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rebeccaxpaige's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
This book is a dark, almost Breaking Bad-esque novel with two different POVs with similar objectives. A missing woman and mysterious film cause mayhem.
I was impressed by this book and how Garcia was able to paint a consistently dark and mysterious atmosphere. It was also somewhat unnerving but I found myself heavy invested in both Elvis and Maite’s stories. Elvis is a long time thug as he calls himself- a criminal who will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Then we have Maite, a secretary who wants nothing more than to leave her current employment and perhaps do something else.
Though I am not sure what that is.
This story is mysterious, thrilling and rich. My only critique would be that I needed more emotion evoked in the language- it would have made the story much more impactful. Though, I’m still giving it 4 stars.
This is a wonderful read, so please read it.
I was impressed by this book and how Garcia was able to paint a consistently dark and mysterious atmosphere. It was also somewhat unnerving but I found myself heavy invested in both Elvis and Maite’s stories. Elvis is a long time thug as he calls himself- a criminal who will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Then we have Maite, a secretary who wants nothing more than to leave her current employment and perhaps do something else.
Though I am not sure what that is.
This story is mysterious, thrilling and rich. My only critique would be that I needed more emotion evoked in the language- it would have made the story much more impactful. Though, I’m still giving it 4 stars.
This is a wonderful read, so please read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Torture, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Stalking
vampires's review
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content and Torture
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual harassment
amandalorianxo's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Leaning towards 3.5 ish. Velvet was a little slower than I’m used to but the ending made up for it tremendously ! If you like the old black and white movies that have noir vibes, a lot of patience and can handle backstories galore - this one is for you. I knew who El Mago’s true identify was about half way ish into the book but that didn’t take away from the plot. I felt bad for Maite but related to her tremendously. The real name that belongs to Elvis surprised me a bit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Death, Blood, and Alcohol
hilarylouise's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Gore
Moderate: Murder and Death
perpetualpages's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
CWs: (gang) violence; descriptions of graphic injury and blood; death; physical assault; some sexual content; some homophobic slurs; brief allusion to sexual harassment; and brief mention of a past predatory relationship
Silvia Moreno-Garcia, master literary shape-shifter, has done it once again in delivering a unique, fascinating story that's as compelling as it is challenging.
Velvet Was the Night is a historical noir thriller set in 1970's Mexico City. Because it is considered "noir," it's important to understand that noir is a specific subgenre of crime fiction characterized by morally ambiguous characters and viewpoints as well as cynicism. This book definitely hits that mark. You may not "agree" with the characters or "like" the characters, but they're undeniably compelling and trapped in a quickly spiraling set of circumstances. One of them is a member of a notorious gang and the other is a cynical broke woman who engages in petty theft just to feel something.
I like that neither of these characters actually care about finding this missing woman because they especially care about justice, but because they have vested transactional interest in tracking her down. Elvis is following Leonora's trail because that's what his boss ordered him to do, and Maite is only retracing Leonora's steps because the missing woman owes her money and she's hoping there's a hefty chunk of change at the end of the tunnel. I think it's fascinating they they're not especially motivated by justice, and furthermore it begs the question of what "justice" even means or looks like within this specific time period in Mexican history where political corruption was running rampant.
There's also a fascinating parallel between Maite and Elvis in the sense that neither of them are free to make their own choices. They always answer to someone else with more power, they're both trapped in these very fixed systems, and they both desire a different way of living for themselves.
Additionally, I think there's an interesting commentary on the parallel between "male fantasy" and "female fantasy" throughout the story. (As a non-binary person, it chafes me to use such reductive terms. But I do so for the sake of clarity.) The "male fantasy," embodied by Elvis' world, is shaped by desire for power, aggression, and violence. The "female fantasy," represented by Maite and her undying devotion to romance comics, revolves largely around desire/desirability, romance, sexual gratification, and drama. The story not only shows that there's more overlap between these two (seemingly) "opposite" fantasies than we often think, but that neither one is "better" than the other, because they're ultimately both just fantasies, not reality.
I also think it's fascinating that the official synopsis makes it seem like Maite and Elvis will eventually meet and formulate some kind of relationship, when that's not what actually happens. Their alternate narratives are completely separate for a majority of the story, but still strongly connected in the sense that Maite's actions might impact Elvis in some way, and vice versa, whether they realize it or not. There's almost more tension in the fact that they *don't* meet, because they're continuously circling each other and getting closer and closer to each other without actually knowing it. I think that’s a great dynamic that really adds an extra layer of tension on top of what’s already an intense mystery.
All in all, this is a very plot-forward story with strong political overtones and an ever-evolving air of mystery. While I wouldn't necessarily say it's my favorite of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books, that's not a huge knock against it when you consider her incredible range as an author. She's still one of the best authors, in my humble opinion, and if you're hankering for an intense noir thriller that centers Mexico and Mexican characters, this would absolutely fit the bill and then some.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia, master literary shape-shifter, has done it once again in delivering a unique, fascinating story that's as compelling as it is challenging.
Velvet Was the Night is a historical noir thriller set in 1970's Mexico City. Because it is considered "noir," it's important to understand that noir is a specific subgenre of crime fiction characterized by morally ambiguous characters and viewpoints as well as cynicism. This book definitely hits that mark. You may not "agree" with the characters or "like" the characters, but they're undeniably compelling and trapped in a quickly spiraling set of circumstances. One of them is a member of a notorious gang and the other is a cynical broke woman who engages in petty theft just to feel something.
I like that neither of these characters actually care about finding this missing woman because they especially care about justice, but because they have vested transactional interest in tracking her down. Elvis is following Leonora's trail because that's what his boss ordered him to do, and Maite is only retracing Leonora's steps because the missing woman owes her money and she's hoping there's a hefty chunk of change at the end of the tunnel. I think it's fascinating they they're not especially motivated by justice, and furthermore it begs the question of what "justice" even means or looks like within this specific time period in Mexican history where political corruption was running rampant.
There's also a fascinating parallel between Maite and Elvis in the sense that neither of them are free to make their own choices. They always answer to someone else with more power, they're both trapped in these very fixed systems, and they both desire a different way of living for themselves.
Additionally, I think there's an interesting commentary on the parallel between "male fantasy" and "female fantasy" throughout the story. (As a non-binary person, it chafes me to use such reductive terms. But I do so for the sake of clarity.) The "male fantasy," embodied by Elvis' world, is shaped by desire for power, aggression, and violence. The "female fantasy," represented by Maite and her undying devotion to romance comics, revolves largely around desire/desirability, romance, sexual gratification, and drama. The story not only shows that there's more overlap between these two (seemingly) "opposite" fantasies than we often think, but that neither one is "better" than the other, because they're ultimately both just fantasies, not reality.
I also think it's fascinating that the official synopsis makes it seem like Maite and Elvis will eventually meet and formulate some kind of relationship, when that's not what actually happens. Their alternate narratives are completely separate for a majority of the story, but still strongly connected in the sense that Maite's actions might impact Elvis in some way, and vice versa, whether they realize it or not. There's almost more tension in the fact that they *don't* meet, because they're continuously circling each other and getting closer and closer to each other without actually knowing it. I think that’s a great dynamic that really adds an extra layer of tension on top of what’s already an intense mystery.
All in all, this is a very plot-forward story with strong political overtones and an ever-evolving air of mystery. While I wouldn't necessarily say it's my favorite of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books, that's not a huge knock against it when you consider her incredible range as an author. She's still one of the best authors, in my humble opinion, and if you're hankering for an intense noir thriller that centers Mexico and Mexican characters, this would absolutely fit the bill and then some.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
katherinenzr's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’ve never read anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia I didn’t absolutely love, so it’s no surprise I feel head over heels into this gritty, messy, wonderful story. While the plot itself is electrifying and action packed, the characters are complex and messy and real in a way that left me thinking about them for hours after I finished the book. Start this at your own risk --you won’t be able to put it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gun violence
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Emotional abuse
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