A review by beckykphillips
Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

adventurous 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

4.0

Signal to Noise follows Meche and her two best friends, Sebastian and Daniela as the novel oscillates between 1988 when they were in high school together in Mexico City and in 2009 when Meche returns to Mexico City for her father's funeral after having moved to Sweden. In 1988, Meche and her friends start dabbling in magic fueled by vinyl records. In 2009, Meche begins to reckon with her past as her friends re-appear in her life. 

If there is one thing you can count on in Silvia Moreno-Garcia novels it’s going to be beautifully developed characters. We delve deep into what is making everyone tick. Although Meche is the main character, we get so much depth in Sebastian, Daniela, and Meche’s parents and grandmother. You get such a good sense of how everyone clicks together and I loved seeing how the interactions between the characters ebbed and flowed between 1988 and 2009. 

You see a bit of the shape of Silver Nitrate in Signal to Noise, except we have vinyl as the magical catalyst, rather than film. I really appreciated how she bestowed power to the records. Their potency increases depending on the copy, and I loved how that ties into spending time flipping through trying to find just the right one. 

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator does a good job, no complaints, but I didn't quite feel her bringing everyone to life like I would hope for. 

All in all, I definitely recommend this book. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Spotify Studios for the advanced copy.