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thewitchofthebook's review against another edition
4.0
The first 1/2 of this book is a perfect 5 for me. It's had all the weird supernatural occult-y stuff I LOVE. Then the second half adds actual magic and it just didn't work for me as well. Kind of a bummer.
1st half - 5 ⭐️, 2nd half - 3 ⭐️ = 4 ⭐️
1st half - 5 ⭐️, 2nd half - 3 ⭐️ = 4 ⭐️
shuuunea's review against another edition
2.5
Felt like watching an episode of CSI plus magic. Cheesy and often redundant with information we already knew.
justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
A sedated telling of something extraordinary, Silver Nitrate has a lot of positives going for it: appealing protagonist(s), a layered mystery surrounding a lost film and its makers, and immersive, evidently researched details regarding Mexican cinema history. The only thing missing is a sense of urgency to the core narrative.
Trying to pinpoint exactly why I wasn't more enthusiastic about Silver Nitrate; I loved the concept of connecting aspects of cinema to cultish practice, the protagonists duo was extremely relatable and likeable (perhaps a little too culturally progressive considering the setting was the 90s), and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing painted vivid scenes and was extremely emotive. Ultimately I come to this conclusion: the presentation overall is very 'told, not shown', and heavy on exposition. As a reader, the constant secondhand (sometimes thirdhand) account of critical events makes for a very distant and removed experience. Particularly in the middle stretch of the novel, where it is scenes after scenes of characters receiving information (reading book, listening to story, etc.); the pattern gets monotonous quickly, no matter how polished it is written.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia clearly has put a lot of effort into Silver Nitrate, especially on building the groundwork for the more fantastical elements; but I was desperate for a flashback, an epistolary format change, or an unexpected POVs, beyond yet another scene of character reading text, or listening to long-winded speech. Overall, Silver Nitrate is handsomely written and has its moments (the finale does become more action-packed), but overall it's oddly placid than what one would expect from its premise.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
A sedated telling of something extraordinary, Silver Nitrate has a lot of positives going for it: appealing protagonist(s), a layered mystery surrounding a lost film and its makers, and immersive, evidently researched details regarding Mexican cinema history. The only thing missing is a sense of urgency to the core narrative.
Trying to pinpoint exactly why I wasn't more enthusiastic about Silver Nitrate; I loved the concept of connecting aspects of cinema to cultish practice, the protagonists duo was extremely relatable and likeable (perhaps a little too culturally progressive considering the setting was the 90s), and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing painted vivid scenes and was extremely emotive. Ultimately I come to this conclusion: the presentation overall is very 'told, not shown', and heavy on exposition. As a reader, the constant secondhand (sometimes thirdhand) account of critical events makes for a very distant and removed experience. Particularly in the middle stretch of the novel, where it is scenes after scenes of characters receiving information (reading book, listening to story, etc.); the pattern gets monotonous quickly, no matter how polished it is written.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia clearly has put a lot of effort into Silver Nitrate, especially on building the groundwork for the more fantastical elements; but I was desperate for a flashback, an epistolary format change, or an unexpected POVs, beyond yet another scene of character reading text, or listening to long-winded speech. Overall, Silver Nitrate is handsomely written and has its moments (the finale does become more action-packed), but overall it's oddly placid than what one would expect from its premise.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
njdarkish's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderfully creepy blend of noir mystery, silver screen tribute, and Lovecraftian horror (though a comparison to The King in Yellow may be more apt, honestly). I had a ton of fun reading this one, and though I thought the first half was ultimately better than the second, I still loved the whole thing.
shelbymarie516's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly enjoy anything from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This was dark and creepy and wonderful.
kaegank's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hyphae's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
katsherms's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When it works, it really works but oh man does it take forever to get there. I think this is just a writing style that doesn't work for me. The author tends to repeat a lot of already covered ground, and is more verbose than I tend to like.
seacool's review against another edition
My loan at the library expired before I could finish it. Plan to come back to this later