Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
One of my favorite parts about Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is her ability to shift so adeptly between genres. Even in the various horror/thriller subgenres covered in her oeuvre (that I've read so far! I'm still working through her backlist), the world of each title feels richly distinct. From the decrepit haunted house of Mexican Gothic, and the pulpy 1970s noir of Velvet was the Night, Moreno sets an atmospheric stage with her newest venture: the melodrama classic horror film, amidst the industry's change and faded glamor in the 1990s.
Montserrat, a horror film aficionado and long-time sound editor, finds herself getting edged out of her field by the boys' club that is the Mexico City film industry. When her lifelong best friend, Tristán, a once-beloved soap opera actor, discovers that his new neighbor is the once-great director of cult classic horror films, Montserrat and Tristán are thrilled to learn the story behind his infamous unfinished final horror project. What starts as insight into some lesser known movie industry lore turns into an offer to change both of their lives by completing the unfinished project, which the director claims is imbued with the magic of his collaborator, a Nazi occultist, who cursed everyone involved with the film when production halted. The director claims that completing the spell will reverse the curse and bring good luck and fortune beyond either of their imagining.
While this story seems too strange to be believed, Montserrat and Tristán agree to help the aging director, setting off a series of events whose consequences were even stranger and more mystical than they had ever imagined. What follows is a truly twisty story that conflates so-called "movie magic" with actual occult practices, with the atmosphere of suspense and obsession as Montserrat tries to unravel the workings of this magic and save her and Tristán from the mess that they've found themselves caught in. At no point did I have any idea what to expect next. All I can say is that it all comes to a deliciously melodramatic climax, which blurs the boundaries between the illusion of moviemaking with the real possibilities of supernatural. This book is another example of Silvia Moreno-Garcia at her best.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Montserrat, a horror film aficionado and long-time sound editor, finds herself getting edged out of her field by the boys' club that is the Mexico City film industry. When her lifelong best friend, Tristán, a once-beloved soap opera actor, discovers that his new neighbor is the once-great director of cult classic horror films, Montserrat and Tristán are thrilled to learn the story behind his infamous unfinished final horror project. What starts as insight into some lesser known movie industry lore turns into an offer to change both of their lives by completing the unfinished project, which the director claims is imbued with the magic of his collaborator, a Nazi occultist, who cursed everyone involved with the film when production halted. The director claims that completing the spell will reverse the curse and bring good luck and fortune beyond either of their imagining.
While this story seems too strange to be believed, Montserrat and Tristán agree to help the aging director, setting off a series of events whose consequences were even stranger and more mystical than they had ever imagined. What follows is a truly twisty story that conflates so-called "movie magic" with actual occult practices, with the atmosphere of suspense and obsession as Montserrat tries to unravel the workings of this magic and save her and Tristán from the mess that they've found themselves caught in. At no point did I have any idea what to expect next. All I can say is that it all comes to a deliciously melodramatic climax, which blurs the boundaries between the illusion of moviemaking with the real possibilities of supernatural. This book is another example of Silvia Moreno-Garcia at her best.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A good idea, kind of a Casting the Runes set in the old Mexican film industry, but it didn't quite work for me. Moreno-Garcia is a bit too keen to show her research off - there are whole conversations that read like wiki dumps and don't particularly add to the story. It also has some clunky writing in places - the phrase "a minuscule vestibule" popped up in the middle of a creepy atmospheric descriptive passage and knocked me righ tout of it.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The pacing in the book was tough for me, as sometimes it felt really slow and other times it moved really fast. It felt hard to get into a solid reading groove because of it. The romance also felt a bit forced. I wish she had fleshed that out a bit more too. Overall not an unenjoyable read, just was tough to really lose myself in this book.
slow-paced
The best part was the cool info on exploring the Mexican film industry and culture, and the story was neat. I really like the concept and the first half was cool as they learned more about what happened and Ewers, but I feel like when there was more magic it just didn’t feel like the same story and it became lackluster.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This one was a bit hard to finish. Wasn’t fully vested, just didn’t grab me.