I have a lot of thoughts about this one. I absolutely adored Mexican Gothic when I read it earlier this year. And one of the best things about that book was the writing. And I still think that’s very prevalent in Silver Nitrate as well. The characters were also strong, just like in Mexican Gothic, and I think that’s where the similarities end (not a critique, just an observation).

This book has a really strong premise and start. Our two main characters, Tristán and Montserrat, are messy, chaotic bisexuals, who both respectively work in the film industry during the 90s in Mexico. Their relationship was so complex, and really got me to care about these two, respectively. You can also tell Silvia Moreno-Garcia is very passionate about old films, specifically old films from her culture. And that first half of the story really does shine through to me as a reader.

However, once we get into the actual premise of Silver Nitrate in the second half, my enjoy did begin to decline. This book is marketed as horror, and it’s one of those types of horror that focuses on the real life aspects of horrifying things (or at least tries to). Silver Nitrate goes into Nazism and Occultism, but not in a very satisfying or new way to me. It was very surface level. ”Ok, this man is a Nazi. He is bad. He is charming. Now he has a cult. He has all these followers for some reason, even though he’s a Nazi.” I kept questioning if I missed something detrimental while listening? But I don’t think I did, I just think that’s how the book was written.

In saying that, I really think this books faults lies in the way it was marketed. Because by the end of Silver Nitrate the horror aspects are more just a historical fiction-fantasy plot, not really horror. Sure, there is a mystery (albeit a slow one), but the fact is, the real-life horrors are overshadowed by the overwhelming amount of fantasy/magical realism and historical fiction elements.

Despite my complaints, I think Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an absolute treasure of a writer (and I’ve only read 2 of her books in her mighty backlist). Her ideas are so thought provoking, and as I said above, you can tell she’s so passionate and well informed about the things that interest her. And I love how she always adds her culture to her books. It really adds the extra layers and depth to her characters and their stories. I also did love this audiobook, which I think brought my enjoyment up a little more. This narrator was flawless with these two characters, and really brought the charm of this story to life.

So overall, was Silver Nitrate perfect? No, not all. Did it tackle its topics in the best way possible? Not really, no. But was it still incredibly well written, and entertaining nonetheless? Yes, yes it was. I’m so excited to dive deeper into Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s backlist. Let me know what y’all recommend I read from her next.

4 stars


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After Mexican Gothic, I know this is gonna be a banger.