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gxcons's reviews
270 reviews
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.75
Trust Exercise by Susan Choi
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Dark Nights: Metal The Deluxe Edition by Scott Snyder
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Rounded up from 3.5 stars
Silvia Moreno Garcia's "Mexican Gothic" was an absolute hit for me, so I decided to pick up her latest book, "Seventh Veil of Salome." This is a historical fic set in 1950s Hollywood, in the winding down of Old Hollywood glamor (starlets like Liz Taylor, studio domination, biblical epics). The book follows two unknown actresses, Vera and Nancy, during the filming of a movie about the Biblical/historical princess Salome, also intertwining Salome's own story.
What worked for me:
-My mom is fond of Old Hollywood, especially those historical and biblical epics, so the setting was an easy sell for me.
-Moreno-Garcia's writing is the perfect amount of descriptive and paints a full and almost wistful picture of both the 1950s and ancient settings.
-Also on the author's writing: the way she writes about music and dancing (the emotion, the technical details, the relationship with the audience) absolutely blew me away and might be my favorite aspect of the whole book.
-That devastatingly *gorgeous* cover.
What didn't hit:
-I wasn't bored by Vera like some readers, but I just couldn't gel with Nancy. She's not a particularly sympathetic character, but I could usually see her motivations and what made her into the person she became. But sometimes her mean streak and self-obsession, then later her motivations regarding the scheme at the end of the book, felt cartoonish and unbelievable. Think: Pearl's "I'm a staaaaaaar"
-Salome's story. I didn't dislike it, and I could see its purpose within the larger narrative, both the movie itself and the woman's similarities with both Vera and Nancy. But I think the story of Salome as told through Old Hollywood writing, complete with all the tropes, just didn't have so much of an emotional punch.
That last point might summarize my overall feelings on the book. For example, the novel is written through the perspectives of multiple main characters, then supporting characters in a documentary sort of style, the way a lot of recent, successful historical fiction is. I can see the purpose, and it's done well enough... I just don't feel strongly about it. Or, there's obviously one big life-changing event that the story leads up to at the very end. But I didn't feel a particular dread in the build-up, and when it does happen, there's not much time to absorb what's happened or feel much of anything. Just... oh, okay.
The story is compelling enough that I returned to the book each day over the course of several days, but I wasn't capable of emotionally connecting with it, which is a bit of a disappointment.
A special note regarding music:
I think this is the type of book that begs for a little immersive setting, which can easily be achieved by some background music. The playlist at the back of the book, as well as listed by Penguin Random's Spotify account, was so lovely. My standouts: "These Foolish Things" (Bryan Ferry), "Niña" (Magos Herrera, Brooklyn Rider), everything by Luis Miguel.
Silvia Moreno Garcia's "Mexican Gothic" was an absolute hit for me, so I decided to pick up her latest book, "Seventh Veil of Salome." This is a historical fic set in 1950s Hollywood, in the winding down of Old Hollywood glamor (starlets like Liz Taylor, studio domination, biblical epics). The book follows two unknown actresses, Vera and Nancy, during the filming of a movie about the Biblical/historical princess Salome, also intertwining Salome's own story.
What worked for me:
-My mom is fond of Old Hollywood, especially those historical and biblical epics, so the setting was an easy sell for me.
-Moreno-Garcia's writing is the perfect amount of descriptive and paints a full and almost wistful picture of both the 1950s and ancient settings.
-Also on the author's writing: the way she writes about music and dancing (the emotion, the technical details, the relationship with the audience) absolutely blew me away and might be my favorite aspect of the whole book.
-That devastatingly *gorgeous* cover.
What didn't hit:
-I wasn't bored by Vera like some readers, but I just couldn't gel with Nancy. She's not a particularly sympathetic character, but I could usually see her motivations and what made her into the person she became. But sometimes her mean streak and self-obsession, then later her motivations regarding the scheme at the end of the book, felt cartoonish and unbelievable. Think: Pearl's "I'm a staaaaaaar"
-Salome's story. I didn't dislike it, and I could see its purpose within the larger narrative, both the movie itself and the woman's similarities with both Vera and Nancy. But I think the story of Salome as told through Old Hollywood writing, complete with all the tropes, just didn't have so much of an emotional punch.
That last point might summarize my overall feelings on the book. For example, the novel is written through the perspectives of multiple main characters, then supporting characters in a documentary sort of style, the way a lot of recent, successful historical fiction is. I can see the purpose, and it's done well enough... I just don't feel strongly about it. Or, there's obviously one big life-changing event that the story leads up to at the very end. But I didn't feel a particular dread in the build-up, and when it does happen, there's not much time to absorb what's happened or feel much of anything. Just... oh, okay.
The story is compelling enough that I returned to the book each day over the course of several days, but I wasn't capable of emotionally connecting with it, which is a bit of a disappointment.
A special note regarding music:
I think this is the type of book that begs for a little immersive setting, which can easily be achieved by some background music. The playlist at the back of the book, as well as listed by Penguin Random's Spotify account, was so lovely. My standouts: "These Foolish Things" (Bryan Ferry), "Niña" (Magos Herrera, Brooklyn Rider), everything by Luis Miguel.
Dark Days: The Road to Metal by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV
adventurous
dark
4.0
Some notes on this collection:
-Dark Days: The Forge #1, The Casting #1: Batman is always at the center of some mess.
-Final Crisis #6, 7: I’ve gotta just sit down and read the thing at some point in the near future, this section was rough without any prior reading.
-The Return of Bruce Wayne #1: skipped, as I had already read the full run last year.
-Batman: Endgame (Batman #38, 39): It seems like my toleration of the Joker has waned quite a bit… that may be hard to deal with continuing to read Metal.
-Nightwing #17: Dick and Damian :’)
-Detective Comics #950: brief but a good closer.
-And took a picture of the map of the multiverse for future reference! Glad I read that huge Multiversity collection last year.
All in all, I’m looking forward to reading Metal.
*read as a part of Comic Book Herald’s Dark Knights: Metal reading order*
-Dark Days: The Forge #1, The Casting #1: Batman is always at the center of some mess.
-Final Crisis #6, 7: I’ve gotta just sit down and read the thing at some point in the near future, this section was rough without any prior reading.
-The Return of Bruce Wayne #1: skipped, as I had already read the full run last year.
-Batman: Endgame (Batman #38, 39): It seems like my toleration of the Joker has waned quite a bit… that may be hard to deal with continuing to read Metal.
-Nightwing #17: Dick and Damian :’)
-Detective Comics #950: brief but a good closer.
-And took a picture of the map of the multiverse for future reference! Glad I read that huge Multiversity collection last year.
All in all, I’m looking forward to reading Metal.
*read as a part of Comic Book Herald’s Dark Knights: Metal reading order*
Search History by Amy Taylor
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Night Ends With Fire by K.X. Song
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
A retelling of the traditional Mulan tale, a fantasy that leans more YA than adult.
What didn't work for me:
-Despite the author's notes, the story itself seems to rely on nostalgia for the 90's Disney movie. Examples: commanding officer dealing with father's legacy as primary love interest, dragon companion, Sparrow as an obvious spin on Ling, a funny/tense sequence of Meilin's platoon bathing outside, entering a palace toward the end of the story disguised as concubines.
-Very fast-paced, didn't allow for motivations and actions to really settle in. Also made it difficult to really get to know characters, even Meilin.
-I was looking forward to the major twist in this retelling, moving away from the motivation of filial piety to personal ambition. But the explorations of freedom, ambition, and quest for power were surface-level and not compelling. Same goes for the talk of "madness" throughout.
-The introduction of a second love interest to create a love triangle maybe would have worked if we spent more time with Lei, but there wasn't much there in terms of a relationship besides s*xual tension. I honestly thought the triangle would instead incorporate Sima, Meilin's mirror in terms of magical power.
-The writing felt very basic. The quote I see being used in other readers' positive reviews was used multiple times in the narrative and felt cringey every time.
The book itself is gorgeous and would make a great addition to a bookshelf purely for show. If you're a big reader of this genre, maybe this book would be a good start in terms of diverse perspectives. As a Latinx Westerner, I can't speak to the cultural criticisms in some reviews. The ending also directly sets up for a sequel, but I doubt I'll seek that out when it comes out.
What didn't work for me:
-Despite the author's notes, the story itself seems to rely on nostalgia for the 90's Disney movie. Examples: commanding officer dealing with father's legacy as primary love interest, dragon companion, Sparrow as an obvious spin on Ling, a funny/tense sequence of Meilin's platoon bathing outside, entering a palace toward the end of the story disguised as concubines.
-Very fast-paced, didn't allow for motivations and actions to really settle in. Also made it difficult to really get to know characters, even Meilin.
-I was looking forward to the major twist in this retelling, moving away from the motivation of filial piety to personal ambition. But the explorations of freedom, ambition, and quest for power were surface-level and not compelling. Same goes for the talk of "madness" throughout.
-The introduction of a second love interest to create a love triangle maybe would have worked if we spent more time with Lei, but there wasn't much there in terms of a relationship besides s*xual tension. I honestly thought the triangle would instead incorporate Sima, Meilin's mirror in terms of magical power.
-The writing felt very basic. The quote I see being used in other readers' positive reviews was used multiple times in the narrative and felt cringey every time.
The book itself is gorgeous and would make a great addition to a bookshelf purely for show. If you're a big reader of this genre, maybe this book would be a good start in terms of diverse perspectives. As a Latinx Westerner, I can't speak to the cultural criticisms in some reviews. The ending also directly sets up for a sequel, but I doubt I'll seek that out when it comes out.