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mynameisrebecca's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Police brutality
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Religious bigotry
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Velvet Was the Night" follows Maite and Elvis in Mexico during the 1970's. Maite is a secretary who is barely scrapping by, and she is completely oblivious to the protests happening right outside her door. Her new neighbor, Leonora, asks Maite to watch her cat for her for a few days. But, when a few days turns into longer, Maite is thrust into a world she had no idea existed. Elvis has a violent way of getting what he wants, and when he is tasked with finding Leonora, he will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy to his boss.
This was a fantastic historical fiction, and the first historical fiction I have read that is set in Mexico. I did not even realize this story was inspired by true events until the author's note at the end, because this novel reads like an exciting, fictitious story all on its own. The fact that it is inspired by real events makes it all the more interesting.
Maite as a character was insufferable, but that kind of made the story progress in an interesting way. Maite has the habit of fabricating her life because her real life is not at all interesting and is in actuality kind of sad. Her whole motivation for wanting to find Leonora is because she needs the money Leonora promised her to pay for her car to be fixed. Even when Maite discovers that Leonora might be in trouble and is mixed up in some dangerous things, Maite is still really only motivated by money.
Elvis was such a complex, morally gray character. We all know what he is doing is wrong, and he should not be harming people in pursuit of truth, but he is also just this loveable guy that got mixed up in the wrong crowd in an attempt to survive. I really enjoyed his story arch and reading from his perspective.
This story, in spite of being a historical fiction, has some twists and turns that I did not see coming, and that kept me wanting to read more. Once I started, I could not put this book down. I was pretty happy with the ultimate resolution and where the story ended up.
I definitely recommend this story if you are looking for a peak into Mexico's corruption in the 1970's.
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Police brutality, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Grief, Death, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual content
_likethefruit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Murder, War, Torture, Stalking, and Police brutality
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
meskeets's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: War, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Police brutality, and Murder
flaminggecko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Physical abuse, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Gun violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Classism
vagrantheather's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Absolutely loved the characterization and character development. I could see where others would not find the plot very compelling but I enjoyed it. I especially liked how the interpersonal dynamics played out. Compelling prose.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Sexual content and Police brutality
alisonvh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Abandonment, Death, Stalking, Murder, Violence, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
buer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Both Maite and Elvis exist in shades of gray. Maite technically a law-abiding citizen, but she lies to her co-workers, despises her family, and has a penchant for stealing small trinkets from people she knows or works for. Elvis has a job that has him beating people up and threatening them constantly, but is profoundly loyal and has a strong sense of ethics that sometimes make it hard for him to do his job. Over the course of the story both Maite and Elvis become even more gray as they grapple with their personal ethics and their current lifestyles.
I personally found Maite to be a pretty obnoxious. She is incredibly self-deprecating and is constantly day dreaming about sex. She only wills herself to act when a man is a part of the equation. However I'll be the first to admit that in spite of me not liking her as a character, Moreno-Garcia did a great job of shaping action around a stagnant and unlikable main character and constantly throwing her into contrast against Elvis.
My usual disclaimer: I listened to this book rather than reading it, which makes it difficult to evaluate the writing. Gisela ChÃpe was a great narrator, although a few of her deeper voices felt a little cartoonish and I didn't love how ditzy Leonora sounded. She is easy to listen to for long stretches and is overall very engaging.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, and Police brutality
carolined314's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Gun violence, and Gore
Moderate: Police brutality, Bullying, Alcohol, Stalking, Death, Body shaming, and Sexual content
saurahsaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body shaming, Gun violence, Police brutality, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Torture, War, Cursing, Death, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Murder, Sexual content, and Stalking
Minor: Alcohol, Car accident, and Medical content