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A review by hello_lovely13
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The structure of this book was very interesting. The three main perspectives are all interesting and compliment each other well, and interspersed occasionally (very well chosen places and not so many that it is overkill) are short chapters that function as if a documentary is being made on the unknown horrible event that occurred surrounding the making of the film Vera stars in, Nancy wants to star in, all of which is based around the story of our third perspective, Salome. I personally had never heard Salome's story before, but that didn't matter. Her story on its own is just okay, but the way it parallels and reflects what's going on in Vera and Nancy's stories really highlights Salome's perspective. Sometimes this is done in a subtle way of referencing a scene we've read before mentioned in passing having been shot or being prepared to shoot in Nancy or Vera's (usually Vera's) perspectives. Salome's perspective on it's own did still have some solid parts that stood out on it's own, such as it's discussion of power through the decisions Salome has to make and what Salome's mother has to say about being a woman and their relationship to power versus that of men.

Nancy's character is the most vibrant of the three, as well as the most notorious. She is very fun to be following, even if you are completely disagreeing with what she is saying. Let's face it, Nancy is not a good person, and she is a bit delusional. However, none of this takes away from her impact.

Vera's character is very sweet, and she is pushed to her limit. In her perspective, we feel the setting of 1950s Hollywood the strongest. We discuss the racism and sexism of the time, and her relationships with every character is always interesting and has a purpose.
I was fully expecting Benny, Nancy's boyfriend, to kill her on Nancy's command, and I was shocked that he shot Jay (Vera's boyfriend, and Nancy's fling at the beginning of the book) instead, and that he was the one that died, not Vera. I was happy that Vera ended up being a composer, as the discussion around music with her and Jay was a large part of their bond.


The balance between the three main perspectives were perfectly proportioned, and I like how they started to intentionally blend together (especially during the dance scene, where the perspectives overlapped) at the end of the book. I definitely recommend this book, especially if you enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I do think that I am more likely to read Mexican Gothic by this author, but this was a fun (though sometimes stressful, though in an enjoyable way) read and I could see myself reread this in the future.
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