Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
Another great book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! While the pacing felt a bit slow for me and didn’t pick up until the dramatic ending, it was still a strong read. It took me a little time to adjust to the formatting on Kindle—where multiple rotating viewpoints functioned as “chapters”—but once I did, I appreciated the structure. As always, you can tell that SMG takes her research seriously, making her historical fiction all the more immersive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Sexual harassment
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A slow start but oooooh the payoff was so worth it!! I love this author sm!
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-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:
Yes
I like the multiple perspectives and history sprinkled in. The ending was predictable in a kinda sad way. Three peppers.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Tragic, melancholy, romantic, fast-paced. Everything I love about this author. This one did not disappoint.
medium-paced
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
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
First of all, Silvia Moreno-Garcia never misses.
This is both the story of Salome and the story of a woman who was picked to play Salome in a movie. The “real” Salome is being pulled in different directions. She can do what her uncle/ step father wants, what her mother wants, or what her cousin wants. What she wants is barely taken into consideration. And it is all warped, all bad choices. She tries to reach out for what she wants but is rebuffed. That avenue is denied to her. So in the end, she has to pick somebody else’s version of her life.
In the movie timeline, the woman playing Salome isn’t actually the Salome of the story. I don’t think. Rather the woman who wanted to play Salome, Nancy is. She is running out of choices and is being put upon by the people around her. She is desperate to pick her own story and do her own thing. But she is also the meanest bitch in town. She is convinced that Vera (who was chosen to play Salome) has taken her opportunity. Silvia can write a truly hateable character. A woman who has not been given many choices in life who becomes harden and bitter.
The racism in this book is the insidious kind that I’d be more likely to encounter in life. I’ve dealt with a lot of passive aggressiveness, but never maliciousness digs in real life. At first Vera is dealing with a constant barrage of slights and put downs by trying to ignore it. But when Nancy is so nasty to her, straight to her face she just broke. I want to believe that if someone said something so terrible and rude to me to my face I would know how to react, but honestly, I think I would just burst into tears.
Anyway, the stories were layered beautifully, one on top of the other. Unlike many of her other books, this one ends in a way that feels final.
This is both the story of Salome and the story of a woman who was picked to play Salome in a movie. The “real” Salome is being pulled in different directions. She can do what her uncle/ step father wants, what her mother wants, or what her cousin wants. What she wants is barely taken into consideration. And it is all warped, all bad choices. She tries to reach out for what she wants but is rebuffed. That avenue is denied to her. So in the end, she has to pick somebody else’s version of her life.
In the movie timeline, the woman playing Salome isn’t actually the Salome of the story. I don’t think. Rather the woman who wanted to play Salome, Nancy is. She is running out of choices and is being put upon by the people around her. She is desperate to pick her own story and do her own thing. But she is also the meanest bitch in town. She is convinced that Vera (who was chosen to play Salome) has taken her opportunity. Silvia can write a truly hateable character. A woman who has not been given many choices in life who becomes harden and bitter.
The racism in this book is the insidious kind that I’d be more likely to encounter in life. I’ve dealt with a lot of passive aggressiveness, but never maliciousness digs in real life. At first Vera is dealing with a constant barrage of slights and put downs by trying to ignore it. But when Nancy is so nasty to her, straight to her face she just broke. I want to believe that if someone said something so terrible and rude to me to my face I would know how to react, but honestly, I think I would just burst into tears.
Anyway, the stories were layered beautifully, one on top of the other. Unlike many of her other books, this one ends in a way that feels final.
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated