of the story, losing herself to daydreams of old movies and the fantasy of a life in a big city, away from the village that is trying to tie her down. Over the course of the story, she is pushed into terrible situations and she finds out who she really is and what she is capable of. I really enjoyed seeing her self-discovery. She is also a bit of an unreliable narrator, as we're only getting the story from her perspective and there is a lot happening that she doesn't fully understand. But I found all of the characters to be well-crafted and believable.
The atmosphere was fantastic, and the way she wove the shark hunters/fishers and shark imagery and symbolism into the story was so well done. I really felt like I was there in the thick of it. The ending was very satisfying as well. It left me sitting there, thinking about life, and wondering what choices I might have made in Viridiana's position.
This is my second Moreno-Garcia novel, and I really enjoyed it. I love that she tries something new with every book she writes. This story is a noir set in 1970s Baja California. We follow our protagonist, Viridiana, who is 18 and feeling stifled by the village that expects her to work in her mother's store, get married, and have children. She longs to escape, and earns money working as a translator and giving tours to rich tourists. When she is offered a job working as an assistant for three tourists - a rich man, his wife, and her brother, it seems like a great gig and a way to escape the drudgery of her life. However, things quickly go off the rails.
This story wasn't a typical thriller, though a lot of those aspects are there. It was a slow burn, taking its time to build up to the plot twists. But once you get there, the pay off is worth it.
This was definitely a very character driven novel. I really liked the character of Viridiana. She seems to be a bit naive at the beginning of the story, losing herself to daydreams of old movies and the fantasy of a life in a big city, away from the village that is trying to tie her down. Over the course of the story, she is pushed into terrible situations and she finds out who she really is and what she is capable of. I really enjoyed seeing her self-discovery. She is also a bit of an unreliable narrator, as we're only getting the story from her perspective and there is a lot happening that she doesn't fully understand. But I found all of the characters to be well-crafted and believable.
The atmosphere was fantastic, and the way she wove the shark hunters/fishers and shark imagery and symbolism into the story was so well done. I really felt like I was there in the thick of it. The ending was very satisfying as well. It left me sitting there, thinking about life, and wondering what choices I might have made in Viridiana's position.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual content, Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse