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modernhobbitvibes's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
2.75
Low-balled the score because this woman WOULD NOT STOP TALKING TO THE COPS and it drove me up the wall. Know your rights, people!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Body shaming, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Deportation
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!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Death
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"
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
stacy_reads's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
relaxing
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Death
Minor: Fatphobia, Drug abuse, and Body shaming
nelesnotes's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This was a nice enough background noise. What I appreciated was the content warning in the beginning, don't hear that often! Besides that I didn't find the storyline very captivating nor did I find Lila a loveable character. Her caring for other people felt forced, always like an afterthought and I couldn't really identify with her (sure, I haven't been a murder suspect... but I don't know, she just seemed all relaxed and excited about solving the case, when a normal person probably would be freaking out by being falsely accused of murder?! - oh and there's a cute dentist, but the best friends brother is still hot too - so I just found her mostly annoying). Maybe it was the writing style, the narrater or I just couldn't empathize with her...
Furthermore I thought most of the story was pretty slow and repetitive and the supposedly cozy food description just felt like straight out of a cookbook to me. After 5 hours when we finally got a bit more to the investigative part, it was already clear who did it and I mostly was waiting to finish.
One last major criticism I have: where was the sausage dog I was promised?! Got waaayyy too little presence in this story and would have surely made some things more enjoyable. But I feel it only existed to justify Lila checking her Instagram.
So yeah, background noise but not really a recommendation. Don't really feel like listening to the second book.
Furthermore I thought most of the story was pretty slow and repetitive and the supposedly cozy food description just felt like straight out of a cookbook to me. After 5 hours when we finally got a bit more to the investigative part, it was already clear who did it and I mostly was waiting to finish.
One last major criticism I have: where was the sausage dog I was promised?! Got waaayyy too little presence in this story and would have surely made some things more enjoyable. But I feel it only existed to justify Lila checking her Instagram.
So yeah, background noise but not really a recommendation. Don't really feel like listening to the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming
ashwaar's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Fatphobia, Addiction, and Body shaming
sicilyjoy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Moderate: Death of parent, Body shaming, Drug use, Colonisation, Fatphobia, and Drug abuse
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Infidelity, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Drug use
Minor: Toxic relationship
lulusreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
I really enjoyed this book, I didn’t know much about the Filipino culture so it was fun to see the similarities with my own Brazilian culture but mixed with some Asian influences. The multiple Tias/ God Mother’s, close friends, etc. it brought up all the feelings I feel when I’m around my own family. & I loveddd all the food recipes 😍
however I think the way Derek died was kind of dumb. I liked how fast it happened which got me hooked from the beginning, but all the people involved just made it weird. Like he started messing with drugs but also ppl that don’t like him started poisoning him? So he was diabetic but that wasn’t the issue, he got nicotine poisoning, & was being secretly dosed by arsenic. Mr.Long was clever with framing the MC’s family.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Drug abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Body shaming
meaghanslibrary's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
3.5
This is a low 3.5. I am rounding up because I loved reading about a fellow Filipino family. I haven’t read a book like this before. I found the portrayal of the Titas and cousins very realistic. Also the food descriptions had my mouth watering and I liked the inclusion of recipes at the back of the book.
The reason for the low-ish rating: The book was a bit predictable and I do wish there was more love triangle drama. I hope to read that in future books.
The reason for the low-ish rating: The book was a bit predictable and I do wish there was more love triangle drama. I hope to read that in future books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Addiction, Medical trauma, Drug use, and Grief
Minor: Body shaming and Domestic abuse