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Untamed Shore
Renowned author Silvia Moreno-Garcia's first thriller, UNTAMED SHORE, is a coming-of-age story set in Mexico which quickly turns dark when a young woman meets three enigmatic tourists.
Baja California, 1979. Viridiana spends her days watching the dead sharks piled beside the seashore, as the fishermen pull their nets. There is nothing else to do, nothing else to watch, under the harsh sun. She’s bored. Terribly bored. Yet her head is filled with dreams of Hollywood films, of romance, of a future beyond the drab town where her only option is to marry and have children.
Three wealthy American tourists arrive for the summer, and Viridiana is magnetized. She immediately becomes entwined in the glamorous foreigners’ lives. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape from the promise of a humdrum future.
When one of them dies, Viridiana lies to protect her friends. Soon enough, someone’s asking questions, and Viridiana has some of her own about the identity of her new acquaintances. Sharks may be dangerous, but there are worse predators nearby, ready to devour a naïve young woman who is quickly being tangled in a web of deceit.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of the most exciting voices in fiction, and with her first crime novel, UNTAMED SHORE, she crafts a blazing novel of suspense with an eerie seaside setting and a literary edge that proves her a master of the genre.
Baja California, 1979. Viridiana spends her days watching the dead sharks piled beside the seashore, as the fishermen pull their nets. There is nothing else to do, nothing else to watch, under the harsh sun. She’s bored. Terribly bored. Yet her head is filled with dreams of Hollywood films, of romance, of a future beyond the drab town where her only option is to marry and have children.
Three wealthy American tourists arrive for the summer, and Viridiana is magnetized. She immediately becomes entwined in the glamorous foreigners’ lives. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape from the promise of a humdrum future.
When one of them dies, Viridiana lies to protect her friends. Soon enough, someone’s asking questions, and Viridiana has some of her own about the identity of her new acquaintances. Sharks may be dangerous, but there are worse predators nearby, ready to devour a naïve young woman who is quickly being tangled in a web of deceit.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of the most exciting voices in fiction, and with her first crime novel, UNTAMED SHORE, she crafts a blazing novel of suspense with an eerie seaside setting and a literary edge that proves her a master of the genre.
282 pages, Hardcover
First published February 11, 2020
243 people are currently reading
22905 people want to read
About the author
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
157 books27.3k followersSilvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. She has also edited a number of anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu's Daughters). Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination.
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November 15, 2023Note: Back in print in 2023, both in the UK and the USA.
Anyway, it's not a thriller but a noir. Yes, there's a difference: the stakes are small here. It's also a coming of age story wrapped in bleakness. As Crime Time put it it's a "Patricia Highsmith-like tale of grifters and con artists set in Baja California." LA Review of Books said “Brutality takes on an almost divine quality.”
It's a poem to the Baja California landscape and to a certain type of old-fashioned crime novel. It's also the only novel that I'm tempted to write a sequel to.
Anyway, it's not a thriller but a noir. Yes, there's a difference: the stakes are small here. It's also a coming of age story wrapped in bleakness. As Crime Time put it it's a "Patricia Highsmith-like tale of grifters and con artists set in Baja California." LA Review of Books said “Brutality takes on an almost divine quality.”
It's a poem to the Baja California landscape and to a certain type of old-fashioned crime novel. It's also the only novel that I'm tempted to write a sequel to.
September 26, 2020
A Mexican thriller set in the late 70s by the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow—did someone hear me quietly praying to my Kindle at night?? I read Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s historical fantasy plotted around an ancient Mayan god of death a little less than a year ago and have been hoping for more from her ever since. With Untamed Shore coming out February 11th and the absolutely seductive-sounding Mexican Gothic arriving in June this year, I’m beginning to wonder if Moreno-Garcia herself has made a deal with an ancient spirit to keep churning out these utterly unique and appealing projects, one after the other.
The book itself was a little slow to start, with not much happening until about a third of the way in, and even after that there wasn’t a lot of action til the very end. But that ending, my god, it’s satisfying. I probably wouldn’t really classify it as a thriller, either, but more of a domestic suspense. That’s not really my favorite sub-genre, but I still plodded through because I really loved the setting.
Viridiana lives in the small town of Desengaño in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The major industry of her quiet beach town is fishing, with many still catching and killing sharks, despite the overall drop in profitability. The entire village is in a plateaued decline with tourism all but dried up, so when three Americans arrive carrying with them the allure of a world outside of what Viridiana can even imagine, she gets swept up in their plots, in hopes it will help her carve out a new life for herself far away.
Some of the characterization is a bit heavy-handed, especially the dialogue. There’s also very little mystery surrounding the events of the novel, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still be on edge. I liked Gods of Jade and Shadow more than this and am desperately awaiting Mexican Gothic, but all in all this was a solid performer by Moreno-Garcia.
*Thanks to Polis Books & Netgalley for an advance copy!
The book itself was a little slow to start, with not much happening until about a third of the way in, and even after that there wasn’t a lot of action til the very end. But that ending, my god, it’s satisfying. I probably wouldn’t really classify it as a thriller, either, but more of a domestic suspense. That’s not really my favorite sub-genre, but I still plodded through because I really loved the setting.
Viridiana lives in the small town of Desengaño in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The major industry of her quiet beach town is fishing, with many still catching and killing sharks, despite the overall drop in profitability. The entire village is in a plateaued decline with tourism all but dried up, so when three Americans arrive carrying with them the allure of a world outside of what Viridiana can even imagine, she gets swept up in their plots, in hopes it will help her carve out a new life for herself far away.
Some of the characterization is a bit heavy-handed, especially the dialogue. There’s also very little mystery surrounding the events of the novel, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still be on edge. I liked Gods of Jade and Shadow more than this and am desperately awaiting Mexican Gothic, but all in all this was a solid performer by Moreno-Garcia.
*Thanks to Polis Books & Netgalley for an advance copy!
June 28, 2020
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
After reading and loving Gods of Jade and Shadow, I was absolutely thrilled when I found out that Silvia Moreno-Garcia has a few upcoming releases. After receiving a copy of Untamed Shore, I was very excited to delve into the novel.
Untamed Shore follows an inexperienced, naive eighteen year old woman named Viridiana who feels trapped in her small town of Desengaño in Baja California during 1979. She must deal with her insufferable community and the expectations it puts upon her: working in her mother’s shop, marriage, having children. However, Viridiana wants more. She longs to leave for a bigger city where she can choose a life she wants for herself. She distracts herself with literature, Hollywood films, dreams of romance, and watching fishermen hunt sharks at the beach.
Viridiana’s seemingly boring life is interrupted when she is offered a job by three tourists: Ambrose, his wife Daisy, and Daisy’s brother Gregory. Working as a personal assistant and translator for these people offers Viridiana a chance to escape. However, things take a dark turn when one of the tourists dies. What comes next marks a drastic character change for Viridiana: she lies for her friends. Readers are then thrown into a web of deceit with many plot twists that I personally did not see coming. I loved seeing the change in Viridiana once she embarks on a path of self-preservation. Despite knowing the characters might be making bad choices, you cannot help but root for some of them. Viridiana is no exception to this; readers may identify with her longing to create a new life for herself far away from a town that wants to crush her dreams.
Untamed Shore does not disappoint. I battled between wanting to read it all at once and wanting it to last forever. This book is a very character driven story, which I love. My experience with Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work was limited to Gods of Jade and Shadow prior to this, so I was not sure what to expect. In both cases, the writing is captivating and beautiful. I was also excited to branch out and read a noir novel as I do not have much experience with them. In the end, all I can say is that I truly loved this book!
*Content warning: There are instances of violence and domestic abuse.*
Thank you to the publisher, Polis Books, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel before its release.
After reading and loving Gods of Jade and Shadow, I was absolutely thrilled when I found out that Silvia Moreno-Garcia has a few upcoming releases. After receiving a copy of Untamed Shore, I was very excited to delve into the novel.
Untamed Shore follows an inexperienced, naive eighteen year old woman named Viridiana who feels trapped in her small town of Desengaño in Baja California during 1979. She must deal with her insufferable community and the expectations it puts upon her: working in her mother’s shop, marriage, having children. However, Viridiana wants more. She longs to leave for a bigger city where she can choose a life she wants for herself. She distracts herself with literature, Hollywood films, dreams of romance, and watching fishermen hunt sharks at the beach.
Viridiana’s seemingly boring life is interrupted when she is offered a job by three tourists: Ambrose, his wife Daisy, and Daisy’s brother Gregory. Working as a personal assistant and translator for these people offers Viridiana a chance to escape. However, things take a dark turn when one of the tourists dies. What comes next marks a drastic character change for Viridiana: she lies for her friends. Readers are then thrown into a web of deceit with many plot twists that I personally did not see coming. I loved seeing the change in Viridiana once she embarks on a path of self-preservation. Despite knowing the characters might be making bad choices, you cannot help but root for some of them. Viridiana is no exception to this; readers may identify with her longing to create a new life for herself far away from a town that wants to crush her dreams.
Untamed Shore does not disappoint. I battled between wanting to read it all at once and wanting it to last forever. This book is a very character driven story, which I love. My experience with Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work was limited to Gods of Jade and Shadow prior to this, so I was not sure what to expect. In both cases, the writing is captivating and beautiful. I was also excited to branch out and read a noir novel as I do not have much experience with them. In the end, all I can say is that I truly loved this book!
*Content warning: There are instances of violence and domestic abuse.*
Thank you to the publisher, Polis Books, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel before its release.
September 20, 2024
The perfect, little, coastal noir. A young woman--just eighteen--takes a job for a wealthy couple and winds up entangled in their affairs. The way she comes of age throughout this story is intoxicating. Silvia Moreno-Garcia can write anything! I would love to see an adaptation of this.
Perfect for fans of...
-Coming-of-age
-Hollywood-inspired
-Secrets & lies
-Noir storytelling
-Set in a coastal town
-Perfectly paced
-Character-Driven
Perfect for fans of...
-Coming-of-age
-Hollywood-inspired
-Secrets & lies
-Noir storytelling
-Set in a coastal town
-Perfectly paced
-Character-Driven
February 22, 2020
Ahoy there me mateys! I received an eArc of this thriller through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings.
This be fourth book I have read by the author and me fourth five star read. I have said before that what I find amazing about all of the author's books is that they feel so different from each other. The first was a vampire story with stunning vampire culture and history. The second was a Mayan fairy-tale set during the Jazz age in Mexico. The third was a romance with a hint of fantasy set in the Belle Époque era. And this is a coming-of-age thriller set in Baja California in 1979. I adored this book!
The story follows Viridiana who lives in a small town called Desengaño where every day follows just like the one before it. Instead of doing what is expected, like get married and have babies, Viridiana dreams of making it to a bigger city. Her mastery of foreign languages, intelligence, and longing make her an outcast in her tiny community. During the brief tourist season she makes a little money as a translator and tour guide. The rest of the time she spends watching fisherman hunt sharks on the beach, watching classic Hollywood movies, reading, and dreaming. Her life changes when three rich tourists come to town and she is asked to be not only a translator but also a personal assistant. Life gets interesting when her employer dies.
This is a character driven story with plot twists and turns but is not really fast-paced. That said the book was so absolutely satisfying. Viridiana is a fantastic character whose naivete hurts to read about but her journey towards adulthood and reality is compelling. Watching her struggle between her heart and her head is truly lovely even if ye want to shake her for her stupidity at times. Viridiana's psychological journey was really the thriller aspect because of wondering if, and how, she could get out of the mess she found herself in.
I can't really get into more than that because of spoilers but I thought the ending was perfect and yet partially unexpected. I thought all the shark symbolism was awesome. I am in awe of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's talent and am so excited that she has another book coming out this year - Mexican Gothic on 6/30/2020. Arrr!
This be fourth book I have read by the author and me fourth five star read. I have said before that what I find amazing about all of the author's books is that they feel so different from each other. The first was a vampire story with stunning vampire culture and history. The second was a Mayan fairy-tale set during the Jazz age in Mexico. The third was a romance with a hint of fantasy set in the Belle Époque era. And this is a coming-of-age thriller set in Baja California in 1979. I adored this book!
The story follows Viridiana who lives in a small town called Desengaño where every day follows just like the one before it. Instead of doing what is expected, like get married and have babies, Viridiana dreams of making it to a bigger city. Her mastery of foreign languages, intelligence, and longing make her an outcast in her tiny community. During the brief tourist season she makes a little money as a translator and tour guide. The rest of the time she spends watching fisherman hunt sharks on the beach, watching classic Hollywood movies, reading, and dreaming. Her life changes when three rich tourists come to town and she is asked to be not only a translator but also a personal assistant. Life gets interesting when her employer dies.
This is a character driven story with plot twists and turns but is not really fast-paced. That said the book was so absolutely satisfying. Viridiana is a fantastic character whose naivete hurts to read about but her journey towards adulthood and reality is compelling. Watching her struggle between her heart and her head is truly lovely even if ye want to shake her for her stupidity at times. Viridiana's psychological journey was really the thriller aspect because of wondering if, and how, she could get out of the mess she found herself in.
I can't really get into more than that because of spoilers but I thought the ending was perfect and yet partially unexpected. I thought all the shark symbolism was awesome. I am in awe of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's talent and am so excited that she has another book coming out this year - Mexican Gothic on 6/30/2020. Arrr!
September 12, 2025
Untamed Shore is perfectly summed up by its description as a "coming-of-age noir." Most of the story is slowly setting up the pieces to the mystery and conflict that come into play in the last third of the novel, while focusing a lot on Viridiana, and the payoff is mostly worth it. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's endings rarely ever miss.
“Her father exuded a warmth, a joy, which she did not possess. He made many quips. They were not crass jokes, like her stepfather, but witty observations that brightened the room. Her father was charming.”
Unfortunately, I often felt it to be on the lower end of the author's writing range.
“Her father exuded a warmth, a joy, which she did not possess. He made many quips. They were not crass jokes, like her stepfather, but witty observations that brightened the room. Her father was charming.”
Unfortunately, I often felt it to be on the lower end of the author's writing range.
December 29, 2020
4.5/5 Stars
TWs: Allusions to domestic abuse, instances of violence and graphic injury
This is a deeply suspenseful noir thriller that proves, once again, that Silvia Moreno-Garcia can master any genre she writes. In this case, it's Viridiana's naiveté and her desperation to break away from small town life that allows this story to keep twisting in on itself.
Viridiana's story is painfully familiar, in that she is accepted into the employ of an affluent group of Americans who expect her to forsake herself in order to be "good enough" to be associated with them. She's hired as a note-taker and personal assistant, but quickly gets shackled into doing things like running errands, cooking meals, or carrying things to and from the beach as if she were a servant. And ultimately, that's how everyone in this story sees her: meek and subserviant. She's manipulated, challenged, and short-changed at every turn.
But Viridiana doesn't fight the rising tide that is her life. She realizes that the only way to move forward is to follow the story her life is becoming, even if it's not the story she envisioned for herself. Even though she is surrounded by destructive people, she refuses to allow herself to be destroyed.
Ultimately, I think this story is about how many of us find ourselves at the mercy of those who don't respect or understand us, and how marginalized folks are expected to appeal to those same people and institutions that continually wrong us just to have a chance at survival. All of this and more is at stake in Untamed Shore, which continuously surprises and haunts the reader at every turn, and that's what kept me invested in this story.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia can do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned, and I definitely recommend this one along with any of her other incredibly unique stories.
TWs: Allusions to domestic abuse, instances of violence and graphic injury
By now, she ought to have lost all the childish innocence she'd possessed, but it had lasted and held true until this very moment. That is what pained her the most. Not the betrayal, but her steadfast devotion to her betrayers.
This is a deeply suspenseful noir thriller that proves, once again, that Silvia Moreno-Garcia can master any genre she writes. In this case, it's Viridiana's naiveté and her desperation to break away from small town life that allows this story to keep twisting in on itself.
Viridiana's story is painfully familiar, in that she is accepted into the employ of an affluent group of Americans who expect her to forsake herself in order to be "good enough" to be associated with them. She's hired as a note-taker and personal assistant, but quickly gets shackled into doing things like running errands, cooking meals, or carrying things to and from the beach as if she were a servant. And ultimately, that's how everyone in this story sees her: meek and subserviant. She's manipulated, challenged, and short-changed at every turn.
But Viridiana doesn't fight the rising tide that is her life. She realizes that the only way to move forward is to follow the story her life is becoming, even if it's not the story she envisioned for herself. Even though she is surrounded by destructive people, she refuses to allow herself to be destroyed.
Ultimately, I think this story is about how many of us find ourselves at the mercy of those who don't respect or understand us, and how marginalized folks are expected to appeal to those same people and institutions that continually wrong us just to have a chance at survival. All of this and more is at stake in Untamed Shore, which continuously surprises and haunts the reader at every turn, and that's what kept me invested in this story.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia can do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned, and I definitely recommend this one along with any of her other incredibly unique stories.
February 14, 2020
I want to be up front that I think Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a brilliant writer and I love the project of what she is doing in all her books: centering Latinx characters, history, and culture in a variety of genres they have typically been erased from. Here, she is doing that in a noir thriller and as always, the writing and the project are very well executed. That said, this is not a genre that particularly appeals to me and the main reason I picked this up is because of the author. Readers who are more into this type of book would probably enjoy it much more.
Untamed Shore is a slower-paced, character driven thriller set in a small coastal town in Mexico known for fishing sharks, and it easily feels like it could have been one of the classic black and white films that are referenced in the book. Viridiana is 18-years-old and has never left her small, conservative town, but dreams of bigger things. Her mother wants her to settle down with her uninteresting ex-boyfriend and work in his family's stationary shop. Instead, she takes a job opportunity as a translator and assistant to an American man trying to write a book for the summer. She moves into his rental home, along with his much younger wife and her handsome brother. Things take a dark and complicated turn as Viridiana must decide how to navigate the complex web she has entered and what she wants for herself.
This is partly a coming of age story, partly a noir thriller and the text is entirely populated with morally gray characters. Honestly, I had a hard time being all that interested in most of the story, even though I can see what the author was trying to do. I think this is more a matter of personal taste than anything else, but I didn't care that much for any of the characters and found myself bored by the minute and day-to-day details. That said, the ending was brilliant and I loved the way she wrapped things up in an unexpected way. Thematically, this is a rich story that touches on racism, colonialism, and misogyny. It has deeply feminist undertones and while I found Viridiana to be frustratingly naive and reckless, she does eventually learn and we see how her world has led to her choices. If the type of book this is sounds appealing, definitely pick it up. And regardless, Moreno-Garcia always has beautiful, smart and thoughtful writing, even if this particular genre wasn't quite my cup of tea. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Untamed Shore is a slower-paced, character driven thriller set in a small coastal town in Mexico known for fishing sharks, and it easily feels like it could have been one of the classic black and white films that are referenced in the book. Viridiana is 18-years-old and has never left her small, conservative town, but dreams of bigger things. Her mother wants her to settle down with her uninteresting ex-boyfriend and work in his family's stationary shop. Instead, she takes a job opportunity as a translator and assistant to an American man trying to write a book for the summer. She moves into his rental home, along with his much younger wife and her handsome brother. Things take a dark and complicated turn as Viridiana must decide how to navigate the complex web she has entered and what she wants for herself.
This is partly a coming of age story, partly a noir thriller and the text is entirely populated with morally gray characters. Honestly, I had a hard time being all that interested in most of the story, even though I can see what the author was trying to do. I think this is more a matter of personal taste than anything else, but I didn't care that much for any of the characters and found myself bored by the minute and day-to-day details. That said, the ending was brilliant and I loved the way she wrapped things up in an unexpected way. Thematically, this is a rich story that touches on racism, colonialism, and misogyny. It has deeply feminist undertones and while I found Viridiana to be frustratingly naive and reckless, she does eventually learn and we see how her world has led to her choices. If the type of book this is sounds appealing, definitely pick it up. And regardless, Moreno-Garcia always has beautiful, smart and thoughtful writing, even if this particular genre wasn't quite my cup of tea. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 6, 2023
Desengano is a small town in Baja California and the scene is set in the 1970's with Viridiana as the main character. She is a naive 18 year old who dares to dream big, but is bound by family, faith and traditions. The first half of the book is the development of her character and the dreamlike landscape and seashores where she lives and where she passes time with dreams of old black and white movies and her fascination with shark butchering. Her palpable ennui melts away when she is introduced to three Americans who come to live in a house on the far edge of a cliff, away from the village and where she starts to work as an assistant, earning some money that will possibly contribute to her running away to university in Mexico City. It is at that point, that the reverie turns into a noir.
One of them gets killed and Viridiana is to make decisions that will affect all of them, but of course most of all herself. She is forced to grow up quickly, to choose between love and morals, security and drifting. Her character is very complex and extremely well rendered; with a stark emphasis on metamorphosis that is present in herself but also on the shark-beach, in the town, in the world around her.
It is my first book of this author, and I was enthralled! It has a strong story, a dreamy yet palpable atmosphere and a fantastic protagonist. I can only truly recommend it.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
One of them gets killed and Viridiana is to make decisions that will affect all of them, but of course most of all herself. She is forced to grow up quickly, to choose between love and morals, security and drifting. Her character is very complex and extremely well rendered; with a stark emphasis on metamorphosis that is present in herself but also on the shark-beach, in the town, in the world around her.
It is my first book of this author, and I was enthralled! It has a strong story, a dreamy yet palpable atmosphere and a fantastic protagonist. I can only truly recommend it.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2023
I found the writing beautiful but most of the story lagging (this is mostly due to me not being a noir kind of girly) until THAT ENDING. LOVED the ending! So that took it up from the 2 star range to a 3 star
May 9, 2021
Having read Mexican Gothic, I had to go back and find whatever I could by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Besides having the neatest book covers ever, she knows how to do mood and entwine the setting into the desired effect. In this case, it is Baja California in 1979. Eighteen year old Viridiana feels trapped into a life mapped out for her, into a possible engagement arranged by her parents, to someone she has no feeling for whatsoever. As she is fluent in Spanish, French, and English, she is able to take a job as an assistant to a writer, his wife and her brother, who have come for the summer. She becomes entangled into their drama and is soon over her head when one of them dies and she in embroiled in something that she did not bargain for. Anyone who has wanted more for themselves and want to break out of the cocoon that they were born into will appreciate this book. [image error]
July 2, 2020
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water…or was it ever? I’m a fan of the author, I’ve read all of her latest books and enjoyed them tremendously, she does a terrific job of blending dramatic with supernatural and even fantasy, it’s always dark, always literary and always good. So I would have read this book (her debut thriller) just on the name appeal, but then again I would have read that book going by the cover appeal alone too. That’s a great cover. And indeed sharks feature heavily, both literally and metaphorically, in this coming of age tale set in Baja California in 1979. No supernatural elements here, though just as dark as you might have come to expect from the author, this is a story of an 18 year old girl too bright to be stuck in a small town with small minded people. She makes a living as a tourist guide due to her skill with multiple languages, but it doesn’t provide enough for a proper lifestyle upgrade, just subsistence. She’s read all the books she can get and there are no bookstores or libraries, her mother wants her to marry an unimaginative local boy, her father left years ago for Mexico City and mainly manifests his presence through random occasional gifts. It’s gorgeous where she lives, but that’s about it, she is firmly stuck. And then she gets a summer job working as an assistant and a translator for a visiting wealthy family…and finds out that not all sharks live at sea. Some of them take up disguises passing for people, people who have to swim very quickly in the currents of lies just to stay afloat and to survive them she will have to either learn to do the same or more. And so it turns from a romance with prospects to a battle of wits and wills, survival of the fittest at all costs. No more innocence, the world will steal that every time. So that’s the basic plot, the execution is absolutely excellent, a proper thriller, exciting, dynamic, fast paced but also a proper work of literature, well written, character driven, thoroughly engaging. All the classic themes but at an angle. With fins in the water. And a terrific, compelling, untamed and untamable protagonist. Good thing it reads so quickly because you won’t want to put this book down. The way this author writes…her summer is just so technicolor vivid, textures, colors, it’s completely, awesomely immersive in the best possible way. Makes for a great summer read and this summer it is needed more than ever. Recommended.
March 30, 2020
If you venture into this book expecting a high-stakes, fast-paced thriller, you will inevitably be disappointed. This is not a mystery; there is no whodunit, no hunting clues to track down the killer, no chases or escapes. Untamed Shore is instead a languid, character-driven coming-of-age tale, a sort of literary noir set against the atmospheric background of 1970s small-town Baja California.
And what a background it is. Moreno-Garcia has always had a way of bringing settings and locales to life. Her prose is exquisite: rich and dense and layered. The mood she evokes is thick and oppressive, heady with tension. I could feel the heat coming off the desert. I could smell the rotting shark carcasses. I could feel Viridiana's tension and boredom, her desperate desire for escape. There is a certain creeping dread to it all, an eeriness to this small seaside prison.
The narrative traces the development of Viridiana's arc, from clever but sheltered girl to clever and ruthless young woman. It is done slowly and carefully and subtly. The culmination of Viridiana's arc is what pushed me to give this book 5 stars; when I first started I was convinced this was a 3-star read. By 60% I knew it would be 4 stars. But by that explosive, absolutely baller ending? I knew this was 5 stars for sure. Viridiana is the star of this novel; she shines above the other characters and even the plot, which was very slow to start and never really found its feet. Because this novel isn't about plot; it's about Viridiana coming into her own and achieving her goals, no matter what it takes.
And what a background it is. Moreno-Garcia has always had a way of bringing settings and locales to life. Her prose is exquisite: rich and dense and layered. The mood she evokes is thick and oppressive, heady with tension. I could feel the heat coming off the desert. I could smell the rotting shark carcasses. I could feel Viridiana's tension and boredom, her desperate desire for escape. There is a certain creeping dread to it all, an eeriness to this small seaside prison.
The narrative traces the development of Viridiana's arc, from clever but sheltered girl to clever and ruthless young woman. It is done slowly and carefully and subtly. The culmination of Viridiana's arc is what pushed me to give this book 5 stars; when I first started I was convinced this was a 3-star read. By 60% I knew it would be 4 stars. But by that explosive, absolutely baller ending? I knew this was 5 stars for sure. Viridiana is the star of this novel; she shines above the other characters and even the plot, which was very slow to start and never really found its feet. Because this novel isn't about plot; it's about Viridiana coming into her own and achieving her goals, no matter what it takes.
January 14, 2020
“You’re a cannibal,” he said and she remembered that they said the Aztecs ate the hearts of men.
She bit his lips for good measure.
On my blog.
Rep: Mexican characters and setting
Galley provided by publisher
Have you ever read a book where you finish and you need a definite moment to catch your breath after all that’s happened? That was me reading this one. It’s a slowburning thriller, but when the twists come, they come thick and fast.
In Untamed Shore, we follow Viridiana, an 18-year-old living in the village of Desengaño, who wants nothing more than to escape it. One summer, she is hired to act as translator and assistant to three rich American tourists. But then one of them dies and Viridiana finds herself having lied to protect people she comes to find she doesn’t really know.
What first strikes you about this book is just how gorgeous and evocative Silvia Moreno Garcia’s writing is. It sounds trite to say it, but it really does feel like you’re there yourself. You can picture everything that’s happening, and it also just keeps sucking you in, making you not want to stop reading at any point. I think it’s safe to say that the writing alone could have convinced me to read all of Moreno Garcia’s other books.
But books don’t stand for much solely based on writing. There has to be more, with plot and with characters, and Moreno Garcia knocks both of these out the park here. First, the characters. We see everyone through Viridiana’s gaze, which starts initially as quite naive and then becomes less so (no spoilers, but…….yeaaaaah), so it’s not an entirely reliable narrative. I mean, you the reader are able to see that particular characters are not so perfect as Viridiana believes them to be (such that, on occasion, Viridiana is surprised at a turn of events where you are not), but the way her perspective changes is part of the journey.
The plot is a slowburn, really. The aforementioned death doesn’t happen until a good 40% of the way through. Not that this is a bad thing, because it lets Viridiana get close to the characters, firstly, and secondly, the writing is enough to carry you through it easily. But when the action kicks in, from around when Lawrence arrives, suddenly everything gets more tense and you will not be able to stop reading (I’m honestly glad I read this book in the day so I wasn’t constantly going just one more chapter when I should have been sleeping).
And then the end! I think all I really wrote in reference to that in my notes was a few choice swearwords because, well, it sort of required them, given the circumstances. Because it leaves you speechless and unable to think about much beyond how well-crafted it is. How the symbolism of the sharks crescendoes in this moment.
And when you finish, you’re left needing to catch your breath by it all.
August 15, 2025
Love this crime noir story! 4.3 🌟
May 31, 2021
Viridiana lives in Baja California (which is in Mexico, I share this because I did not understand it) in 1979 but she's bored and is resisting all attempts by her mother to settle down with a local. Three Americans come to town and hire her as an assistant because she speaks multiple languages. Life gets more exciting but also more dangerous.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is such a prolific author and she seems to be trying out different genres and almost always basing her novels in Mexico. This plays with the psychological thriller but it's almost a spoiler to say so because the novel doesn't feel that way at first. I wouldn't say this is my favorite from the author but enjoyed a setting and time period I hadn't experienced before.
This will count for Mexico month for the Readtheworld21 challenge.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is such a prolific author and she seems to be trying out different genres and almost always basing her novels in Mexico. This plays with the psychological thriller but it's almost a spoiler to say so because the novel doesn't feel that way at first. I wouldn't say this is my favorite from the author but enjoyed a setting and time period I hadn't experienced before.
This will count for Mexico month for the Readtheworld21 challenge.
September 12, 2023
4.5 stars. Oooo, this was so nasty and delightful! I read somewhere that Moreno-Garcia calls this story "quietly cruel" and that's just about right. Moreno-Garcia writes in many genres, but imo she does moody historical noir best - and this one is right in that wheelhouse.
The star of this book is Viridiana, an intelligent and somewhat odd girl who doesn't fit in the small town she's grown up in - so honestly, again, a version of the same lead that Moreno-Garcia writes over and over. And, in the macro view, her challenge is the same as all of Moreno-Garcia's protagonists of this kind: will she find some way to escape the confines or her life, or will it smother and defeat her? In UNTAMED SHORE, Viridiana finds herself wrapped up in the lifestyles and schemes of three older, visiting American tourists: Ambrose, Daisy and Geoffrey.
But the real major co-star of this book is the setting: late 1970s seaside Baja Mexico. Moreno-Garcia is absolutely phenomenal about creating atmosphere via setting, but she really shines in this one. I've never been anywhere in Baja Mexico, but Moreno-Garcia calls to mind just the right references of small ocean towns, deceptively empty yet threatening desert, and of course, the shark fishing, to make it visceral and identifiable all while vaguely menacing. Not to mention the repressive attitudes of Mexico (hell, everywhere) towards women at the time, and you have a perfect setting for the twisted coming-of-age tale this book represents.
Viridiana is 18, and serves as a translator to escape working in her mother's shop (and her mother's plans to marry her off ASAP). She begins translating for the older writer Ambrose, and is somewhat starstruck by his glamorous and well-traveled wife Daisy and her model-attractive younger brother Geoffrey. Daisy and Geoffrey seem to take her under their wing and offer a way out of Viridiana's small town and her life...yet slowly but surely she discovers there's a cost for Daisy's and Geoffrey's "help."
This book has explicit sex and violence, and they are both used well and serve the story. It's all from Viridiana's POV, so we really get to track her journey through the book. By the end, I was like "Mygod, is she going to..." "WOW, she is going to..!" The story developments are not necessarily unexpected - they're some classic noir moves - but incredibly well-executed.
I also read somewhere (please don't make me cite my sources lol) that Moreno-Garcia says this is the one book of hers she's tempted to write a sequel to. Umm, yes please? The story is definitely fully complete at the end...and yet I'd love to know what comes next.
Another winner (imo) from Moreno-Garcia.
The star of this book is Viridiana, an intelligent and somewhat odd girl who doesn't fit in the small town she's grown up in - so honestly, again, a version of the same lead that Moreno-Garcia writes over and over. And, in the macro view, her challenge is the same as all of Moreno-Garcia's protagonists of this kind: will she find some way to escape the confines or her life, or will it smother and defeat her? In UNTAMED SHORE, Viridiana finds herself wrapped up in the lifestyles and schemes of three older, visiting American tourists: Ambrose, Daisy and Geoffrey.
But the real major co-star of this book is the setting: late 1970s seaside Baja Mexico. Moreno-Garcia is absolutely phenomenal about creating atmosphere via setting, but she really shines in this one. I've never been anywhere in Baja Mexico, but Moreno-Garcia calls to mind just the right references of small ocean towns, deceptively empty yet threatening desert, and of course, the shark fishing, to make it visceral and identifiable all while vaguely menacing. Not to mention the repressive attitudes of Mexico (hell, everywhere) towards women at the time, and you have a perfect setting for the twisted coming-of-age tale this book represents.
Viridiana is 18, and serves as a translator to escape working in her mother's shop (and her mother's plans to marry her off ASAP). She begins translating for the older writer Ambrose, and is somewhat starstruck by his glamorous and well-traveled wife Daisy and her model-attractive younger brother Geoffrey. Daisy and Geoffrey seem to take her under their wing and offer a way out of Viridiana's small town and her life...yet slowly but surely she discovers there's a cost for Daisy's and Geoffrey's "help."
This book has explicit sex and violence, and they are both used well and serve the story. It's all from Viridiana's POV, so we really get to track her journey through the book. By the end, I was like "Mygod, is she going to..." "WOW, she is going to..!" The story developments are not necessarily unexpected - they're some classic noir moves - but incredibly well-executed.
I also read somewhere (please don't make me cite my sources lol) that Moreno-Garcia says this is the one book of hers she's tempted to write a sequel to. Umm, yes please? The story is definitely fully complete at the end...and yet I'd love to know what comes next.
Another winner (imo) from Moreno-Garcia.
March 10, 2022
Untamed Shore is an unexpected thrill ride that starts quite softly in a small Baja town that was barely a speck on a map. Shark fishing is the whole local economy and the theme of sharks circling the water for chum is a repeated theme in this novel. Viridiana is an 18 year old who has taught herself four languages and wants more out of life than the few dusty blocks. She works as a translator for the few American tourists to lose themselves there. Her life changes when an American writer, Ambrose, comes to town with his wife, Daisy, and her brother, Gregory, and Viridiana is hired to act as Ambrose’s Secretary and to take dictation whenever inspiration strikes him. Living with this trio, she finds them oddly obnoxious, rude, and condescending, especially the married couple. Of course, the two singles in the household get acquainted or is seduced the better word.
It seems like a great character study in the slow languid Baja desert. But that’s where you realize this author has led you down a rosy garden path and all is not as it seems and, in fact, no one is who they seem to be either. And suddenly you have a great crime novel with sharks circling and the innocent being fed but by bit to them. Along the way, Viridiana’s innocence is metaphorically taken from her. It’s a novel about grifters and innocents and perfectly set up.
It seems like a great character study in the slow languid Baja desert. But that’s where you realize this author has led you down a rosy garden path and all is not as it seems and, in fact, no one is who they seem to be either. And suddenly you have a great crime novel with sharks circling and the innocent being fed but by bit to them. Along the way, Viridiana’s innocence is metaphorically taken from her. It’s a novel about grifters and innocents and perfectly set up.
November 7, 2024
4.5 rounded up.
Silvia Moreno Garcia can do no wrong in my book, I expect to love every book I pick up so of course I loved this one. I don't see this one being read as often as the rest of her books, but this one is just as excellent. So atmospheric with that mix of historical fiction that she does so well. There's a mystery/thriller element told through a coming of age story. Kinda wish I'd waited to read this on vacation on a beach though :)
Silvia Moreno Garcia can do no wrong in my book, I expect to love every book I pick up so of course I loved this one. I don't see this one being read as often as the rest of her books, but this one is just as excellent. So atmospheric with that mix of historical fiction that she does so well. There's a mystery/thriller element told through a coming of age story. Kinda wish I'd waited to read this on vacation on a beach though :)
June 8, 2024
Viridiana is a young woman in a small shark fishing town in Baja California. She works as a translator for tourists, loves old movies (often quoting from them) and longs to travel(escape) after turning down a marriage proposal arranged by her mother. She is hired to be a personal assistant to a rich American man, Ambrose renting a house on the edge of town. He has a much younger wife, Daisy and her brother Gregory also is there. Viridiana is young and naive and is kinda taken in by the glamour of the younger pair.
It took a while for me to get in to this, I’m not really big on coming of age stories but Viridiana’s journey to finding the reality of the situation she found herself in and then getting what she really wanted, was really enjoyable. It also is a bit of a noir that fits in with the old movies and actors. The setting is also dramatic, the shark fishing, the beaches and the small pettymindedness of the locals contrasting with the cynical Americans.
It took a while for me to get in to this, I’m not really big on coming of age stories but Viridiana’s journey to finding the reality of the situation she found herself in and then getting what she really wanted, was really enjoyable. It also is a bit of a noir that fits in with the old movies and actors. The setting is also dramatic, the shark fishing, the beaches and the small pettymindedness of the locals contrasting with the cynical Americans.
March 3, 2020
"There was a calm inside her now, a silence. She'd always been so afraid that the land would eat her, but it was obvious now that the answer was you had to eat it. You have to be the carnivore, the devourer, the one who bites first. A shark, enormous, majestic, unstoppable, rows and rows of teeth."
Untamed Shore is the second book that I have read written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I am obsessed with the way that she writes. There is a certain flow to the writing that just absorbs you into the story and it makes you feel like you are living it. The depictions of day-to-day life comes across as so authentic and you can tell that the representation comes from genuine knowledge and understanding.
Viridiana starts of this novel with small-town naivete and a yearning to escape what is her life, she is able to make the most of what she has been given so far - using her intellect (both book-smarts and street-smarts) and her passion to get through each day. She refuses to accept the life that her mother and the community has planned for her, but doesn't know how she will get out. Thanks to three newcomers to Baja California, a way out starts to emerge.
"Happy endings have a price, Viridiana. Hansel and Gretel don't get to escape the witch's house until they've pushed her in the oven ..."
Viridiana is hired as a Personal Assistant to an author and lives alongside him, his wife and her brother. It is this melding of lives that starts us down the path of no return. We join Viridiana as she quickly loses her small-town naivete and learn that she has the strength and tenacity of the sharks she loves so much.
I can't say too much about the characters in this novel without running the potential of writing spoilers, so I won't say too much, apart from the fact that I love that Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes such strong female characters and doesn't shy away from giving them flaws. It's an authentic, enjoyable experience reading these novels.
*thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 14, 2024
**Thanks to Goodreads and Del Rey for providing me this copy**
My first read from Silvia Moreno-Garcia and an enjoyable one!! Really enjoyed the storyline and writing!!
My first read from Silvia Moreno-Garcia and an enjoyable one!! Really enjoyed the storyline and writing!!
Read
December 28, 2020Really liked this crime novel - very strong sense of place, and the pacing that started gentle and then sped up was a great match with the plot. Without spoilers, it has one of those crimes that I feel are underappreciated in fiction and I see them more often in true crime.
I love it that every Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel is so different, and yet has its commonalities. I also feel she writes some of the best young women characters out there, and this applies to Untamed Shore too.
_____
Source of the book: Gift from my wishlist, thank you Jeanette!
(The date on the book is off, I read it last month)
I love it that every Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel is so different, and yet has its commonalities. I also feel she writes some of the best young women characters out there, and this applies to Untamed Shore too.
_____
Source of the book: Gift from my wishlist, thank you Jeanette!
(The date on the book is off, I read it last month)
January 18, 2023
it started a little slower than some of smg's other things but damn that ending might just be my favorite
January 14, 2021
Story/plot--4 stars
character development-4 stars
writing style-3 stars
believability-2 stars
started on audio but unhappy with the narration and it was too slow, so changed to print.
Final 3.5 star book
This is a book I actually liked more than the ratings show. I hate to admit it but the cover is what sold me on picking it up. It is the story of Viridiana, an 18 year old girl living in a small town in Baja California with big dreams. It is largely 3 parts coming of age story and 1 part mystery. Viridiana is a precocious teen who lives in a tiny town but speaks 4 languages and wants nothing more than to escape her restrained upbringing. Her mother wants her to marry the local shopkeepers son and have babies--now rather than the exploring and freedom Viridiana craves. When 3 American strangers come to town and Viridiana is hired as a translator and personal assistant she begins to see a possibility of realizing her dreams and an escape from her small town. But all is not as it seems.
Slowly we and Viridiana realize how we have been duped.
I did find the story quite intriguing but Viridiana seemed wise beyond her years especially for a young girl in a sheltered existence. Moreno-Garcia's writing style is at times a little choppy. Sentences are short and tell rather than show. This was most glaring at first but as I read I grew use to the it and felt it fit the story telling by a young girl. There were some really clever portions of the book that I loved. The references to the old films was especially well done and woven into the the plot. The use of the tape recorder another element that the author used well.
In all I like it for its cultural/Mexican elements and how a single incident in a life can totally change a person. I am anxious to read the author's Mexican Gothic which has gotten more press to see how the author developed between that book and this
character development-4 stars
writing style-3 stars
believability-2 stars
started on audio but unhappy with the narration and it was too slow, so changed to print.
Final 3.5 star book
This is a book I actually liked more than the ratings show. I hate to admit it but the cover is what sold me on picking it up. It is the story of Viridiana, an 18 year old girl living in a small town in Baja California with big dreams. It is largely 3 parts coming of age story and 1 part mystery. Viridiana is a precocious teen who lives in a tiny town but speaks 4 languages and wants nothing more than to escape her restrained upbringing. Her mother wants her to marry the local shopkeepers son and have babies--now rather than the exploring and freedom Viridiana craves. When 3 American strangers come to town and Viridiana is hired as a translator and personal assistant she begins to see a possibility of realizing her dreams and an escape from her small town. But all is not as it seems.
Slowly we and Viridiana realize how we have been duped.
I did find the story quite intriguing but Viridiana seemed wise beyond her years especially for a young girl in a sheltered existence. Moreno-Garcia's writing style is at times a little choppy. Sentences are short and tell rather than show. This was most glaring at first but as I read I grew use to the it and felt it fit the story telling by a young girl. There were some really clever portions of the book that I loved. The references to the old films was especially well done and woven into the the plot. The use of the tape recorder another element that the author used well.
In all I like it for its cultural/Mexican elements and how a single incident in a life can totally change a person. I am anxious to read the author's Mexican Gothic which has gotten more press to see how the author developed between that book and this
February 16, 2023
4.5 stars
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my auto-buy author, whatever she writes I’ll read. And once again I was not disappointed. After loving Velvet Was the Night, I was excited to read another crime novel by Moreno-Garcia.
I adore the way she writes, the atmosphere she creates. Even though I knew the story took place at the end of the 70s, with all the allusions to old Hollywood I started picturing a noir film, black and white, 40s/50s fashion, and then I was transported back to the actual story. And I loved that duality because it’s a little how Viridiana saw things as well, imagining herself in one of her favourite movies.
And I loved how this book tied together coming of age and crime story. It’s both a character driven book, with Viridiana getting to know herself and what she wants, and a proper murder and suspense book. Moreno-Garcia ties both genre so beautifully and skilfully.
And that ending was so satisfying! It was exactly what I was hoping for which made it all the more satisfying.
Thank you to Quercus books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my auto-buy author, whatever she writes I’ll read. And once again I was not disappointed. After loving Velvet Was the Night, I was excited to read another crime novel by Moreno-Garcia.
I adore the way she writes, the atmosphere she creates. Even though I knew the story took place at the end of the 70s, with all the allusions to old Hollywood I started picturing a noir film, black and white, 40s/50s fashion, and then I was transported back to the actual story. And I loved that duality because it’s a little how Viridiana saw things as well, imagining herself in one of her favourite movies.
And I loved how this book tied together coming of age and crime story. It’s both a character driven book, with Viridiana getting to know herself and what she wants, and a proper murder and suspense book. Moreno-Garcia ties both genre so beautifully and skilfully.
And that ending was so satisfying! It was exactly what I was hoping for which made it all the more satisfying.
Thank you to Quercus books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2022
4 stars
I don’t generally read crime novels, but the description of Untamed Shore as a “novel of suspense with an eerie seaside setting and a literary edge” intrigued me. I was even more interested in it because of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s authorship, since I adored last year’s Gods of Jade and Shadow. Untamed Shore represents the author’s entry into a different genre so I had some trepidation, but my love for her voice won the day and I requested the ARC.
The year is 1979. Viridiana is an eighteen-year-old girl living in Desengano, a shark-fishing village in Baja California, Mexico. She is bored and restless. Her father lives in Mexico City, a place that seems glamorous to Viridiana, but he and her mother divorced when Viridiana was very young and he has pretty much moved on with a new family.
So Viridiana is stuck in the small village where everything is familiar, boring and confining. Her mother and a friend of her mother’s both expect Viridiana to marry Manuel, her sometime-boyfriend and the friend’s son. Viridiana has recently broken up with him, though—he did not attract her that much and she wants to escape from her humdrum life, not to be trapped there bearing child after child like her mother.
Viridiana takes after her translator father and has taught herself four languages with the help of books that belong to Reynier, an old Dutch ex-pat. Her language skills allow Viridiana to work as a tour guide during the tourist season.
This year, though, Reynier offers her another opportunity. Three Americans are coming to visit and have reserved a villa. If Viridiana will stay with them (she’ll be given her own room) and assist Ambrose, one of them, with clerical duties as well as translation, she’ll be paid handsomely. Despite her mother’s misgivings, Viridiana accepts the position. Not just for the money, but also in the hopes of alleviating her boredom.
The three ex-pats are Ambrose, wealthy and middle aged, Daisy, his charismatic wife, and Gregory, Daisy’s good-looking younger brother. Viridiana develops a crush on Gregory fast, and he does not seem immune to her either. He comes to her room one evening and things get hot and heavy, although Viridiana refuses to go all the way. She does not want to end up pregnant, like her mother, or to buy condoms at the drugstore since the village is small and everyone knows everyone else’s business.
Viridiana is less keen on Ambrose than on the other two. Unlike Daisy and Gregory, he has made no attempt to befriend her and Viridiana witnesses him lashing out at Daisy on one occasion. He also does not have the movie-star allure that the others possess. And when Ambrose warns Viridiana that Gregory and Daisy are parasites, she remains unconvinced. Daisy is alternately friendly and cold, but by this point, Gregory has promised to take Viridiana to Paris.
One day, Daisy, Gregory and Ambrose plan an excursion to the beach and Gregory suggests that Viridiana accompany them. Prior to this, Gregory and Viridiana have been to another beach by themselves. She is perturbed, therefore, that the beach they have in mind for this outing is the one she cautioned Gregory against because it has a dangerous undertow. The party ends up returning home without getting into the water but Daisy is miffed with Viridiana for her warnings.
That night, Viridiana wakes up to the sound of an argument. A scream jolts her and when she ventures to investigate, she finds Ambrose at the bottom of the stairs, badly injured or possibly dead, with Gregory kneeling and checking his pulse and Daisy staring at her and saying that Ambrose fell.
Viridiana goes to fetch the doctor, who pronounces Ambrose dead. She notices that there’s a scratch on Ambrose’s face and that Daisy has broken one of her nails. Daisy and Gregory say that Ambrose fell because he was drunk, but Viridiana has never known him to drink.
Will Viridiana remain under Gregory and Daisy’s spell? Can she betray Gregory’s trust by going to the authorities, such as they are in this tiny village? Can she trust him in turn?
Despite the absence of dark, rain-slicked streets or a cynical, jaded detective, Untamed Shore evokes the noir genre. It is clear to the reader that things aren’t what they seem, but Viridiana deceives herself and that places her in danger.
There’s something cinematic that I love about Moreno-Garcia’s writing. It is easy to visualize the beach with its shark skeletons, the small village, and the desert that borders it. The period details are authentically 1979, and I loved the way certain motifs recur, like the bezoar stone that Viridiana imagines lodged in her chest, or the quotes from classic cinema matinee idols that she has memorized and occasionally voices.
This is a partial review. The complete review can be found here:
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o...
I don’t generally read crime novels, but the description of Untamed Shore as a “novel of suspense with an eerie seaside setting and a literary edge” intrigued me. I was even more interested in it because of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s authorship, since I adored last year’s Gods of Jade and Shadow. Untamed Shore represents the author’s entry into a different genre so I had some trepidation, but my love for her voice won the day and I requested the ARC.
The year is 1979. Viridiana is an eighteen-year-old girl living in Desengano, a shark-fishing village in Baja California, Mexico. She is bored and restless. Her father lives in Mexico City, a place that seems glamorous to Viridiana, but he and her mother divorced when Viridiana was very young and he has pretty much moved on with a new family.
So Viridiana is stuck in the small village where everything is familiar, boring and confining. Her mother and a friend of her mother’s both expect Viridiana to marry Manuel, her sometime-boyfriend and the friend’s son. Viridiana has recently broken up with him, though—he did not attract her that much and she wants to escape from her humdrum life, not to be trapped there bearing child after child like her mother.
Viridiana takes after her translator father and has taught herself four languages with the help of books that belong to Reynier, an old Dutch ex-pat. Her language skills allow Viridiana to work as a tour guide during the tourist season.
This year, though, Reynier offers her another opportunity. Three Americans are coming to visit and have reserved a villa. If Viridiana will stay with them (she’ll be given her own room) and assist Ambrose, one of them, with clerical duties as well as translation, she’ll be paid handsomely. Despite her mother’s misgivings, Viridiana accepts the position. Not just for the money, but also in the hopes of alleviating her boredom.
The three ex-pats are Ambrose, wealthy and middle aged, Daisy, his charismatic wife, and Gregory, Daisy’s good-looking younger brother. Viridiana develops a crush on Gregory fast, and he does not seem immune to her either. He comes to her room one evening and things get hot and heavy, although Viridiana refuses to go all the way. She does not want to end up pregnant, like her mother, or to buy condoms at the drugstore since the village is small and everyone knows everyone else’s business.
Viridiana is less keen on Ambrose than on the other two. Unlike Daisy and Gregory, he has made no attempt to befriend her and Viridiana witnesses him lashing out at Daisy on one occasion. He also does not have the movie-star allure that the others possess. And when Ambrose warns Viridiana that Gregory and Daisy are parasites, she remains unconvinced. Daisy is alternately friendly and cold, but by this point, Gregory has promised to take Viridiana to Paris.
One day, Daisy, Gregory and Ambrose plan an excursion to the beach and Gregory suggests that Viridiana accompany them. Prior to this, Gregory and Viridiana have been to another beach by themselves. She is perturbed, therefore, that the beach they have in mind for this outing is the one she cautioned Gregory against because it has a dangerous undertow. The party ends up returning home without getting into the water but Daisy is miffed with Viridiana for her warnings.
That night, Viridiana wakes up to the sound of an argument. A scream jolts her and when she ventures to investigate, she finds Ambrose at the bottom of the stairs, badly injured or possibly dead, with Gregory kneeling and checking his pulse and Daisy staring at her and saying that Ambrose fell.
Viridiana goes to fetch the doctor, who pronounces Ambrose dead. She notices that there’s a scratch on Ambrose’s face and that Daisy has broken one of her nails. Daisy and Gregory say that Ambrose fell because he was drunk, but Viridiana has never known him to drink.
Will Viridiana remain under Gregory and Daisy’s spell? Can she betray Gregory’s trust by going to the authorities, such as they are in this tiny village? Can she trust him in turn?
Despite the absence of dark, rain-slicked streets or a cynical, jaded detective, Untamed Shore evokes the noir genre. It is clear to the reader that things aren’t what they seem, but Viridiana deceives herself and that places her in danger.
There’s something cinematic that I love about Moreno-Garcia’s writing. It is easy to visualize the beach with its shark skeletons, the small village, and the desert that borders it. The period details are authentically 1979, and I loved the way certain motifs recur, like the bezoar stone that Viridiana imagines lodged in her chest, or the quotes from classic cinema matinee idols that she has memorized and occasionally voices.
This is a partial review. The complete review can be found here:
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o...
April 13, 2021
(originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
It is probably becoming clear to all of you that this blog is very much a Silvia Moreno-Garcia Stan page. Given that she has been dipping her toes into all kinds of genres, there are things for both Serena and myself to love. This time I’m taking on a good old fashioned crime thriller novel called “Untamed Shore”, which promises suspense, secrets, death, and sharks. All while also being a coming of age story in 1970s Baja, Mexico. I mean my goodness, everything about this just screams ‘YOU SHOULD BE READING THIS KATE, AND HOW DARE YOU MISS IT THE FIRST TIME AROUND?!’
Something that has become very clear about Moreno-Garcia is that she can genre hop with ease, and that her stories will always be incredibly strong no matter what kind of themes that they take on. This is something that I have seen not very often with authors I like, as they either stick to one thing, or if they do branch out it doesn’t work as well. But for Moreno-Garcia, she makes it look easy. “Untamed Shore” is both a crime novel and a bildungsroman about Viridiana, an eighteen year old living in small town Baja who dreams of more for herself. She’s smart, she’s feisty, she’s misunderstood due to her ambition and her background, and she’s also naive, due to her youth and her lack of worldliness. All of these things make for an easy to root for character, and she’s well rounded and tenacious and everything I like to see in a female protagonist at that. You completely understand why she would be drawn to Ambrose, Daisy, and Gregory, three American tourists with money, privilege, and a somewhat dark dynamic that Viridiana sees when she becomes a live in assistant. Ambrose is cold, Daisy is magnetic and unpredictable, and Gregory is charming and seductive, and I love how we get a sense for all of them through Viridiana’s eyes, but also through the behaviors that she sees but may not quite catch. It’s Gregory’s wooing of Viridiana that feels the most dangerous, as her pie in the sky romantic nature and hopes for better things makes their romance feel sinister, even as she is led to believe that it’s real. So our suspense is ratcheted up because Viridiana may be in serious danger the closer she gets to them, and yet as the story goes on Viridiana takes a very interesting journey in which she adapts, grows, and makes moves of her own. Bottom line, I loved Viridiana, and her growth was fascinating to watch. Especially when she has to start figuring out if she has alliances to her supposed friends/the man she loves, or to those who may want to take her supposed friends down.
Moreno-Garcia has also set her story in a place that, once again, feels unique to me and my reading tastes. When I think of crime novels, I tend to think of New York, Los Angeles, maybe somewhere in Europe or MAYBE Asia. I am always trying to expand my horizons, however, so the setting of 1970s Mexico was very enjoyable. I felt like I knew the ins and outs of Desegaño, the small fishing town that is becoming more and more suffocating to Viridiana as days go by, and that doesn’t see TOO many tourists (which means the three she falls in with are all the more compelling). The setting is compelling, and it also is the perfect way to explore the way that American tourists take places like this for granted, thinking that they can waltz in, throw their weight around, and use the locals in whatever way they feel like. Ambrose, Daisy, and Gregory have their own preconceived notions about Viridiana, because of her youth and her ethnicity/nationality, and it all feels like a very ugly but apt metaphor that I greatly enjoyed.
And oh, the suspense! It’s pretty clear to the reader what happened when one of the Americans ends up dead, so the story there on out is wondering if Viridiana is going to realize what exactly she has been pulled into, or if she is going to be so desperate to leave Desegaño and so desperate to believe that she and Gregory are in love that she will believe anything that the two left alive will tell her. Her desperation is palpable and understandable, and I was barreling through to the end not necessarily wanting to know if all the garbage the Americans did would come to light, but if Viridiana would come out okay.
Overall, I loved “Untamed Shore”. I ran the gamut of emotions and am now even more excited to continue on my Silvia Moreno-Garcia journey.
It is probably becoming clear to all of you that this blog is very much a Silvia Moreno-Garcia Stan page. Given that she has been dipping her toes into all kinds of genres, there are things for both Serena and myself to love. This time I’m taking on a good old fashioned crime thriller novel called “Untamed Shore”, which promises suspense, secrets, death, and sharks. All while also being a coming of age story in 1970s Baja, Mexico. I mean my goodness, everything about this just screams ‘YOU SHOULD BE READING THIS KATE, AND HOW DARE YOU MISS IT THE FIRST TIME AROUND?!’
Something that has become very clear about Moreno-Garcia is that she can genre hop with ease, and that her stories will always be incredibly strong no matter what kind of themes that they take on. This is something that I have seen not very often with authors I like, as they either stick to one thing, or if they do branch out it doesn’t work as well. But for Moreno-Garcia, she makes it look easy. “Untamed Shore” is both a crime novel and a bildungsroman about Viridiana, an eighteen year old living in small town Baja who dreams of more for herself. She’s smart, she’s feisty, she’s misunderstood due to her ambition and her background, and she’s also naive, due to her youth and her lack of worldliness. All of these things make for an easy to root for character, and she’s well rounded and tenacious and everything I like to see in a female protagonist at that. You completely understand why she would be drawn to Ambrose, Daisy, and Gregory, three American tourists with money, privilege, and a somewhat dark dynamic that Viridiana sees when she becomes a live in assistant. Ambrose is cold, Daisy is magnetic and unpredictable, and Gregory is charming and seductive, and I love how we get a sense for all of them through Viridiana’s eyes, but also through the behaviors that she sees but may not quite catch. It’s Gregory’s wooing of Viridiana that feels the most dangerous, as her pie in the sky romantic nature and hopes for better things makes their romance feel sinister, even as she is led to believe that it’s real. So our suspense is ratcheted up because Viridiana may be in serious danger the closer she gets to them, and yet as the story goes on Viridiana takes a very interesting journey in which she adapts, grows, and makes moves of her own. Bottom line, I loved Viridiana, and her growth was fascinating to watch. Especially when she has to start figuring out if she has alliances to her supposed friends/the man she loves, or to those who may want to take her supposed friends down.
Moreno-Garcia has also set her story in a place that, once again, feels unique to me and my reading tastes. When I think of crime novels, I tend to think of New York, Los Angeles, maybe somewhere in Europe or MAYBE Asia. I am always trying to expand my horizons, however, so the setting of 1970s Mexico was very enjoyable. I felt like I knew the ins and outs of Desegaño, the small fishing town that is becoming more and more suffocating to Viridiana as days go by, and that doesn’t see TOO many tourists (which means the three she falls in with are all the more compelling). The setting is compelling, and it also is the perfect way to explore the way that American tourists take places like this for granted, thinking that they can waltz in, throw their weight around, and use the locals in whatever way they feel like. Ambrose, Daisy, and Gregory have their own preconceived notions about Viridiana, because of her youth and her ethnicity/nationality, and it all feels like a very ugly but apt metaphor that I greatly enjoyed.
And oh, the suspense! It’s pretty clear to the reader what happened when one of the Americans ends up dead, so the story there on out is wondering if Viridiana is going to realize what exactly she has been pulled into, or if she is going to be so desperate to leave Desegaño and so desperate to believe that she and Gregory are in love that she will believe anything that the two left alive will tell her. Her desperation is palpable and understandable, and I was barreling through to the end not necessarily wanting to know if all the garbage the Americans did would come to light, but if Viridiana would come out okay.
Overall, I loved “Untamed Shore”. I ran the gamut of emotions and am now even more excited to continue on my Silvia Moreno-Garcia journey.
October 28, 2023
If you'd like to read about an eery small Mexican town fiction with a little bit of mystery, then go for it but not so much of a suspenseful thriller.
Still, a nicely written book!
Still, a nicely written book!
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