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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I really loved the premise and setting of this book! Magic, cults, Mexico in the 90s… I mean the vibes were there. However, the pacing in this book was definitely off. Veerrryyy slow start and didn’t really pick up until the last 100 pgs. I did find the story intriguing though, otherwise I probably would have DNF’d.
Once it picked up I didn’t want to put it down!! But I think the ending felt a little rushed after the slow pace of the first 2/3 of the book. She spent too much time telling us about Tristan & Montserrat’s jobs & dating lives & not enough time on Alma’s magic or Clarimonde’s cult.
Once it picked up I didn’t want to put it down!! But I think the ending felt a little rushed after the slow pace of the first 2/3 of the book. She spent too much time telling us about Tristan & Montserrat’s jobs & dating lives & not enough time on Alma’s magic or Clarimonde’s cult.
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Okay, so this rating makes it seem like I wasn’t a huge fan of this book, but I liked it, I really did! It’s been over a month now, and it’s still in my head and it feels good, hasn’t soured, haven’t forgotten it. But I had a bit of a hard time getting through it while reading, and the magic system was a bit too woobly for me.
This is fantasy horror book set in Mexico City in the 1990s, following Montserrat, a film editor and horror movie buff, and her best friend Tristán, a former telenovela star. A washed up horror movie director lives next door to Tristán in his new apartment, and Montserrat and Tristán become friendly with him. This director was famous in the 1960s but his last film fell apart and is now considered “lost” and a “cursed film”. In the process of learning more about the director and the history of his film, they accidentally become sucked into the magic and horror surrounding the film and have to find their way out of the mess, which does involve a NAZI and black magic, I am sad to say.
I really liked Montserrat and Tristán, who is dealing with PTSD from a traumatic car accident that scarred his face, killed his girlfriend, and ruined his career. Montserrat is a woman in a boys club industry, and she is currently being pushed out of her job to make way for younger men, men who will participate in the boys club culture that Montserrat disdains. At first the magic surrounding the movie seems to be making things better for both MCs but of course this is horror so things go very badly.
My issue with this book is that while it’s only about 300ish pages, it felt like 500. I kept having to pick it up and put it down after only a chapter or two. And I don’t think it was meant to be a slow burn, but that’s what it felt like. Maybe if I re-read it, I would feel differently. And this is just my fantasy nerd self talking here, but the magic system should either be unexplainable, or have very explainable rules that are consistent and always make sense. This one wanted it both ways, and the “rules” the characters were throwing out weren’t consistent and seemed to change as needed for the story. It just irked me, but there’s nothing really wrong with that approach.
I’m still not fully sold on SMG as an author. Some of her books sound very dull to me, and others seem vaguely intriguing, but I’ve never yet looked at a book of hers and said YES THAT IS FOR ME. I do like that she’s a genre-hopper, though. She’s clearly a creative person. Her newest book is an IRL book club pick for me, so we’ll see how that goes!
I am, however, going to start calling people silly tomatoes.
[3.5 stars]
This is fantasy horror book set in Mexico City in the 1990s, following Montserrat, a film editor and horror movie buff, and her best friend Tristán, a former telenovela star. A washed up horror movie director lives next door to Tristán in his new apartment, and Montserrat and Tristán become friendly with him. This director was famous in the 1960s but his last film fell apart and is now considered “lost” and a “cursed film”. In the process of learning more about the director and the history of his film, they accidentally become sucked into the magic and horror surrounding the film and have to find their way out of the mess, which does involve a NAZI and black magic, I am sad to say.
I really liked Montserrat and Tristán, who is dealing with PTSD from a traumatic car accident that scarred his face, killed his girlfriend, and ruined his career. Montserrat is a woman in a boys club industry, and she is currently being pushed out of her job to make way for younger men, men who will participate in the boys club culture that Montserrat disdains. At first the magic surrounding the movie seems to be making things better for both MCs but of course this is horror so things go very badly.
My issue with this book is that while it’s only about 300ish pages, it felt like 500. I kept having to pick it up and put it down after only a chapter or two. And I don’t think it was meant to be a slow burn, but that’s what it felt like. Maybe if I re-read it, I would feel differently. And this is just my fantasy nerd self talking here, but the magic system should either be unexplainable, or have very explainable rules that are consistent and always make sense. This one wanted it both ways, and the “rules” the characters were throwing out weren’t consistent and seemed to change as needed for the story. It just irked me, but there’s nothing really wrong with that approach.
I’m still not fully sold on SMG as an author. Some of her books sound very dull to me, and others seem vaguely intriguing, but I’ve never yet looked at a book of hers and said YES THAT IS FOR ME. I do like that she’s a genre-hopper, though. She’s clearly a creative person. Her newest book is an IRL book club pick for me, so we’ll see how that goes!
I am, however, going to start calling people silly tomatoes.
[3.5 stars]
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
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
As a former video store clerk with a master's in cinema studies, I loved the full immersion in film history and technology. Something I especially like is when authors come up with fake books and fake movies and make me want them to be real. That totally happened with the full cinema history that she created for this book and I'm sad that they are not real! I enjoyed this book as much as Mexican Gothic and loved the Suspiria-esque vibe.
Nostalgia, film, and the occult come to life in this slow burn that follows two down-on-their-luck protagonists. It's a perfect read for anyone who loves classic movies or wonders what it takes to be successful harnessing their own magic.
- Ashley
- Ashley
The initial plot was very promising and seemed to progress at a good pace before it became convoluted and seemed to go nowhere. My largest problem with this book was the writing- it is noticeably terrible. I’ve read other books by this author and enjoyed them, so I kept hanging on, waiting for this book to redeem itself. I was quite close to the end, but could not read another page. Skip this one and read one of her other books.
Thank you Del Rey & Netgalley for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm absolutely enthralled by Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing.
I enjoyed this story so much. It was well-written and I loved Mo and Tristan's dynamic!!
This is one of the better horror period pieces I’ve read. I’m new to the lost film trope and I’m so glad Silvia Moreno-Garcia was my introduction. Before I knew it, I was falling down a rabbit hole of the occult and cursed films. The entire story was touched by superstition and I mean in the best way. I loved reading about the seances and rituals as much as they were unnerving. My biggest regret is not reading this during the fall because the vibes were so autumnal and spooky.
Montserrat (or “Mo”) and Tristán have an interesting dynamic. They share a childhood friendship and eventually grow into codependent adults. Mo had a rough upbringing due to being teased constantly. She’s rough around the edges with a chip on her shoulder, but she often catches herself pining for Tristan, who is a bit self-absorbed and obsessed with his appearances due to working as an actor. However, his layers are peeled back as we learn that he’s still haunted by a car crash that killed his ex-girl friend. His laissez faire attitude seems to be a coping mechanism to mask his pain and guilt.
I’m glad I didn’t read the synopsis beforehand because it mentions the awakening of Mo’s hidden powers but to be honest, that’s a very subtle part of the story. She’s drawn to Ewer’s power and even gets lost in his spell book. At some moments, Mo even seems to become captivated by the idea of being one of his followers. Tristán, however, wants to stay clear of any involvement with the cult. After seeing a ghost and having a near encounter with death, he is reluctant to help stop Ewer’s rise to power.
There were multiple players with different motivations in the attempt to retrieve the cursed film said to be imbued with dark powers. I found Ewers, the former cult leader who died years previously and the lore surrounding him, a unique subject. That being said, the history of Nazism and the occult wasn’t very explored. There’s maybe a chapter or so that touches on it, but had the author gone deeper with his motivations, his influence over the members in the cult might have felt more menacing. I say this because in Mexican Gothic, I was truly, truly afraid of the antagonist because of how unwavering he was in his belief of eugenics. Here, the villain is a bit more surface level.
My main issue with the story was with the pacing. For instance, some of the dialogue read like monologues rather than a natural conversation. It also took me longer than I’d like to finish reading the last five chapters. When I get the ending of a story, I want to fly through the pages. I had a similar issue with Gods of Jade and Shadow. I’ve come to understand the author writes very slow burn plots, but the pay off is usually worth it. The ending tugged on my heart strings!
I didn’t expect Silver Nitrate to become of my favorite books from this author right after Mexican Gothic. I know the author doesn’t like to write the same thing twice. I was pleasantly surprised by how mesmerized I was by a tale of a lost film, ghosts and beasts, and the cultist who want to bring back their leader from the dead.
I enjoyed this story so much. It was well-written and I loved Mo and Tristan's dynamic!!
This is one of the better horror period pieces I’ve read. I’m new to the lost film trope and I’m so glad Silvia Moreno-Garcia was my introduction. Before I knew it, I was falling down a rabbit hole of the occult and cursed films. The entire story was touched by superstition and I mean in the best way. I loved reading about the seances and rituals as much as they were unnerving. My biggest regret is not reading this during the fall because the vibes were so autumnal and spooky.
Montserrat (or “Mo”) and Tristán have an interesting dynamic. They share a childhood friendship and eventually grow into codependent adults. Mo had a rough upbringing due to being teased constantly. She’s rough around the edges with a chip on her shoulder, but she often catches herself pining for Tristan, who is a bit self-absorbed and obsessed with his appearances due to working as an actor. However, his layers are peeled back as we learn that he’s still haunted by a car crash that killed his ex-girl friend. His laissez faire attitude seems to be a coping mechanism to mask his pain and guilt.
I’m glad I didn’t read the synopsis beforehand because it mentions the awakening of Mo’s hidden powers but to be honest, that’s a very subtle part of the story. She’s drawn to Ewer’s power and even gets lost in his spell book. At some moments, Mo even seems to become captivated by the idea of being one of his followers. Tristán, however, wants to stay clear of any involvement with the cult. After seeing a ghost and having a near encounter with death, he is reluctant to help stop Ewer’s rise to power.
There were multiple players with different motivations in the attempt to retrieve the cursed film said to be imbued with dark powers. I found Ewers, the former cult leader who died years previously and the lore surrounding him, a unique subject. That being said, the history of Nazism and the occult wasn’t very explored. There’s maybe a chapter or so that touches on it, but had the author gone deeper with his motivations, his influence over the members in the cult might have felt more menacing. I say this because in Mexican Gothic, I was truly, truly afraid of the antagonist because of how unwavering he was in his belief of eugenics. Here, the villain is a bit more surface level.
My main issue with the story was with the pacing. For instance, some of the dialogue read like monologues rather than a natural conversation. It also took me longer than I’d like to finish reading the last five chapters. When I get the ending of a story, I want to fly through the pages. I had a similar issue with Gods of Jade and Shadow. I’ve come to understand the author writes very slow burn plots, but the pay off is usually worth it. The ending tugged on my heart strings!
I didn’t expect Silver Nitrate to become of my favorite books from this author right after Mexican Gothic. I know the author doesn’t like to write the same thing twice. I was pleasantly surprised by how mesmerized I was by a tale of a lost film, ghosts and beasts, and the cultist who want to bring back their leader from the dead.