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onespaceymother's review against another edition
3.0
This was fun but it tried reeeaally hard. I also disliked the main character pretty thoroughly the first few chapters (she eventually won me over).
carokinkead's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
barbtrek's review
4.0
This was a fun mystery. I wouldn’t call it young adult fiction but I feel like it was written for people younger than me (or maybe just people more into comics than me?)! I still enjoyed it though.
surfmonkey01's review
2.0
Was all I could do to finish it. Lots of fun geek references, but felt way to much like a chic lit novel most of the time for my taste. Made it really hard to get into.
se126506's review
4.0
I definitely got sucked into this book. Some of the geeky references felt a little heavy handed. I loved how she changed the pronouns based on if the person was in drag or not. That was a nice touch.
jwillis81's review
3.0
I picked up this book based on the strength of the cover and the synopsis. This totally sounded like it was going to be a book that was right up my alley. I love geek culture, and the author definitely knows her way around the subject matter. Unfortunately, where this book fell apart for me were two specific (and unfortunately critical areas): the character and the plot.
The main character, MG, is completely unlikeable from the very first scene. I assume the intention was to make her sassy and snarky. To the author's credit, she was definitely that. But she was also arrogant, presumptuous, hyper-critical, and flat-out delusional, which was a huge turn-off. Nearly every interaction with other characters has MG both lamenting the way people try to objectify her, while also objectifying them in her own way. She goes from "civilian brought in to advise on a police investigation" to "the detective and I are partners and I'm an integral part of the investigation" in record time (and way before its warranted). Even in scenes that are supposed to show the character's geekiness and likability (for example, when Matteo is watching Star Wars for the first time), she makes these snide comments about how she hasn't even enjoyed watching the movies in forever because she's so focused on their flaws. Ultimately, this was a character that I just didn't want to spend any time with because she (and her inner thoughts) were so critical and grating.
The plot, while not overtly irritating like the main character, suffered from the opposite problem of being completely bland and generic. It felt like a predictable episode of [insert police procedural show here], and offered very little in the way of genuine surprises, twists, or turns.
On the plus side, the writing was otherwise entertaining and well-paced. I enjoyed the pop culture references and think this author shows a lot of potential despite the major flaws in this book. It seems to be her first published work which, honestly felt like it to read. I would be interested in checking out other works by this author, but unless the character of MG drastically changes from one book to the next, I'm not sure this series will be one that I continue on with.
The main character, MG, is completely unlikeable from the very first scene. I assume the intention was to make her sassy and snarky. To the author's credit, she was definitely that. But she was also arrogant, presumptuous, hyper-critical, and flat-out delusional, which was a huge turn-off. Nearly every interaction with other characters has MG both lamenting the way people try to objectify her, while also objectifying them in her own way. She goes from "civilian brought in to advise on a police investigation" to "the detective and I are partners and I'm an integral part of the investigation" in record time (and way before its warranted). Even in scenes that are supposed to show the character's geekiness and likability (for example, when Matteo is watching Star Wars for the first time), she makes these snide comments about how she hasn't even enjoyed watching the movies in forever because she's so focused on their flaws. Ultimately, this was a character that I just didn't want to spend any time with because she (and her inner thoughts) were so critical and grating.
The plot, while not overtly irritating like the main character, suffered from the opposite problem of being completely bland and generic. It felt like a predictable episode of [insert police procedural show here], and offered very little in the way of genuine surprises, twists, or turns.
On the plus side, the writing was otherwise entertaining and well-paced. I enjoyed the pop culture references and think this author shows a lot of potential despite the major flaws in this book. It seems to be her first published work which, honestly felt like it to read. I would be interested in checking out other works by this author, but unless the character of MG drastically changes from one book to the next, I'm not sure this series will be one that I continue on with.
marina31sanchez's review
5.0
Pleasantly surprised by this book, to be honest. I really liked the witty main character and her relationship with Matteo. I love, love, loooove L!
The only thing that may not work for me, or less "geeky" readers, is that I didn't understand some of the jokes and references to other comic books or tv-shows. The nice thing about this books is that you don't NEED to know these things, if you do, it's just a bonus to the story. So, well done Meghan, I cannot wait to read #2!
The only thing that may not work for me, or less "geeky" readers, is that I didn't understand some of the jokes and references to other comic books or tv-shows. The nice thing about this books is that you don't NEED to know these things, if you do, it's just a bonus to the story. So, well done Meghan, I cannot wait to read #2!
moonpie's review
3.0
Not the best of times, not the worst of times. The main character is a nerd who's Not Like Other Girls!, but I enjoyed all the pop culture references. The romantic bits reminded me why I avoid most romances ("You are quite the force to be reckoned with, aren't you?") but it was all cute enough for what it was, nothing that made me slam the book shut in disgust, just some eye-rolls.
The case that's the centerpiece of the story is mostly predictable and unbelievable, but fluffy and fun enough that I finished the book. When I hit the end, I thought it was ridiculous that the main whodunnit wasn't wrapped up, but I should have realized that this was the beginning of a series, since everything must now be a series foreverrrrrr.
Odd little rabbit trail: I've never heard the phrase "printing press" used to mean "printing company" or "print shop" the way Molin uses it (seems a bit redundant since a press is a business that prints things), so sentence constructions like "We met at the printing press" threw me off—I kept thinking of it as a singular press. Let's all meet at the Ryobi!
(two and a half stars)
The case that's the centerpiece of the story is mostly predictable and unbelievable, but fluffy and fun enough that I finished the book. When I hit the end, I thought it was ridiculous that the main whodunnit wasn't wrapped up, but I should have realized that this was the beginning of a series, since everything must now be a series foreverrrrrr.
Odd little rabbit trail: I've never heard the phrase "printing press" used to mean "printing company" or "print shop" the way Molin uses it (seems a bit redundant since a press is a business that prints things), so sentence constructions like "We met at the printing press" threw me off—I kept thinking of it as a singular press. Let's all meet at the Ryobi!
(two and a half stars)
jlo615's review
4.0
Not my normal read— and sometimes the heavy-handed “geek culture” was a bit much. I was happy to see the main character grow and change throughout the story. Fun!