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Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
7 reviews
emilywemily6's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
This book was a fun and quick read, with quirky characters and some humor. I appreciated the wholesome, meaningful moments sprinkled throughout as well as this band of misfits grew individually in their self-esteem and confidence despite the sorry state in which they started at the beginning of the book. However, these characters didn’t really have depth, the mystery was lacking in plot and was predictable (considering there were zero clues) even though the reasoning behind the murder was inconsistent with the characterization throughout the book, and while Vera was funny, I have a hard time not being slightly bothered by silly, willful characters like her who refuse to follow the rules. Also, the two year old acted at least four years old for the majority of the book?? I have a three year old and Emma was adorable yet definitely not only two. Overall, a fun read, though I wouldn’t run to the bookstore to grab another Vera Wong book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, and Racism
kelly_e's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Title: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 14, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Cozy • Quirky • Wholesome
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Put the kettle on, there’s a mystery brewing…
Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?
Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).
But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I had previously read Jesse Q. Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties and absolutely adored it, so I was looking forward to jumping into a different world with many similarities to that book. And I must say I was not disappointed.
The characters are what really make this book different from other cozy mysteries. In a typical cozy, the characters can be surface level, yet here there is depth and we get to know each of their stories. Vera herself is absolutely hilarious and endearing woman. I found myself laughing at her stream of conscious thought and at all of the meddling (especially with her son's love life) she does. Although she first appears like an incredibly strong and confident person (with quirks, of course), there is an underlying loneliness with her. As the story progresses, she connects with a variety of people who quickly become her found family, which just gave off such wholesome vibes.
The food descriptions had be drooling and I always enjoy a novel where food plays an integral role in connection. Food is Vera's love language and I thought it was incredibly well developed into the storyline. The San Francisco setting also felt refreshing and inviting.
Overall, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a feel-good murder mystery with comedic vibes and a unique cast of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't have to think too much, Vera's antics were entertaining and I could really relax with a cozy blanket while reading. It reminded me how much I enjoyed the Aunties series and I look forward to continuing that series sometime soon.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• cozy fans
• readers on vacation
⚠️ CW: violence, murder, death, death of parent, grief, gaslighting, bullying, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, toxic relationship, cursing, misogyny, medical content, abandonment, drug use, panic attacks/disorders, infidelity, body shaming
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often."
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 14, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Cozy • Quirky • Wholesome
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Put the kettle on, there’s a mystery brewing…
Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?
Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).
But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I had previously read Jesse Q. Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties and absolutely adored it, so I was looking forward to jumping into a different world with many similarities to that book. And I must say I was not disappointed.
The characters are what really make this book different from other cozy mysteries. In a typical cozy, the characters can be surface level, yet here there is depth and we get to know each of their stories. Vera herself is absolutely hilarious and endearing woman. I found myself laughing at her stream of conscious thought and at all of the meddling (especially with her son's love life) she does. Although she first appears like an incredibly strong and confident person (with quirks, of course), there is an underlying loneliness with her. As the story progresses, she connects with a variety of people who quickly become her found family, which just gave off such wholesome vibes.
The food descriptions had be drooling and I always enjoy a novel where food plays an integral role in connection. Food is Vera's love language and I thought it was incredibly well developed into the storyline. The San Francisco setting also felt refreshing and inviting.
Overall, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a feel-good murder mystery with comedic vibes and a unique cast of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't have to think too much, Vera's antics were entertaining and I could really relax with a cozy blanket while reading. It reminded me how much I enjoyed the Aunties series and I look forward to continuing that series sometime soon.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• cozy fans
• readers on vacation
⚠️ CW: violence, murder, death, death of parent, grief, gaslighting, bullying, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, toxic relationship, cursing, misogyny, medical content, abandonment, drug use, panic attacks/disorders, infidelity, body shaming
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Murder, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death
Minor: Misogyny, Infidelity, Body shaming, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Cursing, and Abandonment
sakisreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
Ah this was a GREAT read! After briefly meeting the author recently, I knew I had to get into it and I’m so glad I did 🥰
I liked every member of Vera’s family, even Tilly 😂
Vera is every (slightly) frustrating but well-meaning auntie with a heart of gold ❤️
4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨ Looking forward to reading more of Jesse Sutanto’s stories 🥳
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Body horror, and Bullying
natnurdock's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body shaming and Vomit
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
readingwithtemperance's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-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? N/A
5.0
This book was so wonderful. Vera Wong is probably the most entertaining narrator I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. She is so witty and funny! And her heart is so big. Scooping up all of these lost souls like a mother duck.
This was not at all what I expected, but that isn't a bad thing! It was so much better than anything I had previously anticipated. When I wasn't reading I was thinking about it constantly. I even dreamed about this book!
I think this would make a FANTASTIC TV show. All of these characters are so easy to love. I adored the found family aspect so much.
Reading about Vera was just so healing and comforting for someone who not only was very close to their grandmother, but is estranged from their mother. I loved that Vera always kept an open mind and was always eager to learn more.
HUGE warning for hunger pains. Everything Vera cook sounded mouth watering incredible.
This might be my favorite book of the year in all honesty.
This was not at all what I expected, but that isn't a bad thing! It was so much better than anything I had previously anticipated. When I wasn't reading I was thinking about it constantly. I even dreamed about this book!
I think this would make a FANTASTIC TV show. All of these characters are so easy to love. I adored the found family aspect so much.
Reading about Vera was just so healing and comforting for someone who not only was very close to their grandmother, but is estranged from their mother. I loved that Vera always kept an open mind and was always eager to learn more.
HUGE warning for hunger pains. Everything Vera cook sounded mouth watering incredible.
This might be my favorite book of the year in all honesty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Death, Toxic relationship, and Murder
ninahuynh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is such a nice twist to murder mystery. Vera Wong is the typical Asian grandmother/mother/auntie who likes to get in your business, but really has everyone's well-being at the end of the day. I like the multiple povs and how each character has their own story and there's dimension to them.
The ending was quite the twist; I don't know why I didn't think of that reason as the way Marshall was killed. The only good thing Marshall did in his life was die, and inadvertently created a close-knit group of the people who he has wronged.
The ending was quite the twist; I don't know why I didn't think of that reason as the way Marshall was killed. The only good thing Marshall did in his life was die, and inadvertently created a close-knit group of the people who he has wronged.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cursing, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Murder, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
imstephtacular's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gaslighting, and Ableism
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Vomit, Body shaming, Blood, Violence, Murder, Misogyny, Alcohol, Stalking, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Pregnancy, Grief, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Drug use
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