Salome is not a particularly notable character in scripture. Tragic, sure, but not very memorable. Still, I came out of this experience fascinated by Salome is not a particularly notable character in scripture. Tragic, sure, but not very memorable. Still, I came out of this experience fascinated by how Moreno-Garcia used her story as a device for the greater book. The seedy atmosphere of Hollywood put next to the corrupt environment of Biblical times is really quite interesting.
The novel is technically about three women, but it is more accurately described as being two separate stories that meet at the end. One about a tumultuous 20th century picture starting a Mexican actress playing Salome as a pathetically unimportant extra tries to sabotage her, and one about the real Salome. Though there is a clear emphasis on the former. The Hollywood plot is intriguing and rather horrific. I really adore Old Hollywood movies, but I love the drama they used to have even more. We explore the way that rumors spread, how people really felt behind the scenes, and the conflicts that made and broke pictures. It’s an especially interesting look into being a non white performer at a time where you were viewed as nothing more than a laughingstock. It’s equally an exploration on how truly ingrained hate and bitterness can be, and how some people will do anything to become stars.
The other story the book is trying to tell is, perhaps, not as compelling. It seems to be almost a genius and creative choice to include Salome’s narrative interwoven with the story of others trying to recreate her in a picture. But the execution is… boring. Salome’s chapters are really, really boring. And I understand why they’re there. In fact, I think they’re really brilliant near the end of the book. But only near the end. Before then, I dreaded getting to them. They distracted from the far more appealing narrative to tell us something that we sort of knew already. I think there maybe could have been a different way to weave them in? I don’t know.
Anyway, I don’t want to get too caught up in that. SMG and I have a tumultuous relationship in that I don’t always find their books the most interesting, but I really did enjoy this. It was a bit sad, a bit thoughtful. Everything I tend to enjoy.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy....more
About halfway into this book, I came to a horrible realization: Lightlark is not as terrible as everyone says.
I’m not just saying this because I met About halfway into this book, I came to a horrible realization: Lightlark is not as terrible as everyone says.
I’m not just saying this because I met the author this weekend and felt mildly bad about calling her an industry plant (she absolutely is one), I genuinely mean that this book is not nearly as egregious as those hour long rant videos would have you believe.
Now, it’s bad. I say this in the most objective way possible. This is a badly written book with a convoluted plot and basic characters. But its greatest fault isn’t that it’s offensive or overdone. It’s the fact that this book is painfully boring.
Good lord, do not ask me anything that happened in this. I mean, I could certainly tell you everything that happened, but it would all be quickly summarized in a single sentence because Aster used way too many words and pages to get some very basic ideas across. Did you know like 4 months passed in this book? Could have sworn it was 5 drawn out days. But being boring is, unfortunately, a staple of the romantasy genre that has grown over the last few years. The authors of these books are very obviously far more interested in the relationships than they are to the magic or to the plot, so anytime they’re not focusing on love, they’re not sure what to write.
Spoiler Territory:
Speaking of the relationships, I’d like to award Grim the medal of Most Irrelevant Book Guy. This dude genuinely was not important to the plot at all. He barely has any scenes, and when he does, none of them matter. You could skip them all up until the end and it wouldn’t affect the reading experience. He is genuinely so unimportant that it was laughable. Oro (and what’s with all the characters whose names are just Spanish words? Isla, Oro, Azul… I know Aster is latina, but why use nouns and adjectives as names?) was the only guy who even mildly interested me and I thought I was being completely delusional in wanting him to be the love interest but then BOOM! Love triangle! Thanks, Ms. Aster! I’m afraid I’m not delusional enough to think he’ll actually win the triangle because Dark Haired Mysterious Emo Men always end up winning, but I can dream.
Seriously though, Grim felt like a Tamlin (I’m so sorry for referencing SJM) character. You’re meant to like him until he’s revealed to have done something really fucked up out of nowhere (which was very poorly written) and then you turn to the new love interest, aka. Oro. If God cares for me he’ll let Isla move on to the much sexier blond man but, alas, God does not like me at all. Maybe because I subject myself to these books.
Oh my God, let me talk about that ending. Every single person in this book betrays Isla. And I mean EVERY single character. I know because I was keeping tracks in the notes app. Dude, this girl is dumb. I mean, fool me once that’s on you, but five times? It was unbelievable. Celeste what’s her face being evil was weird and stupid. Grim pulling an Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (if you know you know) on Isla was INCREDIBLY out of left field and I pray he dies next book because wow, that is textbook abuse. Then Isla actually NOT being powerless but having two different types of magic was ??? What do I even say to that? It was bad. Incredibly funny, but bad.
If somebody tells me that Oro and Isla get together in the next book, I’ll read it. This was boring, but I’m willing to do a lot of things for blond men. Overall not as awful as people make it seem to be. It wasn’t even the worst romantasy book I’ve read all year (thanks, Fourth Wing). I hope Ms. Aster gets better at writing or something, and thanks to her for signing my book. ...more
this is a personal thing but for some reason i really like the name tennessee for a guy and i can’t explain it. speaking of he was literally so sweet this is a personal thing but for some reason i really like the name tennessee for a guy and i can’t explain it. speaking of he was literally so sweet and cool and caring and also dominican so you already know he earned extra points from me …
i don’t have a sister, so i don’t like stories about sisterly relationships whatsoever, but this one was fine. i thought teal was irritating and it’s a miracle that the main character didn’t sock her for all the messed up stuff she says throughout the book but i also don’t understand (and don’t want to understand) how sisterly relationships work so whatever.
the cover totally catfished me into thinking this was a mainstream romance book and it’s NAWT it’s very much adult. im begging book publishers to stick to their shirtless men book covers for adult romances. anwyayanywayanyway this was really enjoyable if you want a book with romance and some hurt.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy....more
dunno if this should have been my first full novel from allende but we move anyway… i really want to read house of spirits or zorro next. the for3.75*
dunno if this should have been my first full novel from allende but we move anyway… i really want to read house of spirits or zorro next. the former because i really enjoy long family stories and the latter because i love zorro ...more
El amor, madre, a la patria No es el amor ridículo a la tierra, Ni a la yerba que pisan nuestras plantas; Es el odio invencible a quien la oprime, Es el rEl amor, madre, a la patria No es el amor ridículo a la tierra, Ni a la yerba que pisan nuestras plantas; Es el odio invencible a quien la oprime, Es el rencor eterno a quien la ataca; Y tal amor despierta en nuestro pecho El mundo de recuerdos que nos llama A la vida otra vez, cuando la sangre, Herida brota con angustia el alma; ¡La imagen del amor que nos consuela Y las memorias plácidas que guarda!...more
don’t know why there’s no spanish option for this book on goodreads but this is the year i finally read spanish books (this is literally 9 pages long don’t know why there’s no spanish option for this book on goodreads but this is the year i finally read spanish books (this is literally 9 pages long im warming up) ...more
this was actually really good but the entire time i was reading it i was thinking about how i wanted to read a shitty romance book to hate review it athis was actually really good but the entire time i was reading it i was thinking about how i wanted to read a shitty romance book to hate review it and then that’s all i could think about. i’m sorry SMG i am incapable of focusing on one thing at a time. that being said this was pretty enjoyable and i don’t even like science fiction ? but TBH i don’t think this is the typical scifi people think of so maybe that’s why. carlota <3 montgomery <3 the only engl*sh man i support.
also also i’m so glad i liked this because it means i can validate my feelings that i didn’t like GOJAS ...more
4 stars *read for school book club i don't go to pick up memoirs or autobiographies on my own because i feel like...only people whose lives absolutely 4 stars *read for school book club i don't go to pick up memoirs or autobiographies on my own because i feel like...only people whose lives absolutely suck write mems/autos, and i don't particularly want to have to go through that experience of reading it. that being said, i read bits of this for my writing class and then my book club ended up picking it, so. if you really want a memoir to read or you enjoy lyrical prose, this definitely is the one for you. it's very heavy and mature with some of its themes, so heads up on that. not gnna say anything else bcs i know the book club people are gonna read this and make fun of me. ...more
Short story collections are impossible to rate. It’s just not possible for all of them to be good, and usually they’re not all bad3 stars *may change
Short story collections are impossible to rate. It’s just not possible for all of them to be good, and usually they’re not all bad. They’re all pretty much existing in a middle ground.
This book had some pretty good stories dealing with sexuality, romance, identity, family, etc. It also had some stories that made me a bit sleepy. I’m not someone who cares at all about technology, but there were quite a few stories centered around it? And it’s like…here we go. I guess if you’re into that it’s not a big deal. The best selling point is the stories that use more traditionally “magical” elements. I think those stories really shine through.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy. ...more
I don’t really know how to put it into words, but something about it is so magical and raw and lovely. I love 4.5 stars *may change
I love this book.
I don’t really know how to put it into words, but something about it is so magical and raw and lovely. I love stories that follow a dual timeline of a character's past before switching back to them being gone in the present. Watching their actions and how they affected them and the people around them later. Not to mention the very casual magic in the world, where it’s not quite fantastical but also not quite very real? Like some weird divine power.
I was originally going to read it because, hey, it was an overdue arc and I needed to waste some time before going on. But I genuinely didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It’s so delightful....more
This was probably the first time I really got SMG's writing. I'd read one of her books and novellas before, but neither oEDIT: 4.25 4 stars *may change
This was probably the first time I really got SMG's writing. I'd read one of her books and novellas before, but neither of them really stuck out to me as anything great up until now. I think there was something about the film noir aspect and unconventional dual povs that really made it. I love when two characters are entirely different from one another but just...work? Like, Maite is this very plain and boring secretary who reads romance books and Elvis is this young ruffian working in a gang who kills people. It's a little funny lol
(view spoiler)[Also, I think the religious aspect was hilarious. Elvis literally beats up and kills people for a job but won't hurt a priest himself because he doesn't want to go to Hell? Lmao. (hide spoiler)]...more
somebody recommended this to me with that goodreads feature that i keep forgetting exists because “it’s cuban” and yeah whoever th4 stars *may change
somebody recommended this to me with that goodreads feature that i keep forgetting exists because “it’s cuban” and yeah whoever that was you really get me. ...more
3 stars *may change i'm just throwing a rating around because i took my vaccine after reading this book and it knocked me out so i have no idea what i 3 stars *may change i'm just throwing a rating around because i took my vaccine after reading this book and it knocked me out so i have no idea what i thought about it...more
2 stars *may change I’m not sure how I should rate a book that is purposefully written to be vile and disturbing. A perfect score because it did exact2 stars *may change I’m not sure how I should rate a book that is purposefully written to be vile and disturbing. A perfect score because it did exactly what it sought out to do, or be honest with myself and rate it based on my enjoyment?
I did not enjoy this. It’s not meant to be enjoyed. Both true. ...more
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