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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
VERY enjoyable! Easily my new favorite of the Moreno-Garcia books I've read. I love how the narrative builds, it feels very subtle and the magic system that is eventually revealed feels very natural and grounded in the world. The historical context enriches the theory of the magic, with themes of racial/color-based and patriarchal power throughout. the characters are built in natural and endearing ways, their relationship to each other and their lives unfolding to give a relatable and messy window into them. The plot was SO satisfying because we learn along with the characters that magic is real, and unlike many urban fantasy type books this is not a shock at the beginning but a slow and creeping unfurling that is mired in doubt and forgotten history. The film and horror aesthetics just add to everything! Always a pleasure to read something set in the 90s before smartphones, too. Great the whole way through!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Love cursed films and all that jazz. To me, this story just never seemed to fully get started but kept being sucked back into Wikipedia level monologues about film history and occultism, which on paper does not sound terrible, and was not a horrible read, but it also did not entice me to pick the book back up whenever I'd put it down.
adventurous
dark
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
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an ARC of this title.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is really on a roll - I really love the way they fold horror tropes in with Mexican culture in a way that makes it feel fresh. This takes "the magic of cinema" to a new level, and both main characters feel fully realized in a way that keeps you turning the page.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is really on a roll - I really love the way they fold horror tropes in with Mexican culture in a way that makes it feel fresh. This takes "the magic of cinema" to a new level, and both main characters feel fully realized in a way that keeps you turning the page.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
I want to give this four stars, as the second half is pretty compelling, pretty entertaining stuff, but the first 100 pages sort of dragged for me. Still, an enjoyable read. Not as good as Mexican Gothic, but filled with interesting premises, film lore, Nazis, and the occult!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with the ARC copy!
This book was on my, 23 books I want to read in the 2023 list ( https://youtu.be/yvxQXcTkMlc ) so you can imagine how excited I was to get my hands on this ARC copy!
The book was a solid 3.5 stars for me. The setting and the characters were very interesting and I was able to connect with them. I LOVED that our main character, Montserrat, had her physical imperfections, yet she was the force of the entire plot! I also enjoyed her relationship with Tristán.
The only reason I gave the book 3.5 is I felt the villain of the story could have been explored more. There were parts that I simply wanted to just skip and parts that I wanted more! But overall the book was very intriguing and send a chill down my spine!
This book was on my, 23 books I want to read in the 2023 list ( https://youtu.be/yvxQXcTkMlc ) so you can imagine how excited I was to get my hands on this ARC copy!
The book was a solid 3.5 stars for me. The setting and the characters were very interesting and I was able to connect with them. I LOVED that our main character, Montserrat, had her physical imperfections, yet she was the force of the entire plot! I also enjoyed her relationship with Tristán.
The only reason I gave the book 3.5 is I felt the villain of the story could have been explored more. There were parts that I simply wanted to just skip and parts that I wanted more! But overall the book was very intriguing and send a chill down my spine!