waltongoggins 's review for:

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

3.0

adventurous mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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an entertaining but otherwise empty novel. i liked the overall character growth and process, but i thought that the ending was a bit underwhelming, and that some parts of the plot convergence were a bit rushed and predictable. we see the similarity between the two characters souls throughout the narrative, but it seems unlikely that they would genuinely form a connection,

though i guess the point of the ending is finding a new place in their own stories rather than being swept up in someone else’s.

 

the characterization at some times felt a bit off and i think maite’s arc being defined by ruben only to eventually be dumped by him is fitting for her sad flop life but still frustrating. ruben is NOTHING!!! NOTHING AT ALL! i guess i can say that this book only allows the reader to care about the two main characters at surface length, because the rest of the characters are just Plot Device #1 and #2.
 i do like the representation/commentary on the art scene and how it’s mostly a platform for pretty people to pretend that they actually care about the world until they actually attract spotlight to which they rue. the scenes of different art types sitting around asterisk and talking themselves up, the descriptions of all of the asterisk go-ers as distrustful and a bit empty, felt appropriate yet hypocritical coming from maite who lives an empty life as the unwanted girl.

HONESTLY READING THE SYNOPSIS AT THE LIBRARY I PICKED THIS BOOK OUT BECAUSE I thought IT WOULD BE QUEER AND PSYCHOSEXUAL!! i thought maite would have a lesbian obsession with the missing leonora. and maite could fit into THAT narrative so much more and have a bit more of a personality! her obsessive and sexual tendencies are so muted and put on the back burner it feels like her perversion and obsession with other people’s items/lives could’ve been a bit more intense. especially seeing as she has multiple personal collections that she rambles on about rarely, save for the constant secret romance mentions.. she has a whole atelier full of carefully picked and maintained records and books, showing that secretive thoughtful side of her. we even get hints of this from maite herself as she reveals more and more of a personality to ruben. with the way the book ends, with her not getting a satisfying point of development or change from this experience, instead it comes off like she’s just passively along for the ride of being treated like shit by the shitty art types around her. 
it feels like there are a lot plot holes surrounding maite's life... there are many moments where we are introduced the idea of someone who could possibly care about maite, but it all gets forgotten. like with the superintendent who theoretically cares about maite bringing guests in, or diana who will blindly cover for maite at work. all without really showing a proper interaction between any of them. maite thinks , “oh these people care about my activity, and i’d probably have to lie to them to get them off my trail” and then it never happens.  

i think this author cared more about the plot rather than the character development for maite. maite talks about cheating and lying all the time but it doesn’t have any result, diane is just a plot convenience really. it could’ve been more fleshed out for sure! 
elvis has more of a fleshed out narrative with change inflicted upon him whereas

maite will continue to live in her ratty apartment hating herself until the end of time as far as we know. it’s not like she would actually have a future with elvis.. it’s disappointing and doesn’t feel like a genuine wrap up for this character. we know she has been discarded without reason by her previous boyfriend, something which she brings up often, just to be thrown away again at the end. its frustrating and feels like the author forgot to wrap up her story.

WHY DIDNT SHE ASK FOR THE CATSITTING BILL GRAHHGG. it was a point of contention the ENTIRE TIME!!!! it makes me so frustrated that the author thought, okay we’re done with the plot now. the book might as well end. WE DIDNT REALLY GET TO MEET LEONORA AT ALL!!! her and maite have probably THREE CONVERSATIONS

!!! it’s frustrating (‘～` ) i will be continuing onto silver nitrate and perhaps mexican gothic. i did enjoy the book but would like to see more from the author. 

companion album: morning noon and night by arthur prysock