Scan barcode
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
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
seawarrior's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Sexism, Drug abuse, Death, Car accident, and Racism
juffnstuff's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Car accident
siobhanward's review against another edition
- 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 characters were great and I love how Moreno-Garcia unravels a story. This book had a great combination of creepy moments interspliced with action and character development. Definitely a fun read, and perfect for Halloween (even though at this point Halloween is three months away...).
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Violence, Car accident, Gore, and Drug abuse
cadence99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
felt like the character development was much improved from the books that I’ve read of hers in the past. I’d highly recommended it to anyone who can handle supernatural horror. A lot of if also felt very historical fiction heavy, with all the elements of old Mexican horror movies inserted throughout, and I really enjoyed that about it.
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Ableism, Bullying, Car accident, Colonisation, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Violence, Chronic illness, and Death
Moderate: Biphobia, Addiction, and Cancer
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Stalking, Suicide, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Animal death, Genocide, Vomit, and War
jamieleepilk's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Addiction
dananana's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Murder, Xenophobia, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism
Minor: Biphobia
sarahweyand's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
I feel right in the middle of the road on this book. I thought the premise was super interesting and I really enjoyed the inclusion of real historical figures in addition to our characters, but this book took me FOREVER to get through. Normally I love a good slow burn, but I think there were too many information dumps that grinded the plot to a halt. I also didn't buy in to a lot of the plot: I wasn't overly attached to any characters, and the magic system was a little too soft and vague for me to latch on to.
Some positives! The best part of this book was certainly the relationship dynamic between Montserrat and Tristán; even though I didn't feel connected to either of them individually, I loved their relationship. I thought the setting was unique and well-described, and I greatly enjoyed the history woven into the plot even if I thought the execution was a little heavy-handed.
I don't know how many people I would recommend this one to, but I would definitely pick up something else by this author in the future (Mexican Gothic is still on my shelf)!
Graphic: Racism, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse and Alcohol
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
- 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
There was so much to love about this and so much I learned. First off, both MCs are bisexual disasters. I absolutely love that. Second, there is so much info about cinema without it feeling like a massive info dump. SM-G is able to weave it all into dialogue without any of it sounding like one long PSA. Third, occultism?? Horror cinema?? Runes and spirits and magic?? Need I say more??
The start was pretty slow... I feel like it didn't pick up until 30% through when you get to the meat of the plot, when the retired director who had dabbled in occultism with some Nazis tells the truth of the magic of film to the two MCs and recruits them to finish a film which would subsequently release him from a curse put on him for NOT completing it from the start. Not much of a spoiler but... they finish it. And then they suffer some consequences. The story after that had me absolutely gripped. What I always appreciate about SM-G's novels is that she puts in so much research into the subject based on real life issues as well as weaving in fantasy and magical realism that just hooks you and pulls you through all the pages. Her characters are always pictures as flawed but real and relatable and this applies to Monserrat and Tristan in this book too. This is an absolute instant-recommend for anyone!
Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!
Graphic: Racism, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse and Blood
Minor: Medical content, Ableism, Biphobia, and Alcoholism