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beautifullybookishbethany 's review for:
Untamed Shore
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
I want to be up front that I think Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a brilliant writer and I love the project of what she is doing in all her books: centering Latinx characters, history, and culture in a variety of genres they have typically been erased from. Here, she is doing that in a noir thriller and as always, the writing and the project are very well executed. That said, this is not a genre that particularly appeals to me and the main reason I picked this up is because of the author. Readers who are more into this type of book would probably enjoy it much more.
Untamed Shore is a slower-paced, character driven thriller set in a small coastal town in Mexico known for fishing sharks, and it easily feels like it could have been one of the classic black and white films that are referenced in the book. Viridiana is 18-years-old and has never left her small, conservative town, but dreams of bigger things. Her mother wants her to settle down with her uninteresting ex-boyfriend and work in his family's stationary shop. Instead, she takes a job opportunity as a translator and assistant to an American man trying to write a book for the summer. She moves into his rental home, along with his much younger wife and her handsome brother. Things take a dark and complicated turn as Viridiana must decide how to navigate the complex web she has entered and what she wants for herself.
This is partly a coming of age story, partly a noir thriller and the text is entirely populated with morally gray characters. Honestly, I had a hard time being all that interested in most of the story, even though I can see what the author was trying to do. I think this is more a matter of personal taste than anything else, but I didn't care that much for any of the characters and found myself bored by the minute and day-to-day details. That said, the ending was brilliant and I loved the way she wrapped things up in an unexpected way. Thematically, this is a rich story that touches on racism, colonialism, and misogyny. It has deeply feminist undertones and while I found Viridiana to be frustratingly naive and reckless, she does eventually learn and we see how her world has led to her choices. If the type of book this is sounds appealing, definitely pick it up. And regardless, Moreno-Garcia always has beautiful, smart and thoughtful writing, even if this particular genre wasn't quite my cup of tea. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Untamed Shore is a slower-paced, character driven thriller set in a small coastal town in Mexico known for fishing sharks, and it easily feels like it could have been one of the classic black and white films that are referenced in the book. Viridiana is 18-years-old and has never left her small, conservative town, but dreams of bigger things. Her mother wants her to settle down with her uninteresting ex-boyfriend and work in his family's stationary shop. Instead, she takes a job opportunity as a translator and assistant to an American man trying to write a book for the summer. She moves into his rental home, along with his much younger wife and her handsome brother. Things take a dark and complicated turn as Viridiana must decide how to navigate the complex web she has entered and what she wants for herself.
This is partly a coming of age story, partly a noir thriller and the text is entirely populated with morally gray characters. Honestly, I had a hard time being all that interested in most of the story, even though I can see what the author was trying to do. I think this is more a matter of personal taste than anything else, but I didn't care that much for any of the characters and found myself bored by the minute and day-to-day details. That said, the ending was brilliant and I loved the way she wrapped things up in an unexpected way. Thematically, this is a rich story that touches on racism, colonialism, and misogyny. It has deeply feminist undertones and while I found Viridiana to be frustratingly naive and reckless, she does eventually learn and we see how her world has led to her choices. If the type of book this is sounds appealing, definitely pick it up. And regardless, Moreno-Garcia always has beautiful, smart and thoughtful writing, even if this particular genre wasn't quite my cup of tea. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.