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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
I normally wouldn’t have picked up this book, but I like this author, so I thought I would at least try it. I was also unfamiliar with the genre - noir - as I’m not really one for thrillers. But noir isn’t really a thriller, and I appreciated the historical aspect and the character development and mood. It reads like a B movie, but it’s supposed to read like a B movie, and I can appreciate that.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What an interesting read. Pulp Fiction meets a Mexican novella, this book took me by surprise. I had read Moreno-Garcia’s The Daughter of Doctor Moreau which left me with mixed feelings, but the ending of Velvet of the Night really sold it for me. SMG, seems to like an open-ended ending, and the way Maude and Elvis’ lives entwine and run parallel to each other leads the story to a very climatic ending. I enjoyed the characters very much. I knew from early on El Mago was also Leonora’s uncle. Speaking of, Leonora, who is missing most of this book, is so one-dimensional and I could not get into her character nor did I care where she was or what happened to her. I was a little annoyed at the constant comparison between Leonora’s “beauty” and Maite’s plain-Jane, homely vibes, when we know Maite is a vastly more interesting character and person. Oh, and Rubén can go f**k himself. The actual historical and political elements in the book were also so well executed. I love learning about Latin American history, which as someone born and raised in the US, our education system does not do. Also, just so I’m clear, Rubén can once again go f**k himself. That is all.
I adored both the setting of this book and Moreno-Garcia’s writing style so these two things kept me fairly engaged throughout the book, however I just felt disconnected from these characters. More so, they felt disconnected from each other and even the plot itself. Maite was shallow and hard to root for, while Elvis didn’t seem fully fleshed out. By the time the two characters meet they have nothing in common and there’s no time nor reason to build anything between them.
DNF page 92. I own this book so better finish someday. But the holiday season is short and I have other books to read! I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters but about 4 tries now I keep starting over and spacing out. Not a good sign! NEXT!
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
Yes
One of my favorite authors, though not my favorite of hers. A little slow and dense. The typeface is a keeper. Looking forward to the next one by her.