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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Moreno-Garcia's book about 1950s Hollywood was highly engaging. I appreciate the different narrators and the fact that she tied the story to the biblical story of Salome. (I am still unsure why she asked for the head of John the Baptist but understand that the seven veils is a dance that is performed-at the end, you can ask for whatever your heart desires.) The story follows two actresses; Vera-a Mexican actresses who faces racism in her role as Salome and Nancy-a jealous extra who believes she should have the role. One becomes entirely engulfed into the story by the various viewpoints until we arrive at the "tragedy" that occurs as the result of Nancy's rage.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
As someone who has always loved stories of Old Hollywood, and completely entranced by those old films, this was a beautiful, tense, romantic book of a young Mexican girl who was discovered and turned into a starlet. This book has all the drama you could wish for, and all the characters feel familiar, like you've read about them in the tabloids. Intertwined in the narrative are the pieces of the Salome film that would never have been allowed to be filmed, drawing parallels between Salome and Vera. Both young and native but with an inner strength that makes both characters compelling. This book doesn't shy from the cruelty, misogyny and racism of the time, and how the movie business was just a microcosm of the larger world.
The only reason this isn't totally a five star book is that it depends the entire time building up to a tragic ending, you know from the beginning that SOMETHING bad is going to happen, and when it gets there it doesn't quite stick the landing. It's not a bad ending, and in some ways it's satisfying, I just was hoping for a bigger impact, I think
The only reason this isn't totally a five star book is that it depends the entire time building up to a tragic ending, you know from the beginning that SOMETHING bad is going to happen, and when it gets there it doesn't quite stick the landing. It's not a bad ending, and in some ways it's satisfying, I just was hoping for a bigger impact, I think
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes