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savvyrosereads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 4/5 stars
Secret Identity is the story of Carmen Valdez, a young aspiring comic book writer living in New York. When a colleague asks for help with a new comic pitch and is murdered shortly thereafter, Carmen is unwittingly plunged into a web of secrets and lies that threaten to expose the gritty underbelly of the industry she loves.
I should start this review by saying I know nothing about comic books—in fact, one of the reasons I was excited to read Secret Identity was that I knew it was set in the world of comics and written by an industry insider, and I hoped it would expand my knowledge of the genre a bit as a result (mission accomplished). I’m pretty confident that if I were a comics fan I’d be head over heels in love with this novel (so if this describes you, you should go pick it up NOW).
Fortunately, even coming in without a comic-related knowledge base, I still really enjoyed SECRET IDENTITY! There may have been some nuance (i.e. references to comics history or other Easter eggs) that I missed, but overall this is excellent crime noir even if you overlook the comic context entirely. I particularly loved the feminist and LGBTQ elements, including the historical context about notable women in a historically male-dominated space, and the diversity of the characters overall was top notch. The mystery itself is a bit of a slow burn, but I was fully invested in Carmen’s character development and story so I didn’t mind this too much—if anything, the secondary plot lines took my eye off the ball enough that they enhanced the mystery aspect.
As a bonus, the book also includes actual comic book pages, which I would bet good money are *gorgeous* in print (they looked plenty good, if slightly small, in the eARC), so I may need to go snag a finished copy for that reason alone!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: comic books; crime noir; women’s history.
CW: Death/murder; misogyny; homophobia; suicide.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Secret Identity is the story of Carmen Valdez, a young aspiring comic book writer living in New York. When a colleague asks for help with a new comic pitch and is murdered shortly thereafter, Carmen is unwittingly plunged into a web of secrets and lies that threaten to expose the gritty underbelly of the industry she loves.
I should start this review by saying I know nothing about comic books—in fact, one of the reasons I was excited to read Secret Identity was that I knew it was set in the world of comics and written by an industry insider, and I hoped it would expand my knowledge of the genre a bit as a result (mission accomplished). I’m pretty confident that if I were a comics fan I’d be head over heels in love with this novel (so if this describes you, you should go pick it up NOW).
Fortunately, even coming in without a comic-related knowledge base, I still really enjoyed SECRET IDENTITY! There may have been some nuance (i.e. references to comics history or other Easter eggs) that I missed, but overall this is excellent crime noir even if you overlook the comic context entirely. I particularly loved the feminist and LGBTQ elements, including the historical context about notable women in a historically male-dominated space, and the diversity of the characters overall was top notch. The mystery itself is a bit of a slow burn, but I was fully invested in Carmen’s character development and story so I didn’t mind this too much—if anything, the secondary plot lines took my eye off the ball enough that they enhanced the mystery aspect.
As a bonus, the book also includes actual comic book pages, which I would bet good money are *gorgeous* in print (they looked plenty good, if slightly small, in the eARC), so I may need to go snag a finished copy for that reason alone!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: comic books; crime noir; women’s history.
CW: Death/murder; misogyny; homophobia; suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Suicide, Misogyny, Homophobia, Violence, Sexism, Infidelity, and Lesbophobia
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