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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Fecking hell, Silvia you’ve done it again. A beautiful yet haunting tale of life and love. Also surprise, the white woman sucks.
In the Seventh Veil of Salome, glamorous Golden Age Hollywood meets a biblical retelling. Moreno-Garcia weaves together the stories of three women, Vera Larios, Nancy Hartley, and Salome herself, as they each reach towards their destinies. Vera, an up and coming Mexican actress, longs for freedom, away from her critical and disapproving mother. Nancy Hartley is a wannabe actress struggling to find the level of fame she believes she deserves. And Salome, the strong willed princess from ancient times, wishes for power. The power to restore her family's name and the power to save the man she loves from certain death. When one of the Hollywood studios sets their sights on a production of the Seventh Veil of Salome, the lives of all three women come together. Vera is cast in the titular role of Salome, while Nancy watches enviously from the wings. Through alternating chapters, occasionally told from the perspective of fellow cast and crew, we witness the inevitable collision course of their fates.
I always love Moreno-Garcia's writing, and the Seventh Veil of Salmone was no exception. It's lush and atmospheric and so easy to fall into the different narratives. The Hollywood drama unfolding alongside the historical aspect kept the plot moving forward and the stakes high. There tended to be a lot of internal monologuing and introspection with Vera and Nancy, so navigating the political nuances and pitfalls of Salome's storyline was a welcome reprieve.
I was a little disappointed by the lack of depth with Vera and Nancy, though, as it was obvious from the beginning which roles they would fall into it. Vera as the saint and Nancy as the villain. Even though Moreno-Garcia did provide some insight into Nancy's behavior, there wasn't any moral grayness or room for redemption. That's not to say I didn't like them or find them intriguing characters. They were just predictable and pigeonholed. And once Vera met Jay, it became blatantly apparent in which direction the story would go. But in a way, the Seventh Veil of Salome is more about the build up than the conclusion itself, as we know how these women's stories were going to end. Once again, Salome's narrative was the more intriguing one and was what kept me until the final page.
I always love Moreno-Garcia's writing, and the Seventh Veil of Salmone was no exception. It's lush and atmospheric and so easy to fall into the different narratives. The Hollywood drama unfolding alongside the historical aspect kept the plot moving forward and the stakes high. There tended to be a lot of internal monologuing and introspection with Vera and Nancy, so navigating the political nuances and pitfalls of Salome's storyline was a welcome reprieve.
I was a little disappointed by the lack of depth with Vera and Nancy, though, as it was obvious from the beginning which roles they would fall into it. Vera as the saint and Nancy as the villain. Even though Moreno-Garcia did provide some insight into Nancy's behavior, there wasn't any moral grayness or room for redemption. That's not to say I didn't like them or find them intriguing characters. They were just predictable and pigeonholed. And once Vera met Jay, it became blatantly apparent in which direction the story would go. But in a way, the Seventh Veil of Salome is more about the build up than the conclusion itself, as we know how these women's stories were going to end. Once again, Salome's narrative was the more intriguing one and was what kept me until the final page.
Spoiler
Vera starts dating Jay and Nancy is overcome with jealousy, convinced if she was out of the picture, the role of Salome would be hers. She has her boyfriend Benny go to Vera's to shoot her in the leg so that she won't be able to perform the dance, but when he arrives Jay Rutland is the one to answer the door and Benny shoots him in chest, killing him. Benny goes to jail, Nancy never makes it in Hollywood, and Vera becomes a composer.
emotional
sad
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An enjoyable read! Overall, I liked the setting of the story. This fits nicely with similar books set in Old Hollywood, unveiling and making bare the darker side of that iconic period of time.
I am not familiar with the story of Salome (or any biblical story for that matter) but I thought the snippets of Salome’s POV were pretty easy to follow, which was one of my concerns.
I liked Vera and really rooted for her. Nancy…. well, she was a pill, but that was expected lol
Nothing really happened that I didn’t expect. It was interesting to see the parallels between Salome and Vera and Nancy.
I am not familiar with the story of Salome (or any biblical story for that matter) but I thought the snippets of Salome’s POV were pretty easy to follow, which was one of my concerns.
I liked Vera and really rooted for her. Nancy…. well, she was a pill, but that was expected lol
Nothing really happened that I didn’t expect. It was interesting to see the parallels between Salome and Vera and Nancy.
4.5ish. really enjoyable read, beautiful writing, captivating atmosphere
challenging
emotional
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