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maggie_the_ferocious_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Holy cats, this was so much more and better than I ever expected it to be. It's cozy mystery + bit, but not full thriller or gore. Imagine if you will, a queer, tattooed, younger gen x or elder millennial punk, who loves women and smoking and through circumstances becomes a nun, at a catholic school. And then give her a hankering to solve mysteries and you've got Sister Holiday. Can't wait to read more of this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Lesbophobia
Minor: Cancer
skylarkblue1's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I'm torn between recommending this or not. I'm not fully sure if it's just, I'm not a regular to the crime fiction genre or if there is just something amiss about this one. I liked the characters well enough, story was ok even if fairly predictable.. It just left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. Maybe it's because I'm not religious at all so the ending (which got very religious, even compared to the rest of the book) just didn't interest me whatsoever?
The characters where not the worst, the detective was very cliche and 2d feeling, the other cops where kinda feeling like cardboard stand-ins that did not much at all. Sister Holiday first started as a "not like other girls" kinda vibe but I grew to actually kinda like her. The rest of the sisters where ok, but I did absolutely keep confusing who was who even at the end aha.. The kids where fun though, Prince was cliche but not the worst character at all, the other kids didn't appear enough to feel like they where actually important which was weird as their storylines felt very important overall? I think there was just way too many characters and the author only wanted to mainly write about Sister Holiday and Riveaux and what they did together.
The story felt pretty standard and predictable, the reveal at the end wasn't shocking at all to me. The "mysterious" events that happen throughout either have throwaway answers or uh, don't really get answered at all? How on earth did no one realise who the shadow was going through the school in the first fire? Like genuinely, they got spotted multiple times. But it also meant it was a very easy read that didn't take much thinking or brain power so I did kinda like that.
Idk, maybe this book just caught me on a good mood where I just wanted something to zone out to but it wasn't the worst book I've read. The writing was pretty good, and the way the dialogue was written also wasn't that bad. I don't know if I agree with the "cozy" tag this keeps getting, there's a hell of a lot of heavy topics discussed and it's not exactly what I'd call "cozy" (especially with the animal death part.... would have been nice if storygraph had that as a content warning on graphic or like... at all🙃).
The characters where not the worst, the detective was very cliche and 2d feeling, the other cops where kinda feeling like cardboard stand-ins that did not much at all. Sister Holiday first started as a "not like other girls" kinda vibe but I grew to actually kinda like her. The rest of the sisters where ok, but I did absolutely keep confusing who was who even at the end aha.. The kids where fun though, Prince was cliche but not the worst character at all, the other kids didn't appear enough to feel like they where actually important which was weird as their storylines felt very important overall? I think there was just way too many characters and the author only wanted to mainly write about Sister Holiday and Riveaux and what they did together.
The story felt pretty standard and predictable, the reveal at the end wasn't shocking at all to me. The "mysterious" events that happen throughout either have throwaway answers or uh, don't really get answered at all? How on earth did no one realise who the shadow was going through the school in the first fire? Like genuinely, they got spotted multiple times. But it also meant it was a very easy read that didn't take much thinking or brain power so I did kinda like that.
Idk, maybe this book just caught me on a good mood where I just wanted something to zone out to but it wasn't the worst book I've read. The writing was pretty good, and the way the dialogue was written also wasn't that bad. I don't know if I agree with the "cozy" tag this keeps getting, there's a hell of a lot of heavy topics discussed and it's not exactly what I'd call "cozy" (especially with the animal death part.... would have been nice if storygraph had that as a content warning on graphic or like... at all🙃).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Addiction, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Homophobia
Minor: Rape, Incest, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Self harm
Animal Death:pickpoppies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
She’s not like a regular nun, she’s a cool nun.
Sister Holiday is pretty messed up and I like it, she’s got plenty of tattoo and has no problem with stealing her students weed. My kind of nun.
After a fire and a dead student Sister Holiday goes straight (no pun intended for the gay nun) into sleuth mood to find out what happened.
As a mystery there’s not much of a puzzle but I like Sister Holiday and hope the second book gives more of a mystery.
I hate when there's a bunch of religion in stories but this is fine.
CW/TW: Death of a parent, cancer, violence
Sister Holiday is pretty messed up and I like it, she’s got plenty of tattoo and has no problem with stealing her students weed. My kind of nun.
After a fire and a dead student Sister Holiday goes straight (no pun intended for the gay nun) into sleuth mood to find out what happened.
As a mystery there’s not much of a puzzle but I like Sister Holiday and hope the second book gives more of a mystery.
I hate when there's a bunch of religion in stories but this is fine.
CW/TW: Death of a parent, cancer, violence
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
challenging
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? Yes
4.0
Over a sweltering New Orleans summer, a series of fires plagues the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and their associated school, St. Sebastian’s. Determined to catch the culprit is Sister Holiday, a queer punk Maria von Trapp, who, between playing guitar and helping kids, has broken a commandment or two. It’s actually not that uncommon for nuns to be radical, and the sisters in Holiday’s order are no strangers to run-ins with the law. But whose law comes first—God’s or man’s? This women-led story highlights struggles of incarceration, queerness, poverty, and addiction, with a few lovely Easter eggs for the Catholics among us. Sister Holiday’s love for the divine feminine, despite everything, is inspiring.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Cancer, Homophobia, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Self harm, Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Child abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Incest, and Medical content
rebb003's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use
tarasoraptor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Tl;dr version: This reads as trauma porn disguised as a mystery. The plot twist was predictable, the concl sion was hurried, poorly structured, and unsatisfying. If I wasn't finishing the book at midnight, in bed next to my partner, I would have thrown it across the room in frustration.
Will come back to review in more detail if I can.
Will come back to review in more detail if I can.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Alcohol, Classism, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Incest, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Drug use, Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexism, Self harm, Terminal illness, Cursing, Death, Police brutality, Murder, Rape, and Sexual harassment
ermw0's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Ever since I finished this book last night, I found myself with a lot of thoughts on it. I couldn't decide whether or not I just enjoyed the prose style or the book as a whole. The mystery ... wasn't great in my opinion. The voice of the author and her writing style, as well as the voice of Sister Holiday, are not going to be liked by everyone. She thinks in these long, flowery, and gilded sentences where everything is rich with intense imagery. You can really smell, see, and feel New Orleans from her descriptions, as well as every other scene and memory in this book. I found this writing style very appealing, and mixed with the religious reverence you could feel Sister Holiday's devotion.
However, the mystery aspect of this book was almost baffling. We are immediately told that Sister Holiday loves mysteries and is the convent's de facto detective, but not only are we not shown any of this (just told) but she is an awful investigator! Sister Holiday's interrogation style is to go right up to the person she needs to speak to and just shouts at them "what do you know about the fire! tell me!" and then when the person obviously denies and prickles, she becomes suspicious. Rinse and repeat. I was baffled at this style, she does it to every single suspect she has! There's no nuance to her detective work at all. In fact, she doesn't really solve the mystery of the fires except by accident almost. None of the clues or detective work she does really pays off. It feels so random and silly. And when she does solve the mystery, she just immediately let's Sister Augustine go out of the country! All of the detectives that she quotes and says she is inspired by wouldn't just absolve this crime.
Again, we are told that Sister Holiday knows her stuff and is effective. Even the actual investigators somewhat trust her. But I can see why they don't really, she's not very good at it.
Prince Dempsey - I don't even know where to begin with this character. His entire lawsuit and plot was dropped, so we have no resolution with that. I was annoyed with this since Sister Holliday spent so much time obsessing over him as a suspect. And then his random trial for a different crime (and car chase lol) felt like Prince was going to be a big player, but he was also duped by Sister Holiday and just a traumatized boy lashing out.
Rosemary - was a background character with slight tinges of suspicion but then veers suddenly into a "are we about to kiss rn" scenes with Sister Holiday? This felt shoehorned in, I wish they did more with her.
Nina - she didn't need to come to New Orleans at all. I actually liked her better as a memory, because the effect on Sister Holiday was so much more potent! Then you bring this character back for a tiny scene of zero consequence that could be removed from the book with no changes. Wish they kept her in the past.
Bernard - he was giving off a little creepy vibes towards the end by copying SH's neckerchief and getting the Judith tattoo and insisting SH get one too. It felt like this was building to something, but he's just there.
Sister Augustine - so she is the one who was setting the fires, accidentally killed John but did kill Sister T. I do not understand her motives at all and was confused and underwhelmed that she was the perpetrator? And then SH just lets her go? And then Sister Augustine accidentally (after trying to purposefully) lights herself on fire and dies? What? That ending was wild (not in a good way.)
There's so much more about this book I could write. I'm not sure if having this much to say and somewhat critique means I didn't enjoy the book, or I cared so much I wanted it to be as great as it can be. The book's interpretation on religion, especially as it applies to a queer woman, is very interesting and refreshing. I loved Sister Holiday as a character, I haven't read anyone like her before. I will definitely follow this series but I hope the sequel tightens up or at least continues the threads that were dropped off here.
Again, we are told that Sister Holiday knows her stuff and is effective. Even the actual investigators somewhat trust her. But I can see why they don't really, she's not very good at it.
Prince Dempsey - I don't even know where to begin with this character. His entire lawsuit and plot was dropped, so we have no resolution with that. I was annoyed with this since Sister Holliday spent so much time obsessing over him as a suspect. And then his random trial for a different crime (and car chase lol) felt like Prince was going to be a big player, but he was also duped by Sister Holiday and just a traumatized boy lashing out.
Rosemary - was a background character with slight tinges of suspicion but then veers suddenly into a "are we about to kiss rn" scenes with Sister Holiday? This felt shoehorned in, I wish they did more with her.
Nina - she didn't need to come to New Orleans at all. I actually liked her better as a memory, because the effect on Sister Holiday was so much more potent! Then you bring this character back for a tiny scene of zero consequence that could be removed from the book with no changes. Wish they kept her in the past.
Bernard - he was giving off a little creepy vibes towards the end by copying SH's neckerchief and getting the Judith tattoo and insisting SH get one too. It felt like this was building to something, but he's just there.
Sister Augustine - so she is the one who was setting the fires, accidentally killed John but did kill Sister T. I do not understand her motives at all and was confused and underwhelmed that she was the perpetrator? And then SH just lets her go? And then Sister Augustine accidentally (after trying to purposefully) lights herself on fire and dies? What? That ending was wild (not in a good way.)
There's so much more about this book I could write. I'm not sure if having this much to say and somewhat critique means I didn't enjoy the book, or I cared so much I wanted it to be as great as it can be. The book's interpretation on religion, especially as it applies to a queer woman, is very interesting and refreshing. I loved Sister Holiday as a character, I haven't read anyone like her before. I will definitely follow this series but I hope the sequel tightens up or at least continues the threads that were dropped off here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, Death, Addiction, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Grief, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Terminal illness, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, and Adult/minor relationship
lyshbish's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I think I liked this book more in concept than in execution. Sister Holiday was an interesting character, but I was more interested in her history than her present... including the mystery. I found it fairly easy to solve, which was an ego boost, but ultimately... it didn't leave a huge impression. I would potentially read a sequel, though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Homophobia, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Murder, and Religious bigotry
cheeseplant111's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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
i am not religious but damn,,,
genuinely so intriguing loved the story and the prose
only complaint is that the end felt rushed and if it was missing something, could’ve been a bit longer i felt. somethings didn’t get resolved
however i loved it def would read more
genuinely so intriguing loved the story and the prose
only complaint is that the end felt rushed and if it was missing something, could’ve been a bit longer i felt. somethings didn’t get resolved
however i loved it def would read more
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Homophobia, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Rape, Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, and Infidelity
durrance_c's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Outing, Cancer, Addiction, and Sexual harassment