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A review by archergal
Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
3.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. It's a tale about music, teen love and angst, and how your life can look different 20 years later.
Spoilery stuff from here on out.
First off, I don't really listen to music that much. The mix-tape generation was largely after my time. And I don't know anything of the Mexican/Hispanic artists referenced (I'm sure that's my loss), so all that part went over my head. :(
And I didn't like Meche, the main female character. I thought she was petty and honestly kinda toxic. She found out she could work some magic when properly stimulated by music. And, in Terry Pratchett terms, just *just missed* the cackling phase of witchcraft, the kind where you start building gingerbread houses, stuffing children in ovens, and trying to kill your best friend. O.o She probably would have succeeded in the last item if her grandmother hadn't deus-ex-machina'd her own magic into the story and saved Sebastian's life.
Sebastian's a little more self-aware. Honestly, he grew up to be a better person, because he wasn't nursing a 20 YEAR GRUDGE like Meche did. In spite of the "happy ending", I had sad visions of Sebastian turning out like Meche's father did, years after falling in love with Meche's mother. He slowly got sadder and more beaten down by his faults, real and perceived-by-his-wife. Based on Meche's attitude, I don't think Sebastian would fare much better in the long run.
Heh, I guess the book made me think more about the people and relationships in it than I thought!
I did have to work to finish it though. I suspect I'm not the target audience for this book. YMMV.
Spoilery stuff from here on out.
First off, I don't really listen to music that much. The mix-tape generation was largely after my time. And I don't know anything of the Mexican/Hispanic artists referenced (I'm sure that's my loss), so all that part went over my head. :(
And I didn't like Meche, the main female character. I thought she was petty and honestly kinda toxic. She found out she could work some magic when properly stimulated by music. And, in Terry Pratchett terms, just *just missed* the cackling phase of witchcraft, the kind where you start building gingerbread houses, stuffing children in ovens, and trying to kill your best friend. O.o She probably would have succeeded in the last item if her grandmother hadn't deus-ex-machina'd her own magic into the story and saved Sebastian's life.
Sebastian's a little more self-aware. Honestly, he grew up to be a better person, because he wasn't nursing a 20 YEAR GRUDGE like Meche did. In spite of the "happy ending", I had sad visions of Sebastian turning out like Meche's father did, years after falling in love with Meche's mother. He slowly got sadder and more beaten down by his faults, real and perceived-by-his-wife. Based on Meche's attitude, I don't think Sebastian would fare much better in the long run.
Heh, I guess the book made me think more about the people and relationships in it than I thought!
I did have to work to finish it though. I suspect I'm not the target audience for this book. YMMV.