Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
This was actually a lot more heart wrenching than I expected it to be, Now You See Us shines a light on the 'invisible' Philippine maids and nannies that get hired and mistreated in Singapore. I was shocked at their treatment and found this so engaging and eye opening. I also found the mystery itself very engaging, not the best but overall the book was a good read.
Good underlying narrative and message but actually too many characters, confusing and boring. Like me in year 7 maths, lots of potential but fails to engage.
emotional
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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:
No
i love balli and political novels and really wanted to like this. the characters’ rich world offers a scathing indictment against singaporean capitalism (as it should!) and the book has done such immersive research, but under the weight of all the worldbuilding the plot feels a little brittle and too hopeful when (as we’ve seen) things tend to be much more complex…
Damn, this was good. It managed to be gritty and cozy at the same time. I love a scathing indictment of classism in any form and this was one hell of a condemnation. It has great queer representation and I learned a lot about the stratification of Singaporean society.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Gostei bastante! Não sabia o que esperar quando comecei a ler e o que encontrei foi uma ótima mistura de romance, comicidade e mistério em uma trama que mostra a realidade de trabalhadoras domésticas filipinas em Singapura. Acho que o que me deixou mais satisfeita foi o fato de que a maioria dos personagens, e não só as protagonistas, é bem construída e desenvolvida e tem suas próprias histórias, em vez de simplesmente girar em torno do mistério o livro todo. Ao mesmo tempo que inclui temas que vêm sendo mais discutidos nos últimos anos, como o crescimento de megaigrejas, a imposição religiosa e o questionamento da educação sexual nas escolas (eu juro que um dos personagens é a própria Damares singapuriana), traz a história de décadas e décadas de sofrimento e união entre as trabalhadoras filipinas. É uma leitura com várias camadas, mas que flui sem grandes problemas até o final. Aqui no Brasil, vai ser publicado pela VR.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment
SPOILERS NOT A REVIEW!! It’s a summary so I remember what I read. Maids in Singapore undergo abuse and navigate love and friendship and ban together to use their voices to help a fellow maid wrongly accused of murder.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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:
No