Book Review: “Untamed Shore” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mar 24

Håfa adai! Welcome to my review of Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

This book review consists of two parts: a spoiler-free plot summary and my thoughts on the story. In the second part, I give my personal rating and break down the setting and worldbuilding, storytelling, cast of characters, and themes. There may be some lightweight spoilers—such as how characters interact with each other and the world around them—but I will not give away any major plot twists or endings. I want to share my opinions of the book and maybe encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.

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Spoiler-Free Plot Summary

In 1979, seventeen-year-old Viridiana is the eldest of her siblings. In small town Desengaño of Baja California, Mexico, her mother expects Viridiana to start working to help support her family instead of spending time with potential suitors and making plans for a future in Mexico City. But Viridiana knows she is not interested in making premature plans with any of the boys nearby. From the literal sharks in the water of her coastal town to the local boys, she knows what boundaries to reinforce and where not to go. But Viridiana begins to question what she thought she wanted after taking on a job as the personal assistant of the wealthy American writer Ambrose, his wife Daisy, and brother-in-law Gregory. Something about the way they sweet talk her feels unlike anything she has experienced before. Yet who these visitors say they are does not seem to match what they do and how they behave. And Viridiana’s knowledge of predation becomes tested when she encounters an entirely new kind of predator.

My Thoughts on Untamed Shore: 5 stars!

Set in 1979 in the small town of Desengaño in Baja California, Mexico, Untamed Shore is a story about the various forms of deceit deployed by different kinds of predators. The story is told from a third-person limited perspective following Viridiana. As a character, Viridiana possesses immense social intelligence in some contexts while being initially naïve in other contexts. She knows what she does not want even if she is not entirely sure about what she does want.

From start to finish, Untamed Shore centers the way predators stalk, deceive, and catch their prey. Viridiana knows what to expect and what rules to follow in the context of her own town. She sets and maintains strict boundaries for the boys and other people in Desengaño, protecting both her reputation and her sense of self in the process. The analogy of knowing better after a traumatic experience is succinctly summarized when Viridiana points out the villager missing a leg after a shark attack; from that point on, that villager knew exactly what to never do again when around sharks. And not unlike that villager’s encounter with a shark, Viridiana learns a traumatic lesson after not realizing quickly enough how to engage with the sort of predators who visit Desengaño.

There are so many little things that I appreciate about Untamed Shore. The plot is so expertly paced and intricately character driven. Silvia Moreno-Garcia presents a complex protagonist, Viridiana, who is naïve in some ways without being dumb or lacking in common sense, because naivety and stupidity are absolutely not the same thing. Viridiana’s coming-of-age story throughout the book—of learning to read the patterns of a new kind of predator—is incredibly nuanced. The coastal noir setting was vividly warm while also being immensely spooky. And Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s prose painted a highly detailed picture of Viridiana’s experiences.

My overall rating for Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Untamed Shore is 5 out of 5 stars! Untamed Shore is a slow burn filled with many twists and turns. With some stories, I spend time thinking about or trying to predict what the plot twist could be while I am going through the story. But with Untamed Shore, I was so enthralled with every chapter of the story that each plot twist truly caught me by surprise. I enjoyed the audiobook so much that I finished it in a single day and then replayed the audiobook again the next day. This is now the second book I have read from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and I cannot wait to experience more of her work. I highly recommend Untamed Shore to everyone!

Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'! Thank you so much for reading my review of Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Rating Cheat Sheet

4.75 - 5.00 stars: Everyone should read this book! (If you’re into that sort of thing.)
4.00 - 4.50 stars: I appreciated many aspects of this book. I recommend it!
3.00 - 3.75 stars: I liked some aspects of this book. I won’t revisit it, but someone else might really like it.
2.00 - 2.75 stars: There were some things I appreciated about this book, but I do not recommend it.
0.25 - 1.75 stars: I do not recommend this book. I did not enjoy or appreciate the experience of it.

Post Date: 11 August 2025