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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
adventurous
mysterious
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
I read this book a little over a month ago, and I will admit that I was already falling into a reading slump, so I had a hard time getting into the characters and the pacing. I was excited about the noir tone of the book, and I do think Moreno-Garcia delivered well on that vibe! Towards the middle, I was having a hard time keeping the named and relationships sorted, but at about 80% I really tapped in and was engaged by the plot to the end. I think my main struggle was that I unfortunately didn't find Elvis to be that interesting of a character. I felt like I had seen his type in other media many times, and wanted there to be something more groundbreaking about him. Overall, I think this is a fun read and the plot is well developed, though I wish the characterization had gone a little farther. I recommend this to crime-drama lovers and fans of the noir genre!
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This started off really strong and I was super invested in the mystery and drama, but by the last 20%, I was struggling to care about what happened. By then, my only concern was "is Leonora's poor cat ok and safe??" I had really high expectations, as I love the author, but this is the weakest book I've read by her. Still well-written and interesting. Just didn't have me in a chokehold like Mexican Gothic did.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I appreciate that Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a versatile author, but this one didn’t do it for me. It’s a noir mystery/thriller about political unrest in 1970s Mexico but everything was just a bit too mild for me. I don’t know if my standard has been skewed by dark romance or something, but the noir wasn’t noir enough, the mystery wasn’t mysterious enough, and the stakes didn’t feel high enough. I’d read any Moreno-Garcia book no questions asked, but this one departed from her usual writing style that I love so much.
Sadly enough, one of the more interesting parts of this book was that I have a misprint where the signatures got messed up during binding. So instead of signatures A, B, C, D, I got A, C, C, D.
Despite all of that, I really liked Elvis’s character and POVs and I was very happy with the nontraditional HEA we get at the end. It was also cool to read the afterword at the end and see just how much of the political nightmare in this book was true and accurate for Mexico at the time. So, I'm leaning 2.5 stars, rounded down.
Sadly enough, one of the more interesting parts of this book was that I have a misprint where the signatures got messed up during binding. So instead of signatures A, B, C, D, I got A, C, C, D.
Despite all of that, I really liked Elvis’s character and POVs and I was very happy with the nontraditional HEA we get at the end. It was also cool to read the afterword at the end and see just how much of the political nightmare in this book was true and accurate for Mexico at the time. So, I'm leaning 2.5 stars, rounded down.
Great Book. Best historic fiction I’ve read since All the Light we Cannot See. Suspenseful and enjoyable.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
almost dnf’d this in the first chapter because maite was so annoying. very glad i kept going! this was so good. and by the end of everything, all i can say is that maite is for sure a fucking weirdo, but also definitely deserved better from literally everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder