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shnsrnvsn's review
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.25
Filling the giant Perveen Mistry shaped hole in my light-mystery enjoying heart. Can't wait to read the rest of these!
sometimes_iread's review
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such a cute read! As cute as murder and limited options for females in 1930s Singapore can be that is. I finished the book in a day or so and ended up not being able to read anything for a whole week just because this was such a mood. Also, hurray for being on a singlit roll?
The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu is the first in a series of crime mysteries and I am hooked. The book is just the right balance of murder mystery, social commentary, and nostalgia that agrees very well with me indeed. This book follows Su Lin, a mission-school graduate, as she tries to forge her own path, separate from what her family and society expects from her. Along the way, she becomes entangled in a mysterious murder. Her kindness to those around her and her determination to get to the bottom of the mystery were equally delightful to read.
First and foremost, Su Lin truly is one of the privileged. Yes, she may not be the traditional Chinese heroine seen in this period, however, she has a family both rich enough and willing to splurge on her studies. That and the power wielded by her family gives her a sort of invulnerability. With horizons expanded and many watching over her, she is well-positioned to be an amateur sleuth. Still, I couldn’t help but think of all the other women and girls with neither opportunity nor means. It did make some of Su Lin’s struggle for independence ring hollow. Still, each girl’s freedom to choose is one more for the win!
The murder mystery itself was straightforward enough and I liked how Yu challenged us to view events apart from the narrator. Never trust anyone in a mystery! The theme of kindness also runs throughout the story and I appreciated how it was never taken as a weakness. There is always time for kindness to others. If the series continues in this vein, I expect myself to enjoy them all!
Diversity meter:
Strong female characters
Singaporean Chinese characters
Characters with disabilities
fhackland's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
zermeena's review
This book was good, but it didn't hold my attention. Maybe because it was set in a different time and different place. Maybe because it was the author's first effort. Whatever it was this book isn't my cup of tea.
leandrathetbrzero's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
*BOOK RATING CATCH UP #17/54 😳*
When I originally read this book, I marked it as a 4-star read in my bullet journal. However, months later, I continue to be uncomfortable with the overt fatphobia displayed by our young sleuth, SuLin. The mystery plot fascinated me, I enjoyed the musings made while comparing British and Singaporean culture, and the commentary on British colonialism/imperialism was spot on. So, why did this author have to focus on one particular character's weight and habit of eating sweets?
It's beyond frustrating, especially because the woman character targeted had a laundry list of negative attributes. We were not meant to like her. That is clear. Therefore, the addition that she was the only fat character in this mystery, and how everyone teased and bullied her for this so openly, it seemed as those Yu wanted us to dislike her for her fatness as well.
Unfortunately, since then, I have read other depictions of fatphobia, and I cannot stand by it.
When I originally read this book, I marked it as a 4-star read in my bullet journal. However, months later, I continue to be uncomfortable with the overt fatphobia displayed by our young sleuth, SuLin. The mystery plot fascinated me, I enjoyed the musings made while comparing British and Singaporean culture, and the commentary on British colonialism/imperialism was spot on. So, why did this author have to focus on one particular character's weight and habit of eating sweets?
It's beyond frustrating, especially because the woman character targeted had a laundry list of negative attributes. We were not meant to like her. That is clear. Therefore, the addition that she was the only fat character in this mystery, and how everyone teased and bullied her for this so openly, it seemed as those Yu wanted us to dislike her for her fatness as well.
Unfortunately, since then, I have read other depictions of fatphobia, and I cannot stand by it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
danabanana252's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
rebeccajanereads's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Super interesting read from a historical perspective. I also liked the heroine's pluckiness.
mindfullibrarian's review
5.0
A new favorite mystery series has officially entered my life! I love the (light) mystery genre, and Yu certainly takes it to a new level with the Crown Colony series. The Frangipani Tree Mystery is set in 1930s Singapore, with a young Chinese-Singaporean female protagonist. Su Lin's family is trying to marry her off, and to escape a marriage she ends up as the nanny for the Acting Governor of Singapore. Who is, of course, British. The child she is a nanny for is actually a 17-year-old but due to an intellectual disability, Dee Dee is described as functioning much like a child a decade younger. I feel that Yu has written this in a sensitive manner, while still maintaining the vernacular of the time and place and culture.
The mystery is originally one murder, but of course it develops and becomes more complex. From my perspective, the mystery is actually just a device for Yu to write about colonial Singapore, race, class and gender, and I'm HERE for it. As she states in a great article in the South China Morning Post, "I am not making fun of the issues. I take them seriously. But you don’t have to be ugly to make a serious point. It’s not sugar-coating, it’s lubricating the idea so you can slide it in and say what you want". This article, which labels Yu as a "gay feminist writer" is a wonderful companion piece to the readers new to the author's work. Here is the article I reference: Ovidia Yu, gay feminist author from Singapore, takes a cosy-but-candid approach to addressing the Lion City’s ills
This is EXACTLY what I'm looking for in my lighter reads - books that still address societal issues but in a way that blends with an entertaining story. You can have a mystery book that is simply that, a mystery, or you can blend it together with social commentary in such a smart way that readers learn and grow while also feeling enveloped in a comfy read.
After finishing this book, I instantly messaged my bookish friend Madeleine who loves historical British mysteries, but also cares about reading more diversely, and told her that I found her PERFECT book! I do hope she likes it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical mysteries and is looking to learn more about colonial Singapore. Because if you aren't familiar, it's a time and place and circumstance that everyone should know about. I have already ordered book two in the series and can't wait to read it! I have also ordered book 1 in her Auntie Lee series.
The mystery is originally one murder, but of course it develops and becomes more complex. From my perspective, the mystery is actually just a device for Yu to write about colonial Singapore, race, class and gender, and I'm HERE for it. As she states in a great article in the South China Morning Post, "I am not making fun of the issues. I take them seriously. But you don’t have to be ugly to make a serious point. It’s not sugar-coating, it’s lubricating the idea so you can slide it in and say what you want". This article, which labels Yu as a "gay feminist writer" is a wonderful companion piece to the readers new to the author's work. Here is the article I reference: Ovidia Yu, gay feminist author from Singapore, takes a cosy-but-candid approach to addressing the Lion City’s ills
This is EXACTLY what I'm looking for in my lighter reads - books that still address societal issues but in a way that blends with an entertaining story. You can have a mystery book that is simply that, a mystery, or you can blend it together with social commentary in such a smart way that readers learn and grow while also feeling enveloped in a comfy read.
After finishing this book, I instantly messaged my bookish friend Madeleine who loves historical British mysteries, but also cares about reading more diversely, and told her that I found her PERFECT book! I do hope she likes it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical mysteries and is looking to learn more about colonial Singapore. Because if you aren't familiar, it's a time and place and circumstance that everyone should know about. I have already ordered book two in the series and can't wait to read it! I have also ordered book 1 in her Auntie Lee series.