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kmdhenderson's review against another edition
I love this author but despite trying super hard, I couldn’t get through this one. It was just not at all exciting. I was terribly bored.
gonetoarcadia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
chelregel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
squid_vicious's review against another edition
5.0
I have read quite a few books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and through those readings, I have established something beyond any doubt: her and I would probably get along really well because we clearly love a lot of the same stuff. Lovecraft, the Bronte sisters, vintage horror and noir movies, classic sci-fi, interesting and multilayered heroines. However, I had always finished her books with the feeling that there was just a little something that I was still craving when her story was over and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what that was.
Until “Silver Nitrate”, which was THE Silvia Moreno-Garcia book I was waiting for. I read it over Christmas weekend, and there is a picture of me with the book in my hands on the couch of my in-laws’ living room while everyone else is playing card games (next to my nephew, who was delighted to learn that ditching the game to read was an acceptable option).
Set in Mexico in the 90s, “Silver Nitrate”, as the title implies, deals with old movie reels and their very peculiar brand of magic. Monserrat is a talented sound editor, but her less than cuddly personality – and her gender – put her at a disadvantage in her line of work, which is still heavily male-dominated. Her childhood friend Tristan is a former soap opera heartthrob who was disfigured in a car accident that claimed his girlfriend’s life, and still haunts him. When Tristan moves into a new apartment building, he realizes a famous director of classic horror movies, Abel Urueta, lives in the same building. They become friendly with the old man, and enjoy his stories, especially about an infamous unfished film of his, “Beyond the Yellow Door”. Abel tells them that there is more to this movie than they thought, and soon, Monserrat and Tristan are caught in a story of Nazi occultist, curses, ghosts and very real magicians hell-bent on bringing their master back to life.
You guys, this was so much fun, and exactly what I wanted from a book that has this sort of premise. Monserrat is a great leading lady, weird, flawed, devoted, stubborn and clever, and the bond between her and Tristan is a great non-stereotypical love. I love the way the story goes from mundane to gradually weirder and weirder, in a wonderful boiled-frog sort of way. It was totally worth sitting out that cribbage game for!
If you enjoy stories about creepy old movies, cultists and ceremonial magic in a fresh and unusual setting, this book is absolutely for you. It might be a bit slow, but once it gets going, it won’t let up, and the characters are probably my favorite and most complex of the ones I’ve encountered in Moreno-Garcia’s work before. Very recommended!
Until “Silver Nitrate”, which was THE Silvia Moreno-Garcia book I was waiting for. I read it over Christmas weekend, and there is a picture of me with the book in my hands on the couch of my in-laws’ living room while everyone else is playing card games (next to my nephew, who was delighted to learn that ditching the game to read was an acceptable option).
Set in Mexico in the 90s, “Silver Nitrate”, as the title implies, deals with old movie reels and their very peculiar brand of magic. Monserrat is a talented sound editor, but her less than cuddly personality – and her gender – put her at a disadvantage in her line of work, which is still heavily male-dominated. Her childhood friend Tristan is a former soap opera heartthrob who was disfigured in a car accident that claimed his girlfriend’s life, and still haunts him. When Tristan moves into a new apartment building, he realizes a famous director of classic horror movies, Abel Urueta, lives in the same building. They become friendly with the old man, and enjoy his stories, especially about an infamous unfished film of his, “Beyond the Yellow Door”. Abel tells them that there is more to this movie than they thought, and soon, Monserrat and Tristan are caught in a story of Nazi occultist, curses, ghosts and very real magicians hell-bent on bringing their master back to life.
You guys, this was so much fun, and exactly what I wanted from a book that has this sort of premise. Monserrat is a great leading lady, weird, flawed, devoted, stubborn and clever, and the bond between her and Tristan is a great non-stereotypical love. I love the way the story goes from mundane to gradually weirder and weirder, in a wonderful boiled-frog sort of way. It was totally worth sitting out that cribbage game for!
If you enjoy stories about creepy old movies, cultists and ceremonial magic in a fresh and unusual setting, this book is absolutely for you. It might be a bit slow, but once it gets going, it won’t let up, and the characters are probably my favorite and most complex of the ones I’ve encountered in Moreno-Garcia’s work before. Very recommended!
thespellboundlibraries's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? It's complicated
3.5
mkmatheson's review against another edition
3.0
“Silver Nitrate” is a thrill for horror-heads and cinephiles alike.
asoulum's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
margyzr's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the heck out of this - spooky, cinematic, fun. A really good time.
claudiareadsitall's review against another edition
4.0
Silver Nitrate by @silviamg.author was a delightful trip down memory lane. My mother and sister loved their telenovelas and I would occasionally get caught up in all the drama. I may not have been a horror fan back then but I knew exactly who Lola la Trailera was.
Montserrat is a sound editor, a woman in a profession dominated by men, in a society ruled by men. Her best friend is Tristan, who once was an in-demand soap star but now does mostly voiceovers.
When a legendary horror film director comes into their lives, both of them are convinced to help him lift a curse and supernatural happenings begin.
It takes a bit for things to get going, and the ending is worthy of a soap opera finale, but I found myself cheering for Montserrat, who was the highlight of the book.
Montserrat is a sound editor, a woman in a profession dominated by men, in a society ruled by men. Her best friend is Tristan, who once was an in-demand soap star but now does mostly voiceovers.
When a legendary horror film director comes into their lives, both of them are convinced to help him lift a curse and supernatural happenings begin.
It takes a bit for things to get going, and the ending is worthy of a soap opera finale, but I found myself cheering for Montserrat, who was the highlight of the book.