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lilliebear's review
2.0
I found this book rather boring. The storyline was not thrilling at all, but her writing style is what kept me going.
jinxei's review
3.0
Velvet was the Night is an enthralling historical noir with complex, well rounded characters and settings so descriptive and vibrant that it was easy to get lost in. Despite being drawn to the action and the overall mystery behind the disappearance of Leonara, I stuck around for Maite and Elvis. Maite's character arc, discovery of who she is and what she stands for and believes, and was easily my favorite of the two.
The pacing was on the slower side and I found Elvis' chapters to not hold my attention as well, but I believe all that led to the darker, somber mood of the noir.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The pacing was on the slower side and I found Elvis' chapters to not hold my attention as well, but I believe all that led to the darker, somber mood of the noir.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
passthedetritus's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ebeubanks8's review against another edition
It just wasn't interesting enough for me to keep going. I did not like the behavior and attitude of Elvis towards women, it was gross.
literarypenguin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I had read so many things about Silvia's other works so I was excited about one of her books being on my list. Sadly I was disappointed and maybe this book shouldn't have been my first dive into Silvia's works.
While I did love the noir setting and tone this story had, that was out shadowed by the annoying main character and boring story. The character of Maite was vain and rude to every person she encountered especially women. She had the habit of judging people before she even got a chance to know them and how she felt about her looks played a constant role into her thoughts which got repetitive after a while. The other character Elvis was the typical gangster who wants to leave the life behind him. Nothing really stood out about him besides his love for music. The two characters didnt even really interact until the last chapters.
The mystery of the missing women, to be honest I stopped caring about what happened to her about half way through. That isnt usually how a mystery is suppose to go and that was a real letdown for me. I hope Silvia's next works are a lot better and this book won't sour any of the other wonderful stories she has to offer.
While I did love the noir setting and tone this story had, that was out shadowed by the annoying main character and boring story. The character of Maite was vain and rude to every person she encountered especially women. She had the habit of judging people before she even got a chance to know them and how she felt about her looks played a constant role into her thoughts which got repetitive after a while. The other character Elvis was the typical gangster who wants to leave the life behind him. Nothing really stood out about him besides his love for music. The two characters didnt even really interact until the last chapters.
The mystery of the missing women, to be honest I stopped caring about what happened to her about half way through. That isnt usually how a mystery is suppose to go and that was a real letdown for me. I hope Silvia's next works are a lot better and this book won't sour any of the other wonderful stories she has to offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Torture, Blood, and Sexual content
kt15's review
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-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
flowerwineandbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
steph3nie's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
alguienmescucha's review
2.0
Entré a este libro con expectativas hasta ahí. Había visto muchas reseñas para Mexican Gothic, y no lo leí. Y me metí de lleno en este Noir para hacerme una idea propia de lo que pienso de la narración de la autora.
Creo que, en principio, la idea del libro está buena. Es interesante y da para una novela llena de acción, persecuciones, y espías. Lo único es que la acción, nunca llega. Recién en los últimos dos capítulos sentí que pasó algo realmente, el resto se sintió como una introducción muy larga. Se me hizo larguísimo a pesar de tener menos de 300 páginas, y lo terminé por pura voluntad.
La protagonista me pareció molesta, por decirlo suavemente. No soporto a este tipo de personajes y no quiero decir nada más para no spoilear. Pero dios mío, como no soporto a Maite.
Creo que este libro podría haber sido excelente, pero la ejecución de la idea no estuvo a la altura. Se torna lento, y tarda un millón de años en llegar al punto. En fin, la hipotenusa.
Creo que, en principio, la idea del libro está buena. Es interesante y da para una novela llena de acción, persecuciones, y espías. Lo único es que la acción, nunca llega. Recién en los últimos dos capítulos sentí que pasó algo realmente, el resto se sintió como una introducción muy larga. Se me hizo larguísimo a pesar de tener menos de 300 páginas, y lo terminé por pura voluntad.
La protagonista me pareció molesta, por decirlo suavemente. No soporto a este tipo de personajes y no quiero decir nada más para no spoilear. Pero dios mío, como no soporto a Maite.
Creo que este libro podría haber sido excelente, pero la ejecución de la idea no estuvo a la altura. Se torna lento, y tarda un millón de años en llegar al punto. En fin, la hipotenusa.