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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book instantly drew me in with its nostalgic nods to mid-century biblical epics, old Hollywood, and Latin film history—genres I grew up loving (my siblings and I still quote The Robe WAY too often). I’ve enjoyed many of the author’s books, with Mexican Gothic and Untamed Shore being recent favourites, and the vignette and testimony format worked beautifully here. Nancy’s racism sometimes felt cartoonish, as if meant for a white US audience as a primer on anti-Latin sentiment. But overall, the atmosphere was rich and immersive. The inclusion of parts of the movie’s script and Salome as her own character was ingenious—some of the best parts!
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
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
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
So I really loved this book. I’m going through as many of this author’s ouvre as I can and this one has got to be in my top two.
Maybe it’s because the story is set in the golden age of Hollywood—an era and industry I’m interested in—that I found this compelling and gripping. It helps that the audiobook narrators were all spectacular, bringing each aspect of the story to life. The author brilliantly captures the politics and discrimination of the industry. But more importantly, she knows how to chart the tragedy and drama of a Hollywood story in a relatable way.
I’m gobsmacked by the intricate storytelling and the vast cast of characters. I’m not interested in the religious angle or the Bible, and yet the story of Salome transcended the religiosity to turn into a story of a woman trying to survive in a man’s world.
This is an unmissable book. The audiobook especially is such a great experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment
sad
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:
Complicated
i really didn't think she was going to do it wow..... i'm not sure how to rate this the stars are subject to change
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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:
No
Not sure how I feel about this one. I think the telling of Salome’s story was interesting along with Vera and Nancy’s. But I feel like there was a lot of extra stuff/perspectives that could have been left out. It felt like it was trying to be so many things at once, I’m specifically thinking of the character chapters that are like interviews in present day but you don’t really get that confirmation until the last few pages. So it felt like it was trying to be Daisy Jones and the six in that way, then you have the biblical story of Salome and then the stories of Vera and Nancy. I would have liked to have seen Vera reap the benefits of her film to get back at Nancy but did like that she pursued music. I’m just glad Vera didn’t die but sad that Jay did. The whole time with Nancy I kept thinking of Pearl and Maxxxine lol The atmosphere was cool I just don’t think I care enough about that time period and industry and found it kind of boring at parts.