Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

34 reviews

beth13's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Addiction, Death, Ableism, and Racism

blewballoon's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It took me a while to get through this book, but I think ultimately I enjoyed it. The two leads with alternating perspectives are very different from each other and both have their own flaws and strengths.

I feel like turning their friendship into a romance in the very last chapter didn't quite work. I would have liked a little more development throughout to make it feel less sudden.

For a horror book, I would say the horror elements are fairly mild. I enjoyed learning about Mexican film and culture. The story is set in 1993, but the characters reflect on Mexico's past as well.

I got a little bored with the villain backstory and spending time with the older, somewhat underdeveloped characters that were there to provide threats, rescues, and exposition mostly.

I would recommend if you like the idea of niche horror movies,  but don't actually want a book with really disturbing or gruesome scenes, and don't mind a slower pace that's more character focused. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Death, Murder, Ableism, Sexism, and Blood

Minor: Body horror, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

rachelunabridged's review against another edition

dark 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

[ Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC! ]

After having a blast with Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic, I knew I had to check out more of her work. I'm so glad that I finally had the chance to do just that with her latest book, Silver Nitrate. With a background consisting of the Mexican horror film scene and Nazi occultism, it really snatched my interest right from the beginning.

Though the build-up was quite slow, I felt like the author did an awesome job letting the plot simmer for the first half of the book, but then really letting shit go wild in the last half. I had such a blast following the characters throughout this read as they peeled back the layers of intrigue and mystery, and I loved getting to linger in the tension and atmosphere that Moreno-Garcia built.

While there were some spooky scenes, I think that calling this a horror story might be misleading in some reader's eyes so I would actually recommend this as more of a thriller or suspense with some horror elements. If that's enough to grab your interest, definitely give it a read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Death, Racism, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcoholism and Addiction

heather667's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Car accident, Misogyny, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Violence, Biphobia, Chronic illness, Grief, Gore, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: War, Genocide, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

bessadams's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death, Murder, and Racism

Moderate: Car accident, Ableism, and Bullying

Minor: Animal death and Death of parent

r_o_s_e's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Colonisation, Classism, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Racism, Ableism, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Medical trauma, and Medical content

crownoflaurel's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Colonisation, Sexism, Death, and Racism

Minor: Drug abuse, Ableism, and Cancer

writingcaia's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

As always, Silvia takes me on slow, but increasingly addictive ride. I couldn’t stop. 
Nazis, sorcerers, a lot of old-school horror movies, a cursed film reel, and a friendship that drives the story forward as it intertwines with powers old and new.
It’s really all, the characters, their dialogues, the relationships, the historical and immersive context, the pointed descriptions. It connects, it sizzles, it feels real, and because of that, it wraps you in its darkness and fears.
The whole tale evolves beautifully and has a perfect ending. 
Also, loved the bisexual main rep, in the midst of such prejudiced setting - misogyny, racism, eugenics.
Another great one, and I just want to say next, please! 💜🤌🏼 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Blood, and Racism

Moderate: Car accident, Death, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Addiction

ninajean's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

3.5

The beginning of this book was a bit slow for me since it involved providing a lot of back story that would set up the rest of the plot. I was interested reading about the film aspects. I wasn’t a fan of the romantic aspect at the end of the book between the two main characters. It was a bit unexpected and the ending felt a bit anticlimactic. They both were messy characters (we love messy bisexuals) that had a very dependent friendship, and I didn’t see the romantic chemistry between the two. The book is so well written and properly researched (there were instances where it felt a bit more info-dumpy than adding to the plot).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Xenophobia, Murder, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Ableism and Car accident

Minor: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Drug abuse

ecn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.25

This book is SMG at her core and I really liked the concept of the book! The only drawbacks were that it REALLY seemed like the story dragged on for too long at different moments and (like classic SMG) sped up super quickly at the end. I also felt like I didn’t get enough out of the main characters other than sho they are at their surface level. I think this book would greatly benefit from a sequel and building out this world more. 
The writing was spectacular and the fantasy elements kept me entertained. I just wish it was edited a bit better and a whole lot spookier (then maybe I could feel fine with not dive too deep into the characters?). 
However I will say the biggest win is having two messy/annoying bisexuals obsessed with horror (kinda) as the MCs. Huge representation win lol

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexism, Racism, Murder, Misogyny, Grief, Gore, Death, Body horror, Drug use, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Cancer, Colonisation, Animal death, Addiction, Ableism, Toxic friendship, and Blood