Reviews with content warning for Blood - Silver Nitrate

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Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

73 reviews

brandongordon's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

"Silver Nitrate" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a rollercoaster of a novel that combines elements of horror, thriller, crime, and gothic genres, all set against the backdrop of a decaying 1990s Mexico City film industry. Moreno-Garcia's ability to seamlessly blend these genres with historical Mexican settings is nothing short of impressive, and "Silver Nitrate" is another testament to her storytelling prowess.

The story revolves around Montserrat, a reclusive sound editor, and her childhood friend Tristán Abascal, a washed-up actor. Their unlikely reunion sets the stage for a tale filled with eerie mysteries and supernatural encounters. The plot takes a unique twist when they team up with Abel Urueta, a once-famous Mexican horror film director, to complete a cursed film project, "Beyond the Yellow Door," initiated by a Nazi occultist who believed in the power of silver nitrate film for sealing spells.

What makes "Silver Nitrate" stand out is its vivid portrayal of 1990s Mexico City, a city grappling with the aftermath of neoliberal reforms and changing tastes in the film industry. Moreno-Garcia's attention to detail paints a haunting picture of this era, although at times, the abundance of references to actors, directors, and horror films can feel a bit overwhelming and weigh down the narrative.

The novel also delves into a fascinating aspect of Latin American history - the specter of Nazism in the region. While Nazi presence was more pronounced in other Latin American countries, Moreno-Garcia skillfully explores the compatibility of Nazi ideology with regional ideas of racial supremacy, discrimination against Indigenous groups, and the desire to "better the race."

Despite some moments of heavy-handed exposition and telegraphed romance, "Silver Nitrate" truly comes alive when the supernatural mystery takes center stage. Moreno-Garcia's inventive storytelling and carefully constructed plot keep readers engaged and curious throughout the narrative. The unraveling of the mystery is a captivating and electrifying experience, much like our protagonists' relentless pursuit of clues to ward off Nazi spirits and curses.

In conclusion, "Silver Nitrate" may have its occasional shortcomings, but it ultimately shines as a compelling and atmospheric blend of genres. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's ability to infuse historical context with the supernatural creates a memorable reading experience. If you're a fan of horror, mystery, and historical fiction, this book is well worth your time.

If you're hungry for more insightful book reviews and recommendations, be sure to visit my blog, Edge Of Your Book, at https://www.edgeofyourbook.com, where I share in-depth insights into captivating reads like "Silver Nitrate" and many more. Happy reading!

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ecn's review against another edition

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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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pmhandley's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

As with most books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the storyline is a little convoluted, but god, it's not boring. Silver Nitrate is, in a lot of ways, repeating the themes in her other works. Dark magic set in Mexico City, or Mexico as a whole. Not subtle metaphors where the evil is really white supremacy. Nothing really happens and then suddenly EVERYTHING happens at a rapid pace. But it still always manages to be a new story and wildly creative. The only thing I could have gone without is the romantic subplot, but it doesn't get in the way of the larger story, so it's pretty unobjectionable. And of course, the most important lesson to take away from this book is the evergreen lesson of "don't hang out with Nazis, nothing good happens."

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megan_harper's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

The first third was slower than other books I’ve read by SMG, but there was a lot of context to set in order to build a strong world.

Overall, I really liked the fact that the flaws in Monsterrat were used in the climactic scenes in ways that caused her to doubt herself. I also appreciate that while the tension between Monsterrat and Tristán was thrumming in the background, it wasn’t a central plot line and wasn’t overly romantic.

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bookiecharm's review against another edition

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4.5

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

I'm stuck between a 3.5 and a 4 ⭐️ for this one. SMG's writing style is so unique, and I love that every single one of her books is so different. The discussions about Nazi occultism in this were fascinating and so socially critical, but it did get a little weird. That ending tho!!!!!!

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bchallis's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

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sofipitch's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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

I'm comparing this relative to SMG's previous book and her two releases before this one, VWTN and TDODM were really just mid after Mexican Gothic, so this one waa refreshing in that it I actually did like it. Monserrat and Tristan were interesting and well developed characters (also fell into character archetypes I like so I am biased lol). Same with their relationship, old friends who have a tendency to take the other for granted. The plot itself was good just painfully slow at times. SMG said this was her suspense novel but there was a degree of maybe over-explaining in places that made it drag. Some of the beats or themes I got pages before so when it was laid out I felt again like it was slow.

I really did love this as a love letter to stories, and more specifically movies. The choice to make Monserrat a sound editor was also 👌 my mother is a video editor so her descriptions of the work environment were spot on, and editing is such an undervalued part of television/cinema but really can be what makes or breaks a film. It was really cool to have that highlighted and acknowledged in a book about movies.

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cinderellasbookshelf's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

A book about film, or in this case the literal power of movies, and it’s written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - sign me up!

Montserrat is a sound editor in Mexico City’s film industry in 1993. Her childhood friend and unrequited former crush, Tristán, is a soap opera star whose fame has declined following a tragic car accident that killed his girlfriend. When Montserrat and Tristán meet a film director who claims that his last movie was cursed, which thus led to his misfortunes, they offer to help him finish it. Pretty soon however, they begin to encounter some eerie outcomes.

I kid you not when I say that SILVER NITRATE scared the life out of me, but I loved it anyway. I have read my fair share of horror novels, but this one takes the cake.

The supernatural elements are creepy, especially as Montserrat gets deeper into learning more about the occult and their belief around the mysticism of performance and how that translates into film. I literally felt my body tense up reading those parts, along with one scene with Tristán and a haunting apparition and another with Montserrat being lured by a sinister character to “follow him into the night.” Chills 😵‍💫🫣

There are references to filmmaking, which I enjoyed, and aspects throughout that are inspired by movies in cinematic history, especially Mexican cinema. There is actually a video where Moreno-Garcia talks about two movies in particular that influenced SILVER NITRATE. Listening to her talk about the artistry behind film and how certain scenes are shot, performed, and sound edited gives you an idea of what she wanted to convey and share about film and cinema. It all comes through in her writing, which is so immersive that the whole novel itself feels as if you are watching a horror movie unfold on the big screen.

After reading SILVER NITRATE, it makes me even more excited for her next book that is also set in the film industry. This one though is sure to stay with me, even if I’m not usually into horror. Hereditary, Rosemary’s Baby, Evil Dead fans will devour this and movie lovers will enjoy it. Either way, you’re going to want to pick up SILVER NITRATE.

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sarah984's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

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

I really liked the premise of this novel (literal movie magic!) but I found the execution so dull. Most of the characters' motivations are just straight up fed to you in exposition and neither of the point of view characters is especially compelling. None of the attempted emotional beats with them land at all because they don't feel like people with real lives and goals. The '90s Mexico setting was cool and there were a few good scares but overall not that great.

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