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Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Sexual harassment
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual harassment
Minor: Homophobia
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I think this may be my *favorite* book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! TikTok audio: No, you don't understand. I'm *obsessed* !!!!!!
Okay, so there are mostly two POVs during the 1950s in Hollywood (Vera, the Mexican ingenue who is cast as Salome; Nancy, the all-American actress who has been desperate to get her big break for the past four years in Hollywood) in this, with others' sprinkled in sporadically (the director, actors, boyfriends, extras), as if we are watching a documentary. We also get the story of Salome, who the film is about, and her chapters were incredible as well.
I was not expecting this piece of historical fiction to draw me in so resolutely. I was so fully engrossed in this story & got actively annoyed when I had to put the book down for anything. I loved how Silvia Moreno-Garcia illustrated the snowballing progression of the microaggressions and flat-out overtly racist and sexist treatment Vera endured as she rose to infamy in Hollywood and on set after such a "controversial" casting. Vera begins wide-eyed, hopeful, but cautious, (a dove, if you're wanting to connect this to the biblical Salome story) and who can blame her? Being surrounded by mega-privileged, wealthy, and powerful white entertainers is jarring, nerve-wracking, and warrants some prudence.
Vera also learns what it means to say "no" to a powerful, famous, white man; she begins to feel the coldness, discomfort, isolation, and emotional warfare that happens on set (from all angles) when you turn down a man who is never told "no". Favoritism doesn't seem dangerous until you're on the other end. I admired her for owning her decisions though, as she had already been pushed towards a life she didn't want, and she wasn't going to repeat those behaviors. That takes some guts, and with the setting being almost 75 years ago, that's incredibly admirable to me. Though Hollywood tested her with gossip rags painting her in poor light ("she's difficult to work with," "she's not a good actress," "she is frigid!") and blatant racism and misogyny, Vera maintained her integrity and stayed true to her character, which is seemingly impossible in that industry at that time.
I also felt her characterization flowed so seamlessly because of her familial context, especially how she connects with her mom and is compared to her sister. Her mother is perpetually unimpressed, disapproves of her budding romance with musician Jay, and simply never offers Vera comfort or encouragement. What is it about mothers? I'm serious. Can we do better by our daughters? (says a person who doesn't have children lmao)
It's fascinating to me that whenever I think of the 1950s, I think of the stereotypical, cookie-cutter homemaker wife, and I wonder how that translates to the women in Hollywood. Turns out, they had to deal with the same lack of agency and say that I thought "Stepford wives" had. Sure, they're on screen, glitz and glammed up, adored by fans, but they are barely directed with the same level of notes and depth that male actors receive, are spoken around, not to, and absolutely not heard or mindfully listened to. They are catered to the audience, who the directors also assume are men, so all of these choices are being made by men, which makes Vera's, Nancy's, & Salome's stories that much more important & curious. I loved that regardless of whether I stood behind their choices or not, they were theirs in the end!
Okay, let's talk about Nancy... Soooooo, everyone knows a Nancy in real life, right? If you don't, I am genuinely so relieved for you because no one needs that negativity (lmao wait, I love that SMG did that: "negative Nancy") or stress in their lives. Nancy is a 1950s "pick me," who is incensed that a "beaner" (she literally says this! I was pissed! I needed Nancy to step on Legos barefoot like yesterday!) was chosen for the role of Salome over her. She absolutely cannot fathom that Vera is a better or more deserving actress than her, and lets that envy, pride, and ego consume her unhealthily. Nancy embodies the "lion" of Salome's biblical story, and boy, does she roar, sheesh!
Nancy was such an interesting commentary on the competitiveness, darkness, vanity, and greed that sometimes comes with aspirations for fame and wealth. I generally blame systems, like capitalism and celebrity culture, but Nancy is a big girl and could have unlearned this harmful messaging, yet chose not to. She chose to keep her monthly subscription of, "I hate when other women get what I want, and refuse to be happy for them, especially if they are not white." She was a fantastic character because she was so clouded by jealousy, rage, and bitterness that she hopped, skipped, and jumped straight into self-destruction. Idk, Nancy is the character you just love to hate because she does "female rage" so well.
Salome's story was especially captivating! Salome must choose between love, revenge, or power, (all of these are tied to men in her life - prophet Jakanaan, Uncle Herod, or her cousin Marcus Agrippa) and I am going to say what I say with every story about a woman who is pushed between a rock and a hard place by the manipulative men in her life. I support women's wrongs, end of story. I loved how resourceful and cunning Salome was, and I would watch this movie within a book hahaha.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to excel in her craft by delivering beautifully written novels across genre and time period, and I cannot wait for more and more people to fall in love with this one. Overall, this was excellent & would be great if optioned & adapted for film.
I think this may be my *favorite* book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! TikTok audio: No, you don't understand. I'm *obsessed* !!!!!!
Okay, so there are mostly two POVs during the 1950s in Hollywood (Vera, the Mexican ingenue who is cast as Salome; Nancy, the all-American actress who has been desperate to get her big break for the past four years in Hollywood) in this, with others' sprinkled in sporadically (the director, actors, boyfriends, extras), as if we are watching a documentary. We also get the story of Salome, who the film is about, and her chapters were incredible as well.
I was not expecting this piece of historical fiction to draw me in so resolutely. I was so fully engrossed in this story & got actively annoyed when I had to put the book down for anything. I loved how Silvia Moreno-Garcia illustrated the snowballing progression of the microaggressions and flat-out overtly racist and sexist treatment Vera endured as she rose to infamy in Hollywood and on set after such a "controversial" casting. Vera begins wide-eyed, hopeful, but cautious, (a dove, if you're wanting to connect this to the biblical Salome story) and who can blame her? Being surrounded by mega-privileged, wealthy, and powerful white entertainers is jarring, nerve-wracking, and warrants some prudence.
Vera also learns what it means to say "no" to a powerful, famous, white man; she begins to feel the coldness, discomfort, isolation, and emotional warfare that happens on set (from all angles) when you turn down a man who is never told "no". Favoritism doesn't seem dangerous until you're on the other end. I admired her for owning her decisions though, as she had already been pushed towards a life she didn't want, and she wasn't going to repeat those behaviors. That takes some guts, and with the setting being almost 75 years ago, that's incredibly admirable to me. Though Hollywood tested her with gossip rags painting her in poor light ("she's difficult to work with," "she's not a good actress," "she is frigid!") and blatant racism and misogyny, Vera maintained her integrity and stayed true to her character, which is seemingly impossible in that industry at that time.
I also felt her characterization flowed so seamlessly because of her familial context, especially how she connects with her mom and is compared to her sister. Her mother is perpetually unimpressed, disapproves of her budding romance with musician Jay, and simply never offers Vera comfort or encouragement. What is it about mothers? I'm serious. Can we do better by our daughters? (says a person who doesn't have children lmao)
It's fascinating to me that whenever I think of the 1950s, I think of the stereotypical, cookie-cutter homemaker wife, and I wonder how that translates to the women in Hollywood. Turns out, they had to deal with the same lack of agency and say that I thought "Stepford wives" had. Sure, they're on screen, glitz and glammed up, adored by fans, but they are barely directed with the same level of notes and depth that male actors receive, are spoken around, not to, and absolutely not heard or mindfully listened to. They are catered to the audience, who the directors also assume are men, so all of these choices are being made by men, which makes Vera's, Nancy's, & Salome's stories that much more important & curious. I loved that regardless of whether I stood behind their choices or not, they were theirs in the end!
Okay, let's talk about Nancy... Soooooo, everyone knows a Nancy in real life, right? If you don't, I am genuinely so relieved for you because no one needs that negativity (lmao wait, I love that SMG did that: "negative Nancy") or stress in their lives. Nancy is a 1950s "pick me," who is incensed that a "beaner" (she literally says this! I was pissed! I needed Nancy to step on Legos barefoot like yesterday!) was chosen for the role of Salome over her. She absolutely cannot fathom that Vera is a better or more deserving actress than her, and lets that envy, pride, and ego consume her unhealthily. Nancy embodies the "lion" of Salome's biblical story, and boy, does she roar, sheesh!
Nancy was such an interesting commentary on the competitiveness, darkness, vanity, and greed that sometimes comes with aspirations for fame and wealth. I generally blame systems, like capitalism and celebrity culture, but Nancy is a big girl and could have unlearned this harmful messaging, yet chose not to. She chose to keep her monthly subscription of, "I hate when other women get what I want, and refuse to be happy for them, especially if they are not white." She was a fantastic character because she was so clouded by jealousy, rage, and bitterness that she hopped, skipped, and jumped straight into self-destruction. Idk, Nancy is the character you just love to hate because she does "female rage" so well.
Salome's story was especially captivating! Salome must choose between love, revenge, or power, (all of these are tied to men in her life - prophet Jakanaan, Uncle Herod, or her cousin Marcus Agrippa) and I am going to say what I say with every story about a woman who is pushed between a rock and a hard place by the manipulative men in her life. I support women's wrongs, end of story. I loved how resourceful and cunning Salome was, and I would watch this movie within a book hahaha.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to excel in her craft by delivering beautifully written novels across genre and time period, and I cannot wait for more and more people to fall in love with this one. Overall, this was excellent & would be great if optioned & adapted for film.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Sexual harassment, Classism