Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

19 reviews

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

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

sofipitch's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Grief, Blood, Violence, and Death

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexism, Alcoholism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Alcohol and Cancer

sarah984's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Murder, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, Car accident, Death, and Grief

Minor: Infidelity, Ableism, Animal death, Cancer, Suicide, and Vomit

jamieleepilk's review against another edition

dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Addiction

bookishparadox's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Death, Grief, Ableism, Sexism, and Alcohol

Minor: Classism, Medical content, Violence, Racism, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Animal death, War, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury

val_so_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Murder, Grief, Misogyny, Car accident, Racism, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Xenophobia

Minor: Medical content, Ableism, and Biphobia

taratearex's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.25

I really had to sit with this book for a while before I could review it, it really has so much packed into it and really made me sit and think!

As usual Silvia Moreno Garcia is a master at creating an atmospheric setting and incredible characters.  I think this is billed as a horror and to me it feel more like a noir with horror elements, the creepy and the horror are both there, but it's within the long and winding mystery as it unfolds. (It had Velvet was the Night vibes which I loved). As with most of her novels, the slow burn is there which is honestly something I love about her style, but if you have a hard time with slow burn the beginning is very much taking it's time to set the scene and get to know the characters- again, I personally love this about her style because I just love entering the worlds that she creates and spending time with her characters.

I love how Silvia Moreno Garcia layers in history and education around topics. In this one we have a love and fascination for film that comes through Montserrat's character. And some history of Nazi occultism, racism, and cultural appropriation told through the mystery of the cursed film and filmmakers. My only real qualm was getting a bit lost in the information and mystery, I think if I'd had a physical copy I would have tabbed to keep track of some things because I had a number of moments where I just thought "this book is much smarter than me".

I know that right after I finish a new book of hers I feel like it's my new favorite, but I really loved these two characters so much. I love that they are both around my age and both bisexual.  I love how Silvia Moreno Garcia creates complicated multi-dimensional characters that you root for and also make you a little mad, they always feel so real. Montserrat being drawn to power that she knows is wrong, but can't help but fall deep into was so well done. Tristan trying to grow and let go, but being afraid to. I love their complicated friendship/relationship, how much they need and lean on each other. I really never knew where this was going and the ending was a surprise that I loved.

I truly look forward to a reread, there was just so much in this book!

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, and Net Galley for the arc!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Murder, Xenophobia, Racism, Antisemitism, Car accident, Alcohol, and Addiction