Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

22 reviews

heresyourletter's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book as a good light mystery with a fun culinary flavour and relatable dynamics between the main character (a Filipino-American) and her family. However, the last third felt a bit rushed and convoluted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Murder, Classism, Medical content, Infidelity, Death of parent, Racism, and Grief

Minor: Blood and Cursing

Much of the plot revolves around drug trafficking. The main character is incarcerated when drugs are planted in her locker. One character who doesn’t appear in the book is said to have ODed after trying to get clean. There is also lots of discussion of a family member who had drug problems. One character is revealed to have had an affair.

The main character’s parents passed away when she was young. No exact details are given, but she does reflect on her loss a few times throughout the novel. Mentions of segregation in the town between the (mostly white) middle-class and the (mostly POC) working-class neighbourhoods. The murders themselves aren’t super graphic, but do have some details that you wouldn’t find in an Agatha Christie, for example. The main character is given medical details about a murder. There are several scenes at a wake.

jessi_c's review against another edition

lighthearted 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? Yes

3.5

I started this book very lukewarm and some of the mystery solving did string me along to a certain point. In the end, it just felt bland. Although I did appreciate that romance did not drive the plot. Hallelujah!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Death

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Addiction

eliselerario's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.5

Whodunnit with food!!!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Death

redvelveting's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

Light, fun little read (especially given that it is a murder mystery) with references to Filipino culture (specifically that of a Filipino American) that I could relate to. I do have to mention, however, that the writing felt juvenile and fanfic-like. It’s a little corny, but overall was entertaining enough that I’d read the next book (not top of the to-read list, but still on there).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Murder

Minor: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, and Lesbophobia

garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Good whodunit book overall but kind of a predictable "who"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Drug abuse

Minor: Chronic illness, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Addiction, Cursing, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Body shaming

renpuspita's review against another edition

funny mysterious tense 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? No

3.5

 When my friend hold a reading challenge with foodies as a main topic, I know that I have that one particular title that I always want to read. Arsenic and Adobo is my choice. I remember I bought this because I always love to read a cozy mystery with foodies elements, hence why almost of my cozy mystery collections are about food. Arsenic and Adobo is the debut book by Mia P. Manansala. With the story unfold and how I know the main character and the family that surrounded her, this book kinda have same setting and premise with Dial A for Aunties, by Jesse Q Sutanto. Both books also published in the same year (2021), although I'm not read Sutanto's book yet although we both Indonesian. 

Reading Arsenic and Adobo make me feel connected with our sharing cultures. Manansala provide the glossary and some of the Tagalog language is pretty much the same with Indonesia. That's why, although Manansala provide how to pronounce them in English/American way, I just said it with my Indonesian tongue because they sound the same. Like, "anak", "tito", "tita", etc. Even the food also have lumpia, which is a staple of snack in my country. I also liked that Manansala provide trigger warning and content warning in the first page, despite this is cozy mystery so sometimes things can be triggering of sort, but she's so thoughtful to provide it in the first place. Although, she made some slip regarding inappropriate diabetic jokes that she already apologize for in her website. Arsenic and Adobo feels different compared to some cozy mysteries I read this year and year before. First, of course it's diverse and also queer (Lila's close friend, Adeena is a lesbian). Two, it's point to some of millenial discourse, with Lila herself is in her twenty five, so basically she's in the same age with my sister that nine years younger than me (myself is also millenial, though). And then, it deal with some personal struggle and joked (mostly in sarcasm manner) about the family culture of Filipino folks. The last thing make me amend to that, maybe because it's Asian thingie. 

I feel like the mystery, while well-written, kinda not as main focus and the focus more like in Lila's personal development and her struggle regarding her family circumstances and close friends, not to forget some of potential love interest. Also, a parade of description about Filipino dishes. From ube cookies, ginataang bilo - bilo (that the victim, Derek, eat before his death), lumpia, almondigas (like Vietnam's pho), ensaymada, coconut jam, etc. Reading this book make my mouth is watering, ngl. I also like that both of Lila's potential love interests is not the police or detective, although I'm more inclined for Lila to be Jae's girlfriend although Jae is Jonathan's little brother, the detective who pretty much gung ho to ensure Lila to go to jail. The culprit is not what I'm expected at all. Sadly, the adobo is pretty much just a pun and not a main course of this book despite its become the title of the book.

So, is Arsenic and Adobo a mystery book about food? Or a foodies book about mystery? Imho, it can be both and I'll look forward to Lila's adventure for both the mysteries and delicious foods. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Infidelity, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Drug use

Minor: Toxic relationship

atamano's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• 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? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Drug abuse, and Violence

maggies's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• 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? No

2.0

Perhaps cozy mysteries are not for me. I really wanted to like this book, but it was too slow, too long, with too much reminiscing and not enough action. Loved the yummy-sounding food, but that also took up so much real estate of the book, so a bit of a double edged sword. Never really warmed to Lila, either.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Grief, Drug abuse, Death, and Blood

mamawantsbooks's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Drug use

karcitis's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Drug use

Moderate: Violence, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racism, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Confinement, Blood, and Addiction