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rey_reads's review
- 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
5.0
There's a lot of characters, but I felt they were all reasonably well developed - mostly focusing on the viewpoint of certain characters helped. I ended up so attached to them that the ending made me quite sad, which was particularly impressive as this book is only about 200 pages long.
The plot was very clever; I was able to figure out some elements before they were revealed, but there were enough twists that I remained invested until the end. I don't think I would've been able to predict the final plot twist, but it did make me re-evaluate the way I'd viewed certain characters throughout the book; I think the reader is successfully mislead in places.
Definitely an enjoyable read.
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Misogyny, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide and Alcoholism
readerette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It's clever and the characters end up with a decent amount of depth for such a short story. I did figure out the mystery before the reveal, but that didn't detract from the fun of the book for me.
I was watching closely the actions toward the characters of color and characters with disabilities, but as far as I could tell, any racist/ableist remarks were discernible as such (as in, they showed that some of the white characters were racist, and others were ableist, which was the author's point with those characters). The r-word is used a few times.
I did find the whole setup just a little ridiculous, which is where my reduced rating comes from. There really did seem to be some intent to punish with the "game" that Westing created, and when I found out the initial intended victim of the punishment, I got confused because other context suggested they didn't deserve to be punished at all (including my understanding that Westing wouldn't have thought so either). Maybe I just missed something...
Definitely worth a read for anyone who enjoys relatively lighthearted mysteries where you slowly put together the clues with the characters.
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Ableism, Alcohol, Death, and Racism
odrib's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Racism, Ableism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, and Antisemitism
Minor: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Suicide, Death, and Child death
elle_dee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Classism, Car accident, Murder, Racism, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Ableism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Self harm
meganpbennett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
There are some instances of Xenophobia and Ableism, as well as misogyny, and half of the humor is based on pulling people apart. There's a disabled character who gets better by the end (mostly by choice), and the main character's mother has never loved her.
When I got a specific section on chess, I realized where I'd learned about the Queen's Sacrifice. It was this book.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Xenophobia, and Ableism
poirot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism and Sexism
crufts's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Two months after the residents of the Sunset Towers apartment block move in, the mysterious Mr Westing dies and leaves his $200 million fortune to nearly all of them in his will. But to get the money, the heirs-to-be must solve a mystery set up by Westing. It's the titular Westing Game: who murdered the old businessman, and why?
I can't speak highly enough of the writing style. Clear, brisk, and efficient, the 216-page novel has an economy of words that leaves us space to focus on the actual clues of the mystery. As the clock ticks on, the image of the crime and the motivations of each of the characters comes into focus.
The narrative is also very funny in its portraiture of the characters, who are often amusingly self-absorbed:
Thursday was a sunny day, a glorious day; the autumn air was crisp and clear. None of the heirs noticed.
Any further details would be spoilerific. But if you enjoyed the film Knives Out (or another house-based mystery story), you'll love The Westing Game. Frankly, this ought to be made into a movie as well. Oh man! I can't wait to reread it so I can catch all the details I missed on the first pass.
Minor: Ableism, Racism, and Sexism
Occasional racism, ableism and sexism appears amongst the heirs. However, the author lampshades these as unacceptable by the negative reactions of other characters, and this bad behaviour doesn't go unpunished.twentyventi's review against another edition
Also the ableism in the book was incredibly off putting — I realize this book is old and so using outdated terms and attitudes, but it was just incredibly difficult to stomach.
Moderate: Ableism and Violence
Minor: Racism
morganperks's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Ableism and Blood
Minor: Racism and Death
aragonite's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Death and Racism