Genre: magical realism, historical fiction
Mexico City, 1988 & 2009

2009 - Meche is back in Mexico City for her father’s funeral, even though she hadn’t spoken to him in twenty years. Her mother and stepfather can’t go through his things, so Meche needs to sort his records herself, which digs up more memories of the past than she’s comfortable remembering.
1988 - Meche and her best friends Sebastián and Daniela discover the roots of power in music; real magic that can cast revenge spells and grant wishes. As Meche grasps for more, though, she drives away the friendships that were dearest to her.

I originally read this book five years ago, and I was nervous to pick it up again, because I remembered loving it so much. I shouldn’t have been nervous because Kyla Garcia’s narration still brought me to tears. I was glad to revisit it as an audiobook this time around. It’s not my favorite SMG at this point, but the whole book is tinted with nostalgia in such a beautiful way that I loved to reconnect with it, like meeting an old friend.

As always, with a Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel, it features an intensely unlikeable female main character, absorbed by the selfishness of youth and the allure of power (and in this case, magic). Meche, Sebastián, and Daniela are high schoolers in 1988, and they make the hurtful mistakes that young high schoolers do. And while the 1988 storyline verges on immature at times, because Signal to Noise is an adult novel, it’s palatable to those who don’t pick up YA, because the passion of youth is balanced by the measured view of adulthood twenty years later.

Part of the magic in Signal to Noise is Mexican witches, legends and magic that Meche learns from her grandmother. The other part of the magic is the music itself, and the way Meche connects to her world through vinyl. She has a song for everything. This book is perfect for anyone who is deeply into music. But it’s also a great read for anyone looking for friendship, grief, redemption, and just a touch of magic.

Thank you to Spotify Audiobooks for an ALC for review. Signal to Noise is available in print and ebook, and is out on audiobook on 8/20/24.

You really can’t go wrong with reading books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and this is no exception. The book is structured with a dual timeline describing the relationship between Meche and her best friend Sebastian. From 15 year olds casting spells to meeting again in their 30s after living their lives apart for decades. This was a really enjoyable audiobook that I would definitely recommend. Thank you Spotify Audiobooks for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Signal to Noise might be one of the most unique reads I’ve ever read. Told in dual timelines of Meche’s life, it shows her at 15, awkward and trying to find her place when she discovers how to cast spells using magic with her friends Sebastian and Daniela contrasted with her life two decades later returning home for her father’s funeral only to have to revisit old wounds. A magical realism read focused on music, the writing is captivating and vivid, and I was so invested in these characters. I think the tricky thing is so much of the story takes place in Meche’s teenage years, so at times, it does get a little hard to like her—she’s young and selfish and impulsive, but she is also the epitome of a 15 year old. The teenage years are depicted so perfectly, and the friendships are just so well developed, with all the intricacies of both teenage years and how friendships change into adulthood. It’s an addicting read; I couldn’t wait for what was to come next. It’s a coming of age, magical childhood friends to lovers story. There’s so many delicate dynamics explored, and I just really enjoyed this one.

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
4 🌟
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This audiobook is phenomenal! The narrator Kyla Garcia did a phenomenal job. Her voice is so easy to listen to, and her male voice is amazing! I love how I was able to tell the differences between characters.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬:
•dual timeline (past 1988, present 2009)
•magic
•romance
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Aug.20
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Spotify for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

My second SMG book and I can safely say I love the way she story tells. I had no idea that this was her debut, it feels like something from a seasoned author.

I appreciate this is the second book I have read that I notice the magical realism or her seamless merging of magic and everyday. I also LOVE that it revolves around music.

I also personally believe music has magic and is witchy... I feel it deep and this book felt so perfect as I listened.

I also appreciate the narrator! Love her engaging narration and lovely pronunciation.

I'd like to thank Netgalley for the ALC of the audiobook soon to be released on Spotify. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This book has been out for a while, so I will begin by reviewing the audiobook itself. The quality of the narration is well-done. They narrator had the appropriate tone and inflection to carry this story, and I enjoyed listening to it.

As for the book itself, I felt the pacing was rather slow. It enfolds in a dual timeline, one in the late 80s, a coming of age tale centered around teenage Meche, Sebastion and Daniella; and the other is in 2009, where Meche returns to her hometown upon the death of her father.

I think Moreno-Garcia has a way of creating stories that are spooky and unique. She writes things that feel original, and I always want to be a part of them when I read the blurb. This story was less charming that some of her others however. I found Meche wholly unlikable no matter her age, and I often wished I could piggyback along with a different character.

The writing is solid, the storyline is clever. It was the pacing and Meche that made me enjoy this less.

I have enjoyed other books by her more, but I am glad I was granted this opportunity to catch one that I missed.

A beautiful newly re-released edition of this fav Canadian author's debut novel. I am obsessed with the cover of this edition and really enjoyed getting to experience Silvia's debut on audio for the first time. Highly recommended with great narration by a fav audiobook narrator, Kyla Garcia. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me the Craft vibes and I was here for it. Meche, Daniela, and Sebastian are friends in high school that stumble on magic and begin casting spells to get them what they want. This, of course, leads them to having a falling out. Fast forward twenty years and Meche comes back to her hometown for a funeral and runs into her old friends whom she has unfinished business with.

I loved the magic that was done through music and the jumping back and forth in time. We get both the past and the present side by side, and the unraveling of their friendship felt a lot like the Craft. However, the present day feels like a Hallmark movie which was kind of weird but it also kind of worked?

I loved the characters, though I did feel like Daniela was the cause of a lot of the problems between Sebastian and Meche, whether intentionally or unintentionally. There's a lot of teenage drama and miscommunication that goes on, and the ending felt a little too "feel good" for me. But overall, I enjoyed it. Would totally recommend this audiobook to everyone who wants something a little witchy to kick off their Halloween reads.

Signal to Noise shows the power of music and the complexities of friendship while jumping between the 1980s and the early 2000s in Mexico City... with a little bit of magic thrown in. I appreciate that Meche is a morally grey character that doesn't always make good decisions. The trio of Meche, Sebastian, and Daniela are a good pairing and are a good reflection of the "weird" kids at school they end up forming strong friendships.

The pacing was a little slow, but otherwise this was an enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion.

Kyla Garcia does a good job with the audiobook narration.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the wonderful narrator, I listened to this audiobook in one sitting. This novel follows Meche, whose father’s passing has brought her back to her hometown for the first time in years. Running into some old friends-turned-nemeses, memories of her teenage years in the late ‘80s start to resurface.

This book had The Craft vibes in a story that absolutely stands on its own, in ways I’ve tried to find in other novels for so long but never quite met what I was looking for. I loved the setting, the outsider friend group navigating high school social hierarchies, and how each of the three friends were all dealing with their own issues.
Enter: magic.

Music as a conduit to magic is such a beloved concept to me, and the time period and setting this story was based in was perfect to bring it all to life. Of course, magic will always come with a price, so even when it seems this discovery has brought them some much longed for control over their lives, it’s not exactly what it seems.

“Magic will break your heart.”

Meche doesn’t pull her punches. She’s blunt and fierce and also a little bit oblivious to her affect on others. Her parents' failing marriage is only making her thirst for fixing everything that much stronger. Sebastian is dealing with his own family problems and love life, and sweet Daniela’s illness is more than enough to make them thirst for a bit of power – however reluctant they might be.

Switching between perspectives, we get an insight into Meche’s father’s mindset which provides a devastating contrast been how he feels about his daughter vs how he actually shows up for her as a parent. Everyone in this novel is facing a different hardship, and the way it’s written and how it affects each individual relationship was excellently woven in.

One of the things I loved most about the story was the portrayal of how the people we love, and the people who love us, live on through memory or mindset. How someone may remember a pivotal moment in their past in a darker light than the person who seen their bravery and kindness in that same moment. How music is a love connection in so many different ways, that can change overtime but also outlast the relationship itself. Overall, this was a memorable and hard-hitting read, but in that lovely way that leaves you with the feeling of bittersweet hope.

Trigger warning: This novel deals with a lot of heavy topics, including divorce, parental abandonment, death of a parent, poverty, alcoholism, physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, bullying, and long-term illness.

In two timelines, 1989 and 2009, Meche and Sebastian fight, make up, break up, hurt each other, love each other, but above all, misunderstand each other. In 1989, they are written as two true 15-year-olds who don't understand mortality or consequences. As 35-year-olds, we see how they're still the same people they were back then, no matter how much they tell themselves they've changed.

This isn't quite a romance or a coming-of-age story. We know /something/ happened in 1989 to make Meche and Sebastian enemies. We see that she's followed their mutual dreams, while he's been stuck in Mexico City. But we also see that their experiences as teenagers have shaped them into the people they are today.

I listened to this one, and I appreciated the narrator's deft touch in differentiating not only between characters, but between 15-year-old Sebastian & Meche and 35-year-old Sebastian and Meche. This was easy to follow, despite the dual timelines. Silvia Moreno-Garcia really knows how to write a book with a story that can be /told,/ not simply read.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the audiobook.

A soundtrack-saturated urban fantasy, set in Mexico City, featuring a trio of friends who stumble upon song-based sorcery and use it to change their lives. The novel bounces between their teen years in 1988 and adulthood in 2009, when one of the friends returns to town for her father’s funeral and they reminisce on their difficult childhoods. A fantastic encapsulation of chaotic, fraught teen years, where nothing means anything, everything matters the most, and music is your only escape. Highly recommend - Moreno Garcia weaves a fantastic story with this one.

Thank you to Spotify Books for the opportunity to listen to Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Signal to Noise, one of her earlier works being rereleased. What a treasure this author is—talented at crafting stories infused with history and culture, making her narratives both vibrant and significant, all while deftly blending elements of magic with themes of technology.

For me, Signal to Noise is also an ode to nostalgia, capturing the growing trend of books set in the 80s and 90s that evoke the feeling of being young during that time—the importance of music, mixtapes, and the intensity of those years. I loved how this book encapsulated those themes, blending them with a present-day setting that navigates past and present grief, the lingering pain of misunderstandings, and how time can both amplify these feelings and offer us a chance to revisit and resolve past relationships.

This author is EXCELLENT at writing characters that are a bit hard to love, like the ones in this book. Our main gal Meche is making morally grey decisions, and taking magic (witchcraft?) into her own hands, even at the peril of loved ones. Dual timeline with half set in the 1980s, the nostalgia of the music (which is what makes the magic) was so real!! I loved this rerelease on audio - great narration that made the story feel more alive.

I am steadily making my way through all of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's backlist. I was able to get a copy of Spotify's new audio release to listen to pre-release. This backlist title reminded me most of the Moreno-Garcia's newer title Silver Nitrate. Both have elements of magic mixed with technology. Both also have something to say about the dangers of messing with that! I really liked Sebastian, but Meche annoyed me about half the time. Overall, I really enjoyed this one, but it's not favorite of Moreno-Garcia's.

This early novel has recently been republished and I was fortunate to listen to the new audiobook. Three outcast teenagers use music to make spells to get what they want in 1988. Fast forward to their uncomfortable reunion in 2009: can Meche come to terms with and let go of the past, or will relationships remain forever broken?

Set in Mexico City, the narrative jumps back and forth between the two timelines (though this is never jarring) as we piece together the story and figure out what happened to break up the friends. There are a few points of view and while they all add details to the narrative, sometimes the writing felt stilted, with more telling than showing (as befitting an author’s early work perhaps). The 1988 teens can do witchy/occult magic (very reminiscent of ‘The Craft’), but the speculative elements only seem a convenient way to move the plot forward. The coming of age sections set in 1988 read more YA, and even the simplistic writing of the 2009 sections show little growth of our unlikeable main character as an adult. Though I didn't feel much connection to any character, I still wanted to know what happened in the end, which turned out to be one of those conveniently happy endings. The audiobook narrator did a fine job and the pacing was appropriate. Overall this was a quick read and interesting enough that fans of the author might wish to read more of her magical realism slant often set in Mexico.

Thank you to Netgalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED Mexican Gothic, so am happy to read anything by SMG. This particular book just wasn’t for me. The main character was very angsty in both her teenage and adult life. I felt growth from the other characters but not the main character.
I did really enjoy how SMG shows how, in our younger years, music and books are magic and the ability they have to transform our lives.

I love nothing more than a Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel and this was no exception! Originally this felt almost like light magical realism but there are some good fantasy/magic foundations here and it is something I've never read before. Paired with Moreno-Garcia's great characters the story just captivated me from the beginning. Any music & fantasy lovers should give this a try! It is a little gritty and very unapologetic

This book perfectly captures what it feels like to grow up and have big feelings for which you don't have words and sometimes music is the only thing that will echo those feelings.
The story takes place in two different times, and I have to applaud Silvia for making the voices of the characters really distinct in those times. It's my opinion that adult authors sometimes belittle or mock teenagers in coming-of-age stories, but she really nailed the mood of those teenage moments.
I'm more than a decade beyond my teens, but this book really took me back to those times when I felt the power of music for giving a soundtrack to my loves, hates, friendships, and every dip and swell of that rollercoaster of growing up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the ARC!

As a bit of technical housekeeping, the audioARC had a couple repeated tracks and random words stuck in at the end, but otherwise was a good recording. Great pick for narrator!