Narrator for audiobook was good. It wasn't a page turner, but I enjoyed the story. A solid 3.5-4 stars.

Mexico City, 1988. Long before iTunes or MP3s, you said "I love you" with a mixtape. Meche, awkward and fifteen, discovers how to cast spells using music, and with her friends Sebastian and Daniela will piece together their broken families, and even find love.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia showed her versatility again with this book. And this was again another unique story with her signature all over it!

This was an unexpected mash-up of coming-of-age YA story and witchcraft, with music as the medium. I don’t think I’ve ever found any other book with a plot like this. The end result was this amazing tale of friendship, which was heartbreaking, heartwarming and creepy at the same time.

The audiobook narration was amazingly done, with perfect delivery for the story. The Jim Tierney cover illustration was of course a work of art, and actually what was attracted me to the book in the first place.

*Signal to Noise* by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a captivating blend of magical realism and coming-of-age storytelling, set against the backdrop of 198s Mexico City. The novel follows the life of Meche, a young woman who discovers that music holds a powerful magic that can influence reality and shape her destiny.

Moreno-Garcia's writing is lyrical and evocative, immersing readers in the vibrant atmosphere of the city and the rich cultural references of the era. The author's ability to intertwine music with the narrative adds a unique layer to the story, allowing readers to experience the emotional resonance of each melody and its impact on the characters' lives.

The characters are intricately developed, each grappling with their own desires, regrets, and aspirations. Meche's journey of self-discovery is both relatable and poignant, as she navigates the complexities of friendship, love, and the burden of expectations. The dual timelines—Meche's teenage years and her present-day life—create a compelling contrast that highlights her growth and the consequences of past choices.

The themes of loss, redemption, and the power of connection are woven throughout the narrative, making it a deeply reflective read. Moreno-Garcia explores the idea of how music can serve as a form of communication and healing, resonating with anyone who has experienced the profound impact of art in their own lives.

Overall, *Signal to Noise* is a beautifully crafted novel that captures the essence of youth and the bittersweet nature of memory. It’s perfect for readers who appreciate richly layered stories filled with emotion, magic, and the universal language of music. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has created a mesmerizing tale that lingers long after the final note fades, making it a must-read for fans of contemporary literature with a touch of the fantastical.

I had no idea this was Silvia’s first novel and this is a new edition with a fantastic new cover.
There’s so much things I liked about this story; the music and the 80’s music references, the magical elements, diverse characters, the setting, and of course the writing style. A unique and fantastic story.

Thank you NetGalley and Spotify Books for this complimentary audiobook.

“Love dies in different ways. For most, it is a slow, agonizing death. Meche, however, cut her love the same way the executioner might chop a head: with a single, accurate swing.”

Audiobook - Narrated by Kyla Garcia
Kyla Garcia has done a wonderful job narrating this beautiful hypnotic novel by Silvia Moreno Garcia.

I have read almost all books by Silvia Moreno Garcia. I love her writing style. Although I haven't loved all her books, yet they have left a distinct mark on my mind for being well written and having an unique storyline. Another thing that I like about Silvia's writing is she subtly introduces magic in between her world and it never takes over the theme of the book. It is kept at bare minimum level which makes her books easily palatable too because they feel very real.

Signal to noise is Silvia's debut novel republished and given an audiobook format by Spotify audiobooks, I came to know after I finished it. While reading, I had this feeling that this did not feel like a polished work or her recent work and so on point my intuition was because it turned out to be her debut novel.

This storyline jumps between two timelines, one in 1988 Mexico City where Meche was a headstrong teenager and living with her parents her grandma and her two best friends, Sebastian and Daniella. Another is set in 2009 where Meche has come back to Mexico City for her father's funeral.

I loved the bond between the three friends even though it wasn't best of friendships depicted in books it still made me feel for each one of them. To be honest, Meche is a terrible person and even more terrible friend to her friends, yet a part of me cared for her and wanted good things for her in the end.

The coming of age story had me hooked from the very start and the subtle inclusion of magic in between gave it a nostalgic and lyrical tone.

Overall I quite enjoyed it.

Audiobook rating : 5 stars
Book rating : 4 stars
Overall rating : 4.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Spotify audiobooks for the wonderful Audiobook ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I've read and liked several books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia before so I'm glad I finally went back and read her debut novel. This story follows a teenage girl as she struggles to handle family drama, friendships, and relationships all while learning she can perform magic. This was surprisingly emotional and tugged at my heartstrings. The romance felt so real! I'm not normally a fan of friends to lovers but the natural chemistry and slow burn here were beautiful. The audiobook narration was amazing. Kyla Garcia did a wonderful job at bringing the emotions and characters to life.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Yet another incredible novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! I am her self-proclaimed Biggest Fan, and though I don't love all of her novels equally, I'm pleased to say this is another of her great ones. It reads with all the familiarity of her other stories--deeply flawed and nuanced characters dancing around each other not knowing whether they want to hurt each other, hurt themselves, or if they're in love. I find them relatable and unique amongst all the other fiction I read.

Signal to Noise explores this idea that music can be magic. I found this premise and action much, much more believable and polished than Silver Nitrate (movies can be magic).

The story is complex, dark, and emotional--all wrapped in a great setting. The audio narration by Kyla Garcia is great. Her voice is beautiful and clear.

Audio from NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks. All opinions are my own.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I love the atmosphere and setting of this book. I love how vivid Mexico back then feels. I love the relationships within the characters, very rich.

I did not realize until after finishing this novel that it was her debut since it was a reissue, and this reframes things a lot for me. I'm a big fan of Mexican Gothic and have read several others from Moreno-Garcia and greatly enjoyed, so I was confused why this one fell so much flatter for me. The plot jumped around a bit too much and could have used more focus in what kind of story it was telling, and it makes a lot more sense now knowing it was an earlier novel from this author. I love the premise and I think it started off really strong with the friendships between the 3 main characters. Honestly, Meche was my least favorite character, and grew more unlikeable as the book went on imo. As much as I can enjoy an unlikeable stubborn female MC, it just got to the point where it didn't seem to be serving a purpose anymore and I wanted to yell, "Get over yourself! at her. I think the music as witchcraft theme could be revisited and turned into a really fun more focused short story.

Worth a read, but wish it had been a but shorter and more focused.

Thank you to Net Galley for the audio ARC in exchange for honest review.

Signal to noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Magical realism at its finest!

This is Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s debut book that launched her phenomenal writing career and honestly, had I not known it was her debut, I would never have guessed from the caliber of the writing. It was brilliant.

Meche lives in Mexico City, she has 2 best friends and an ability to cast magical spells. Soon Meche is drunk on its power but can she pull herself back before she doesn’t something she can’t undo?

It’s set in the past when Meche is growing up and when she leaves Mexico City to when her dad passed away and she has to return as an adult. I enjoyed the split timeline equally which rarely happens to me. Meche gets drunk on the power she wields and she goes to a very dark place.

I found the characters charming and well written and the story was fabulous. Casting spells from music? Love it!

4 stars

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was so very good. This is the second book I’ve read by Silvia the first was Mexican Gothic which I loved!! If you like magic, family, love, friendships, and music then you will love this book!!

This story will transport you to Mexico in the 80s and 2009, it will take you on a ride with Mercedes “Meche” as she finds love, her friendships with Sebastian and Daniela, as she deals with conflicts, goes through breakups, and discovers her magic through music. I thought this story was witty, creative, magical, nostalgic, and enjoyed the modern take on Mexican folklore. I enjoyed that we got a taste of Mexican culture, got to experience the power of music, and I loved how Silvia incorporated vinyl records into the story, I don’t see that very often. This story also touched on sensitive subjects i.e., illnesses, dysfunctional broken families, bullies, and how it affects kids growing up. I thought this story was so unique and thoroughly enjoyed it. I cannot recommend this book enough. I thought Kyla Garcia did an amazing job narrating the story. Thank you to Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia knows how to do magic realism and I eat it up every time. I loved the aspect of music leading to magic. I'm also a big fan of how she used 2 different timelines to show the characters as children and as adults and how their childhood shaped their future!

Signal to Noise is a historical fantasy novel about a teenage girl called Meche living in Mexico City in the 1980s who grew up hearing stories about witches from her grandmother. One day Meche discovers with her friends Daniela and Sebastian how to cast spells with music from the records that she has collected since she was a child. However, the power they have can quickly overwhelm them, and the three begin to disagree on how to use and why to use magic.

The concept for this novel immediately jumped out at me as unique and interesting, and I was happy to find that it’s supported with some really solid worldbuilding as well. We didn’t get a lot of Mexico City specifically, but we did get a lot of 1980s culture, and the time frame supports and incredibly well thought-out fantasy world as a baseline for the action. Meche has a slow but consistent discovery of magic, and as the characters experimented with what they could and could not do, the reader was able to learn more about how the magic works and some of the basics for why. Some of the technicalities of the magic are still left unexplained, which makes sense for a group of teenagers that don’t quite get why they can do magic, but enough is fleshed out to reveal an internal consistent logic.

The plot in this novel jumps back and forth in time from Meche in high school, when the majority of the action happens, to Meche as an adult after her father’s death, when she has returned to Mexico City for his funeral. There are a great many years between these two threads, and I really respect the way the author showed the passage of time upon Meche and Sebastian as adults, the ways their core personalities stayed the same but how they both matured and grew over the years. This is partially due to the characters’ complexity from the very start: Meche, Sebastian, and Gabriela all behave exactly like one would expect out of teenagers: passionate about their interests and their dislikes, convinced that their perspectives are the right ones, and deeply wounded by the conflict around them. This gives them room to grow and change, and the author followed through with that growth into their adulthood.

In all, I’ll give Signal to Noise a 9 out of 10. Between it’s incredible worldbuilding, dynamic and relatable characters, and compelling plot, I think most readers willing to try an urban fantasy will enjoy it.

Fans of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow -- don't sleep on this book! Sylvia Moreno-Garcia never misses. This was a magical, heartwarming book that immediately nestled its way into my favorites.

Spooky thoughtful with Moreno-Garcia flawless ability to write complex female characters in rich settings

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book!
◇ Synopsis
In 1988 Mexico City, 15-year-old Meche discovers she can cast spells with music, using mixtapes to mend her broken family and find love. Twenty years later, she returns for her estranged father's funeral, confronting buried memories and wondering if any of that childhood magic still exists.
◇ Thoughts
In Signal to Noise, music is literally magic for Meche and her friends in 1980s Mexico City. The teens use vinyl records to cast spells, hoping to improve their bleak social situations with mixed results. The narrative seamlessly shifts between the teens' magical adventures and adult Meche's return to Mexico City for her father's funeral, revealing how past and present intertwine. While the teens' story escalates toward disaster, adult Meche's journey is more about personal transformation, exploring the loss of youthful belief in magic. Despite her flaws and tendency to take advantage of her friends, Meche’s relationship with her grandmother adds depth. The author has even provided a playlist to enhance the experience, though I haven’t listened to it yet. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and recommend it if you're seeking a touch of magic in your life.
◇ Publisher
Solaris

A dark coming of age tale featuring music and magic set in Mexico City in the 80s and 2000s. A group of misfits stumbles across a power they barely understand and are ill equipped to handle that may grant them their greatest desires, but at a steep price. I expected a slightly darker feel, but thought the story was well done. I think you’ll love the twisted relationships, the musical allusions, and the powerful lessons. This release features a gorgeous new cover and a new audio treatment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

For the most part I really enjoyed this book. I thought the story was interesting and I loved the idea of magic tied to music. I also liked the back and forth between the past (them in school) and the present. Unfortunately sometimes this did make the story feel a little disjointed or hard to follow. Also for some reason the characters fell really flat for me. They didn’t have much in the way of personalities, and what they did have felt almost forced and cliche. Overall though it was a really fun read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook.
I am typically a big fan of Moreno-Garcia, but this one didn’t hit the right way for me. I suspect it was because the female protagonist was just so unlikable, and honestly I don’t feel like she had enough of a redemption arc or character growth to root for her even by the end of the book.