Scan barcode
morgangd's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
This is a movie, she thought. It’s not the movie I started watching but it’s the movie that it’s become.
I need this as a black-and-white noir film, with its slow-burning plot, shift from beach romance to murder thriller, its narrator shifting her own perspectives ... Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is always sumptuous and that matches this aesthetic so well for this dalliance with noir.
I need this as a black-and-white noir film, with its slow-burning plot, shift from beach romance to murder thriller, its narrator shifting her own perspectives ... Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is always sumptuous and that matches this aesthetic so well for this dalliance with noir.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexism, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Police brutality
atipsygiraffe's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Set in the small coastal town of Desengaño in Baja California in 1979, Viridiana spends her days watching the fishermen pile dead sharks on the beach. Completely bored of small town life and all that comes with it, she dreams of a life like a Hollywood film. When three rich tourists arrive for the summer, she starts working for them and life becomes a lot less boring. Desengaño means disillusion in English and is the perfect setting for this story.
Untamed Shore is a noir with a little coming of age mixed in. It starts off pretty slow with most of the action happening in the last third, but I enjoyed the slow build and you get drawn into the atmospheric setting very quickly. Viridiana is very naive at times, but extremely smart at the same time and I adored her journey and growth.
There wasn't a lot of mystery surrounding the events and I did guess the twists, but that wasn’t really the point of the novel and I was still on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it all played out. The ending was so satisfying too - especially for Viridiana! The author said this is the only book she’s considered writing a sequel for and I don’t know if she ever actually will, but I’m so ready to find out what happens after the epilogue!
Untamed Shored was originally published in 2020, in a small press with promotion stopped in its tracks by the pandemic. It's being re-released on 16 February, which I'm really glad about or I don't think it would have made it onto my radar otherwise. It's not my favourite by Moreno-Garcia but one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Untamed Shore is a noir with a little coming of age mixed in. It starts off pretty slow with most of the action happening in the last third, but I enjoyed the slow build and you get drawn into the atmospheric setting very quickly. Viridiana is very naive at times, but extremely smart at the same time and I adored her journey and growth.
There wasn't a lot of mystery surrounding the events and I did guess the twists, but that wasn’t really the point of the novel and I was still on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it all played out. The ending was so satisfying too - especially for Viridiana! The author said this is the only book she’s considered writing a sequel for and I don’t know if she ever actually will, but I’m so ready to find out what happens after the epilogue!
Untamed Shored was originally published in 2020, in a small press with promotion stopped in its tracks by the pandemic. It's being re-released on 16 February, which I'm really glad about or I don't think it would have made it onto my radar otherwise. It's not my favourite by Moreno-Garcia but one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Sexism
horizonous's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, and Suicide
◦ Death = Death of a loved one