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aargot1's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Car accident
Minor: Body horror, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
aimzthereader's review
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Ok this book is out there and over the top. Most of the time I don’t like books where it seems soooo unrealistic and unrelatable . When I think, no way in hell would this happen in real life that’s usually the mark of a book I wouldn’t like (I mean unless I am specific reading a genre like fantasy or sci-fi where it is supposed to be unrealistic) . HOWEVER, this book is sooo outlandish that it works.
I read this really quick because I didn’t want to leave the family and I am excited to see that there will be a sequel. I really loved seeing the family dynamics and that the author comes from a big family with similar dynamics. I liked learning about the Chinese-Indo culture and I loved how the language was woven throughout.
The characters were lovable and the plot moves along very nicely. Most of the time you’re rolling your eyes at the antics they get themselves in and you’re laughing at what the aunties find important in a situation. This is a great quick read.
I read this really quick because I didn’t want to leave the family and I am excited to see that there will be a sequel. I really loved seeing the family dynamics and that the author comes from a big family with similar dynamics. I liked learning about the Chinese-Indo culture and I loved how the language was woven throughout.
The characters were lovable and the plot moves along very nicely. Most of the time you’re rolling your eyes at the antics they get themselves in and you’re laughing at what the aunties find important in a situation. This is a great quick read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Car accident
Minor: Gun violence and Blood
bookscoffeehayley's review
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Okay wow. This book is RIDICULOUS. In the best way possible. You do need to suspend some sense of disbelief when reading it because things get a liiiitle absurd. But you will be literally laughing-out-loud while reading!
This was a fun, quick read and I’m intrigued to read the next book once it is released. I loved the Aunites so much. I thought each one of them had such a unique personality and added so much humor and love to the story.
Dial A For Aunties started off really strong and I flew through part 1. I loved the back and forth between Present Day Meddy and College Meddy. Part 2 slowed down a lot for me and became a little redundant. The second half of the book definitely picks back up and there are so many wild twists that I didn’t see coming!
From the acknowledgments, I learned this book is supposed to be made into a Netflix movie and I cannot WAIT for that! I think this book will make the perfect movie and I’m really excited to see how it translates to film!
Overall, this is such a fun summer book. It’s funny, there’s romance, there’s a murder, it’s full of great characters. Perfect for a summer night spent reading outside, or inside if you are also being attacked by cicadas….
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
iviarelle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is a very strange little book. It's vastly over the top and downright silly at times in the way things keep getting more and more complicated until they resolve... but I find it incredibly charming at the same time? It's probably a perfect read if you need something fluffy and feel-good (despite the murder) that will absolutely demand your attention for the duration. I had trouble putting it down once I started, because every time I felt like a stopping point approached, something else came up that I needed to find out how it resolved.
My only real down side is the naming of Big Aunt could get a little... frustrating-hurtful for fat readers who are sensitive to that kind of thing. Her name for the whole book is just Big Aunt, because she's a little bigger in size than her sisters. She's never put down for it that I noticed, and in fact Meddy says in chapter 1 that Big Aunt is the one who meets with clients and everything because her size just makes her more majestic and convincing and confident. But, the other aunts are just Second Aunt and Fourth Aunt, and so Big Aunt being the only one with a distinguishing characteristic and that being her name might not land well for some readers.
That being said, I'm not sure it's exactly what I expected, and yet, it's pretty much everything I could have asked for from the premise. This is a definite recommend.
My only real down side is the naming of Big Aunt could get a little... frustrating-hurtful for fat readers who are sensitive to that kind of thing. Her name for the whole book is just Big Aunt, because she's a little bigger in size than her sisters. She's never put down for it that I noticed, and in fact Meddy says in chapter 1 that Big Aunt is the one who meets with clients and everything because her size just makes her more majestic and convincing and confident. But, the other aunts are just Second Aunt and Fourth Aunt, and so Big Aunt being the only one with a distinguishing characteristic and that being her name might not land well for some readers.
That being said, I'm not sure it's exactly what I expected, and yet, it's pretty much everything I could have asked for from the premise. This is a definite recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Racism, Xenophobia, and Excrement
amibo's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I was really looking forward to this one. I saw the photo shoot the author did with her real life aunties and thought this was going to be lots of fun. Parts of it were, but I was disappointed.
What was great: Meddy's mom (definitely LOLed at her comments several times), Indo & Chinese relationships & traditions
What was fun: The aunties dialogue
What really, really, did not work for me: The widely fluctuating tone. I was prepared to suspend disbelief - A LOT of disbelief - but most significantly the flashback chapters to Meddy and Nathan's relationship were very straight-up romance, not even romcom, so it was hard to stay in the black humor mode. The tone pendulum made some of the really over-the-top, unbelievable decisions and situations harder to laugh at, rather than cringe about. I think it would have been easier to stay with the crazy flow if the college years' information was shortened, and only the most important information shared in brief flashbacks like later in the story.
What was great: Meddy's mom (definitely LOLed at her comments several times), Indo & Chinese relationships & traditions
What was fun: The aunties dialogue
What really, really, did not work for me: The widely fluctuating tone. I was prepared to suspend disbelief - A LOT of disbelief - but most significantly the flashback chapters to Meddy and Nathan's relationship were very straight-up romance, not even romcom, so it was hard to stay in the black humor mode. The tone pendulum made some of the really over-the-top, unbelievable decisions and situations harder to laugh at, rather than cringe about. I think it would have been easier to stay with the crazy flow if the college years' information was shortened, and only the most important information shared in brief flashbacks like later in the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Car accident
blakethebookeater's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Car accident
Minor: Vomit