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joanna1905's review against another edition
4.0
Woah, I did not know what to expect with this book but damn did it impress me. Despite literally being a criminologist in reak life I almost never pick up crime/thriller type books but this sounded cute and gay so I had to give it a go and boy am I glad I did.
The plot was perfectly balanced with the crime subplot, the supernatural subplot and the romance subplot. It was gritty and dark but had its moments of humour and joy as these two lost isolated girls find solace in one another.
This book is very akin to Victoria Schwab's style in the best way which I think really helped me get pulled into the story quicker.
There was just something so beautiful about a girl who can't touch anyone falling for a ghost who also can't touch anyone else - it was beautiful, well developed AND they somehow got a happy ending.
This book exceeded all my expectations and I'm so grateful my library app got it in so I could give it a chance!
The plot was perfectly balanced with the crime subplot, the supernatural subplot and the romance subplot. It was gritty and dark but had its moments of humour and joy as these two lost isolated girls find solace in one another.
This book is very akin to Victoria Schwab's style in the best way which I think really helped me get pulled into the story quicker.
There was just something so beautiful about a girl who can't touch anyone falling for a ghost who also can't touch anyone else - it was beautiful, well developed AND they somehow got a happy ending.
This book exceeded all my expectations and I'm so grateful my library app got it in so I could give it a chance!
fussl's review
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ohwhatagloomyshow's review against another edition
Not nearly captivating enough to keep going.
dawn_chen's review against another edition
4.0
4. 5⭐. I fairly enjoyed this sapphic paranormal mystery story about a girl who can see people's death bumping into a girl on day whom she knows will die that very night. The next day, the girl found herself being haunted by the ghost of the other girl who was killed.
This sounds like a pretty dark premise. But the sapphic relationship is so wholesome and mushy that it makes me so happy. Especially because it's happy ending despite being a ghost and a living person in love?? Like that's some good shit right there, I can't wipe the smile off my face.
The mystery aspect is quite well done too. The perpetrator plot twist did surprise me which is quite nice. Also the investigation is very nicely paced that it doesn't feel like it is rushed or confusing in any way.
This sounds like a pretty dark premise. But the sapphic relationship is so wholesome and mushy that it makes me so happy. Especially because it's happy ending despite being a ghost and a living person in love?? Like that's some good shit right there, I can't wipe the smile off my face.
The mystery aspect is quite well done too. The perpetrator plot twist did surprise me which is quite nice. Also the investigation is very nicely paced that it doesn't feel like it is rushed or confusing in any way.
lauren_reidxoxo's review against another edition
3.0
A tiny bit better than an average book, but overall, nothing really special about this one.
Supernatural means being used to solve a murder? Yeah, seen that one before. Although this was done, well-ish, it’s overused, in my opinion.
Aside from the general premise being interesting, there was nothing that really stood out at this book. A couple interesting side characters? Definitely, but the focus wasn’t given to them— a focus that they deserved! And I wasn’t Lexi’s biggest fan, like, there’s nothing that really makes you want her to succeed (at least from a character/ personality point of view— again, in my opinion).
The plot itself was well written, except for the random info-dumps of information. Yes, they are used to explain points, but they’re kind of overkill really. And after a while, I skimmed them. It was cute and interesting the first few times, but a few times too many got boring.
Overall, really an average book. Definitely an interesting plot, but pretty basic characters and premise. May recommend, but will not be rereading.
Supernatural means being used to solve a murder? Yeah, seen that one before. Although this was done, well-ish, it’s overused, in my opinion.
Aside from the general premise being interesting, there was nothing that really stood out at this book. A couple interesting side characters? Definitely, but the focus wasn’t given to them— a focus that they deserved! And I wasn’t Lexi’s biggest fan, like, there’s nothing that really makes you want her to succeed (at least from a character/ personality point of view— again, in my opinion).
The plot itself was well written, except for the random info-dumps of information. Yes, they are used to explain points, but they’re kind of overkill really. And after a while, I skimmed them. It was cute and interesting the first few times, but a few times too many got boring.
Overall, really an average book. Definitely an interesting plot, but pretty basic characters and premise. May recommend, but will not be rereading.
shemyshines98's review against another edition
I really liked this book. I just knew it was gonna be a good one just by the synopsis. I don't really believe in the supernatural stuff and I'm happy that even though this book has it, it's not overdone to the point where I had to put the book down. If anything, I couldn't stop reading! Lexi has this power that she inherited from her Deda and unfortunately just by a brush of a hand of someone else she can see how they die. To say it's a burden, would be an understatement. On a fateful night, Lexi accidentally runs into Jane a complete stranger, who she sees will die that night. But, the thing about her powers is that she can't tell Jane what's about to happen. It will only backfire and cause a domino effect. "You can't outrun death. If you try to cheat it, it only comes back for more." I never asked why she couldn't just warn them because I was so engrossed in the story, but now it makes sense. Seeing how people die, and not being able to do anything, does something to Lexi. But, with the help of her friends, and accepting who she is, she can finally live a more content life.
Favorite Quote: "It's impossible to know stars there are in the universe. We can only estimate given how many there are in our own galaxy and multiply that by the number of galaxies we think there are. It's a guess times a guess. There are infinity stars."
Favorite Quote: "It's impossible to know stars there are in the universe. We can only estimate given how many there are in our own galaxy and multiply that by the number of galaxies we think there are. It's a guess times a guess. There are infinity stars."
sidneyellwood's review against another edition
4.0
Listen, this book is everything you could want from a gritty queer urban fantasy. Murder! Ghosts! Murdered gay ghosts who don't fall into the "bury your gays" trope because, you know ... they're not buried! Missing, Presumed Dead isn't my usual cup of tea, but Emma Berquist's debut, Devils Unto Dust, was so innovative that I had to check this one out and I'm so glad I did.
Even though the main character, Lexi, isn't exactly likable, I loved her. It is, after all, understandable why she's jaded and prickly: because she can see how people die with a touch, Lexi carries a lot of fear and trauma with her that masquerades as anger. She reminded me a lot of Kaz Brekker, actually, which I liked. Girls often aren't allowed to be antagonistic--too often it's construed as an undesirable trait, something to be fixed. Even though Lexi's character arc has her softening a bit and slowly letting people in, she's still secretive and grumpy and that's okay.
Lexi is eighteen, but she reads so much older; had I not known this was YA, I would definitely have assumed she's in her early thirties. Her character, her narrative voice, and her history sounds like it could have come out of an adult book. I feel as if this has the potential to be alienating to teens who read this book, and it was difficult for me to suspend my disbelief enough to remember that Lexi is still a teenager.
One thing I wasn't expecting to get out of this book was a murder mystery and ghost story wrapped into one. The mechanics of the ghosts in Missing, Presumed Dead are really quite unique; of all the living people in the novel, only Lexi can interact with them, but to her, they're as real as a living person would be. This works out very well when it comes to Jane, one of the few people she can touch without foreseeing death. Jane and Lexi had a great dynamic, full of tension and bickering and slow burn, which is exactly what I wanted from my romance, and their romance arc was so well-written.
The whole book has a very film noir tone to it as Lexi and Jane work together to solve the mystery of Jane's murder. I don't think the murder mystery was executed as well as it could have been. When I'm reading mystery, I don't want the culprit to come out of left field, and this book definitely gave me that feeling. I was invested in what was going on and loved all the investigation that Lexi and Jane did, but I felt like there was very little actual foreshadowing--what gives you the satisfaction of guessing whodunit. Or maybe that's the brain fog talking and it was there all along.
The magic system and setting is fairly typical of urban fantasy, but combined with the film noir tone it felt so much more vivid than most of the urban fantasy I've read. There's also a fun cast of side characters; the one who really stood out to me was Trevor, Lexi's ghost roommate and mentor to Jane. The world just feels so busy and active, and for the most part, Lexi chooses to shut herself out of it.
Missing, Presumed Dead is a really great reinvention of the urban fantasy/paranormal genre with a lovely queer romance and atmospheric setting. If you want a bit of a twist on the conventions of the genre, definitely check it out.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy!
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Even though the main character, Lexi, isn't exactly likable, I loved her. It is, after all, understandable why she's jaded and prickly: because she can see how people die with a touch, Lexi carries a lot of fear and trauma with her that masquerades as anger. She reminded me a lot of Kaz Brekker, actually, which I liked. Girls often aren't allowed to be antagonistic--too often it's construed as an undesirable trait, something to be fixed. Even though Lexi's character arc has her softening a bit and slowly letting people in, she's still secretive and grumpy and that's okay.
Lexi is eighteen, but she reads so much older; had I not known this was YA, I would definitely have assumed she's in her early thirties. Her character, her narrative voice, and her history sounds like it could have come out of an adult book. I feel as if this has the potential to be alienating to teens who read this book, and it was difficult for me to suspend my disbelief enough to remember that Lexi is still a teenager.
One thing I wasn't expecting to get out of this book was a murder mystery and ghost story wrapped into one. The mechanics of the ghosts in Missing, Presumed Dead are really quite unique; of all the living people in the novel, only Lexi can interact with them, but to her, they're as real as a living person would be. This works out very well when it comes to Jane, one of the few people she can touch without foreseeing death. Jane and Lexi had a great dynamic, full of tension and bickering and slow burn, which is exactly what I wanted from my romance, and their romance arc was so well-written.
The whole book has a very film noir tone to it as Lexi and Jane work together to solve the mystery of Jane's murder. I don't think the murder mystery was executed as well as it could have been. When I'm reading mystery, I don't want the culprit to come out of left field, and this book definitely gave me that feeling. I was invested in what was going on and loved all the investigation that Lexi and Jane did, but I felt like there was very little actual foreshadowing--what gives you the satisfaction of guessing whodunit. Or maybe that's the brain fog talking and it was there all along.
The magic system and setting is fairly typical of urban fantasy, but combined with the film noir tone it felt so much more vivid than most of the urban fantasy I've read. There's also a fun cast of side characters; the one who really stood out to me was Trevor, Lexi's ghost roommate and mentor to Jane. The world just feels so busy and active, and for the most part, Lexi chooses to shut herself out of it.
Missing, Presumed Dead is a really great reinvention of the urban fantasy/paranormal genre with a lovely queer romance and atmospheric setting. If you want a bit of a twist on the conventions of the genre, definitely check it out.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy!
BLOG | TWITTER