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Untamed Shore

Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Goodreads Author)

4.42 · Rating details · 33 ratings · 19 reviews

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, ...more

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Kindle Edition, 339 pages

Expected publication: February 11th 2020 by Agora Books

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Jan 13, 2020 Miranda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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 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 I would think about her tackling the thriller genre. In both cases, the writing is captivating and beautiful. In the end, all I can say is that I truly loved this novel!

*Trigger warnings: 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. ...more

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Jan 05, 2020 c, (½ of readsrainbow) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-lit, aoc-et-al, historical-fiction, let-s-talk-diversity, mystery-and-adventure, non-white-characters, not-yet-published, latinx-characters, review-copies, 5-stars

“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 ...more

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Jan 16, 2020 Adriana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, latinx-authors, ownvoices, favorites

4.5/5 Stars

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. ...more

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Jan 16, 2020 USOM rated it liked it · review of another edition

(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Untamed Shore is a character driven story with a rich atmosphere. Viridiana dreams of romance, of staring in her story instead of merely staying in the same town forever. Desperate to escape the path before her, her introduction to three tourists changes her life forever. They not only offer her glamor and a chance to witness a whole new life, but also secrets, intrigue, and danger. ...more

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Jan 17, 2020 Jessica ☕ Rodrigues rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, arc

Even though I always pre-order Ms. Moreno-Garcia's new releases, I still eagerly grab up the ARCs so I can get to them a little earlier.

***

The setting of this story is a character of its own. The oppressive heat of Baja California, the stench of shark carcass on the beach, the too-modern design of the huge house where much of the action takes place. Yet the story is timeless, classic; the drama that unfolds during these weeks of Viridiana's life could have happened here or there, in 1820, 1920, ...more

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Jan 15, 2020 Jess rated it really liked it

Shelves: anticipated-2020-releases, read-in-2020, crime-thriller, netgalley

Check out this review and more on my blog!

I received an eARC of Untamed Shore from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

By this point I think we all know that I’m Silvia Moreno-Garcia trash, and I’m so pleased to say that her first thriller, and first non-speculative novel, is a novel I really enjoyed.

Set in Mexico in the late 1970s, Untamed Shore follows 18-year-old Viridiana, who longs to leave Baja California for Mexico City, where she can put her fluency in four languages to use in a Check out this review and more on my blog!

I received an eARC of Untamed Shore from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

By this point I think we all know that I’m Silvia Moreno-Garcia trash, and I’m so pleased to say that her first thriller, and first non-speculative novel, is a novel I really enjoyed.

Set in Mexico in the late 1970s, Untamed Shore follows 18-year-old Viridiana, who longs to leave Baja California for Mexico City, where she can put her fluency in four languages to use in a job that doesn’t involve leading ungrateful tourists around her hometown or working in her mother’s shop. When three Americans arrive for the summer and Viridiana is hired as, essentially, a PA, she seizes the opportunity they bring her for excitement from the humdrum of her life, until the summer takes a dark, deceitful turn.

I love the way Moreno-Garcia writes about Mexico, and from the very first page of this novel the atmosphere feels sinister, oppressive, like something’s waiting to happen just around the corner. And when you sign up to read a thriller, you know something is going to happen. The heat seems unrelenting, and you can always count on characters in extreme weather conditions, whether they be hot or cold, to become irritable with one another. Maybe even dangerously so.

This is a thriller that takes its time, Moreno-Garcia never rushes things, and yet I read it in two days. It’s incredibly readable, but you won’t find the kind of thriller here in which a new dead body’s turning up every five minutes and the hunt is on to find the killer. This isn’t a whodunnit, we already know who, but a novel about class, consequences and learning to hold your own.

Viridiana, like all of Moreno-Garcia’s heroines, is such an interesting protagonist to follow. At times she’s a little frustrating – more than once I wanted to give her a shake and say, ‘dammit, woman, open your eyes!’ – but she’s also only 18 and, though very intelligent, isn’t particularly worldly yet, which means it’s so much easier for her to be taken advantage of. Especially by a group of Americans who can go anywhere and do anything because they’re wealthy and white.

By the end of this novel, though, I guarantee you’ll be cheering Viridiana on. There’s very little I want to say about the plot because it’s not a particularly complex one, and it doesn’t need to be, but there are little twists and turns throughout that I don’t want to ruin. Ultimately Untamed Shore reads like a coming-of-age novel in the guise of a thriller, and Viridiana’s growth from the very first page to the very last, whether for good or for bad, is so compelling. She’s ruthless when she needs to be, and I love her for it.

I worried that I might miss the elements of fantasy or sci-fi that I’m used to encountering in Moreno-Garcia’s work, but this novel has proven that I’ll read basically anything she writes – I’d probably read her shopping list, to be honest – and I’d happily read another thriller from her in future. If I wasn’t already excited for Mexican Gothic (spoiler: I was), I certainly am now! ...more

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Dec 18, 2019 Athena rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-arc, 2020-hot-release, fave-authors

The publisher, Polis Books, kindly offered me an advanced reader copy (ARC) of Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia via NetGalley. Yet, this is an honest review of the book expressing my humble opinion.

If this spectacular noir coming-of-age story is her first crime novel, then the standards are sky high already. This is the second novels of her I've read; the first one being Gods of Jade and Shadow, an adult historical fantasy. I loved it in an almost obsessive way, and I needed to read more The publisher, Polis Books, kindly offered me an advanced reader copy (ARC) of Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia via NetGalley. Yet, this is an honest review of the book expressing my humble opinion.

If this spectacular noir coming-of-age story is her first crime novel, then the standards are sky high already. This is the second novels of her I've read; the first one being Gods of Jade and Shadow, an adult historical fantasy. I loved it in an almost obsessive way, and I needed to read more from this author. Untamed Shore did not disappear. It sealed my love and adoration for the author. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has this blunt, straight-forward, alluring writing style that impresses and astounds me. It's so distinct that I'd recognize a novel of hers by miles. In other words, if you're unsure of this non-fantasy book of hers, don't be; you're going to love it.

Before I wrote this review, I did some research on the noir genre, to make sure I had the facts right. It turns out that noir (French for "black") is centered on protagonists that are either victims, suspects, or perpetrators, who are forced to deal with a corrupt legal, political or other system. I feel this is an accurate reflection of Untamed Shore. Viridiana goes through many phases throughout the book, all the while staying true to her goals and wishes. And without giving any spoilers, let's just say that her village, Desengaño, in Baja California isn't the most un-corrupted place in the world. But it's certainly vivid and beautifully described.

Viridiana is full of life, vibrant, exciting, and intriguing. She discovers herself, what she wants, what she's willing to do to get it, how she reacts to heart-breaking and urgent situations. As readers, we see her delightful journey and don't know the person she'll become on the other side of the chaos. We discover her just as she discovers herself, and it's beautiful and undeniable and enthralling. Yes, that's the word. Viridiana is enthralling. You never know what she'll say or how exactly she'll react, but she's captivating and demands your attention.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a masterful story-teller, and Untamed Shore proves it through a web of twists, revelations, and death from the eyes of our enthralling main character, Viridiana. There's nothing in this book I'd change.

Just wait and see. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is going to change the crime landscape and transcend it to another dimension. Untamed Shore is vivid, unique, brilliant, and I'd really like a sequel that follows Viridiana's life.

5 stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Publisher: Polis Books ...more

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Jan 16, 2020 Sage Bailey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I’m a lucky ducky because Silvia Moreno-Garcia is releasing not one but TWO books this year and I have yet to walk away an unsatisfied reader.

And before I get into my review I just want to say that most of the authors I like to read are deceased (Gloria Naylor, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison) and it is so refreshing to be able to follow the career of an upcoming author who refuses to limit herself to one genre. I hoped aboard this hype train with Signal to Noise and I’m glad to be along for the I’m a lucky ducky because Silvia Moreno-Garcia is releasing not one but TWO books this year and I have yet to walk away an unsatisfied reader.

And before I get into my review I just want to say that most of the authors I like to read are deceased (Gloria Naylor, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison) and it is so refreshing to be able to follow the career of an upcoming author who refuses to limit herself to one genre. I hoped aboard this hype train with Signal to Noise and I’m glad to be along for the ride. Garcia has written a fantasy book where teenagers use magic through records, a fairytale-esque book that features a romance between a God of Death and a booksmart young woman and now has written a thriller wherein the bad guys lose, the good girl wins and you never really see where it’s going.

In Untamed Shore we follow Viridiana, an 18 year old with a hunger to escape the world she finds herself in. Her mother wants her married off, she’s expected to be a wife and mother and she just wants more than her current life can offer. She ends up getting a job with rich (white) Americans and from there she is unknowingly seduced into a criminal life.

What works best about this novel is that if you’re familiar with how thrillers work, you think you know how this is gonna go and because of how the novel sets up Viridiana and her desire you think you know what decisions she’ll make. Not wanting to spoil a beautiful twist, where Garcia takes this character and how she’s able to elevate the trope of a poor woman of color looking to rise above her situation is fantastic. When this character makes that big decision and it seems as though the goodwill and sympathy she’s earned might fade, the narrative turns in such a way that makes you realize, she is not them. And while she may have been dragged in to a bad situation she can adapt and make her way out.

I don’t feel completely right about the way in which Viridiana has to present herself in order to ensure that justice is both swift AND fair, but I do understand why she did what she did and I was rooting for this character to get everything she wanted and more.

This will be the newest hardcover added to my library, Untamed Shore gets ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ out of five and I CANNOT WAIT for Mexican Gothic in June. ...more

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Jan 04, 2020 Jen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, netgalley, thriller

Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Viridiana finds the small fishing village in Baja California in which she lives to be stifling, especially when her mother and her loutish ex-boyfriend’s mother are campaigning for her to marry the boy and help run her would-be mother-in-law’s store. Viridiana dreams of college in Mexico City and following in her deadbeat dreamer dad’s footsteps to become a translator. When a wealthy ...more

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Dec 13, 2019 Lisa Carter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Canadian author of five previous titles, all different genres and all critically acclaimed. This is the first book I have read by Moreno-Garcia and am now eager to dive into her back catalogue and will watch for all new releases.

Untamed Shore is the story of a young woman who wants out of her seaside village in Baja California—aptly named Desengaño, or “disillusion.” Viridiana is determined to leave and never return, unlike her mother (who did come back, with Viridiana’ ...more

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Dec 02, 2019 Kendra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

In decided contrast to her fantasy novel Gods of Jade and Shadow, which I criticized for its protagonist's utter lack of agency and personal fortitude, this excellent new non-fantasy novel by Moreno-Garcia is all about a young woman taking control of her circumstances and using them to further her personal goals. Viridiana is eighteen and resisting her mother's push for her to get married and start a family when a wealthy family comes to her small Mexican town and hires her as a translator and ...more

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Dec 02, 2019 Nicolás rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction

Moreno-Garcia has a knack for creating threats and alibies out of social norms. This tactic, seen in her fantasy and horror stories, works to greater effect in Untamed Shore, her first noir novel, which also happens to be a compelling coming-of-age story and a nostalgia trip to the late 1970s. Three suspicious travelers arrive at a sunbaked coastal town. Viridiana, eighteen and fearing a future of boredom, is ready to take any chance to leave the place. She’ll work for them and she might even ...more

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Jan 15, 2020 Natalie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own :)

Wow, this took me on some turns around the bend. Poor Viridiana. I can only imagine how she would feel living the story, whereas I’m only the one reading about it. This was a welcome refreshing read from my typical go to list of books. When I read the synopsis, I thought this book would give me some diversity in my reading. Never did I think I would have enjoyed it as much as I did. The story grabs you nearly from the very beginning ...more

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Nov 29, 2019 Nicole rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

Silvia Moreno-Garcia never writes the same book twice, but her characters very much exist on the same continuum. Here, Viridiana is looking for an escape from her suffocating small town life in Baja California, when mystery and murder find her. She wants many of the same things as Casiopea in GODS OF JADE AND SHADOW and Antonina in THE BEAUTIFUL ONES: to be understood, appreciated and to be given room to grow into her own person. That's catnip to me. As is the slow-burn mystery of UNTAMED SHORE, ...more

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Nov 04, 2019 Katherine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is always a pleasure to read, but her take on a mystery is something truly amazing. Set in Baja California in the 70s, UNTAMED SHORE follows Viridiana, a young woman who yearns for more than the small town she's trapped in. Viridiana is hired as the personal assistant to a rich American and his family one summer, but when one of the Americans is killed, the resulting investigation changes Viridiana forever. I couldn't put this book down, watching Viridiana grapple with her ...more

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Jan 14, 2020 Galen Strickland rated it it was amazing

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC. I've loved everything I've read by Silvia, and that still applies. She's gone from fantasy to horror to science fiction, but now turns to mystery. Lots of standard tropes for the genre, but several surprising twists along the way.

http://www.templetongate.net/untamed-...

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Nov 19, 2019 Andrea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

" I don't believe in ghosts either. But sometimes they're here anyway."

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Jan 12, 2020 ColleenIsBooked rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Thank you to Polis Books and Netgalley for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

Review to come very soon!

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Nov 14, 2019 Elle Rudy is currently reading it

Shelves: 2020, netgalley

*Thanks to Polis Books & Netgalley for an advance copy!

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About Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

1,385 followers

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Gods of Jade and Shadow. 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.