Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - The Seventh Veil of Salome

Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

54 reviews

mirificmoxie's review against another edition

2.0

challenging emotional slow-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

Content Warnings

hayy6747's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious tense 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: Yes

Content Warnings

sai_like_sigh's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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: Complicated

Content Warnings

azrah786's review against another edition

4.0

[This review can also be found on my BLOG]

**I received a copy of the book from Quercus Books in exchange for an honest review**

CW: racism, racial slurs, sexism, sexual harassment, infidelity, mild sexual content, gun violence, murder, alcohol, drugs, emotional abuse, toxic relationship
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No matter the genre Silvia Moreno-Garcia will hands down sweep you away with her eloquent writing style and evocative characters.

The Seventh Veil of Salome is a historical drama that beautifully fuses the stories of 3 women during the Golden Era of Hollywood. Vera Larios, a young Mexican woman who has landed the lead role in the next blockbuster, Nancy Hartley a seasoned bit player who feels like she has been snubbed for said role and the biblical figure of Salome who is the central character in the film.

Much like the tale of Salome it is made clear from the get go that this book is a tragedy so there is also an air of mystery that unfurls, and additional interview segments from supporting characters slotted within the storyline give us little insights into Vera and Nancy’s lives leading us through everything that goes down.

It took me maybe 100 pages or so to actually get into the story as it is definitely on the slower side when it comes to pacing but the narrative meticulously immerses you into the setting through the eyes, experiences and emotions of the characters, fantastically bringing 1950’s LA to life.

Through the third person perspectives of the two actresses we see the industry in all its glitz and glamour as well as the glumness and the grudges. Moreno-Garcia seamlessly blends together fact and fiction, mentioning titbits from actual history and real life figures that set the scene as much as all the descriptions do. Plus there isn’t any shying away from all the racism, sexism and white privilege that shaped all the gossip and scheming of the time.

Salome’s story also plays out alongside all of this again in third person perspective essentially bringing the film script to life and it was the part of the book that I was most taken away by. I segued into reading the original Oscar Wilde play that the book and fictional film title were lifted from and the interpretation and expansion of her story is so enticing and well done it kept me hooked all the way through.

As expected the relationships within the book were fantastically developed and explored. There is a parallel with the toxic relationships – both familial and romantic – that surround and shape all three of the protagonists that connects their stories all the more.

I think everything did wrap up a little too abruptly after the fallout, which led to it not hitting as hard as it could have but this was a worthwhile read all the same.
Final Rating – 4/5 Stars

Content Warnings

nrskelley's review against another edition

4.75

challenging tense slow-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

I was so torn on the star rating of this book. It’s honestly more than 4 stars for me but didn’t quite meet that 5 star mark. 4.75/5???? I know that’s a weird number. For me the narration by so many different characters made it difficult to connect with or care for any of the main characters (Vera, Jay, Nancy, Salome).
I spent quite a bit of time writing down who all the extra people were and who they connected to just in case it popped back up and I needed to know their name later.
The story itself is told wonderfully by Silvia Morena-Garcia. She diverges from her usual genre and ventures into a more historical fiction in this book. Old Hollywood and the pressures on women and minorities is described wonderfully. I found myself drawn deeply into the story once I had the characters down and stayed up reading way past dawn.
Go into this knowing that you really only need to keep up with the main players. (Vera, Jay, Nancy, Benny, Salome, Herod, Herodias, Agrippa, Jokanaan). Most of the other viewpoints are just to tell you the thinking of the time or something about one of the main characters. I think you’ll enjoy the book much more that way!
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own .

Content Warnings