Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Þernan by Nita Prose

231 reviews

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Synopsis: Autistic hotel cleaner Molly Maid sees the world through a different lense - one where things are governed by rules and order. But her world view is challenged when a hotel guest is murdered and the rules she once relied on are used against her.

Review: This was not an enjoyable read, with an unreliable narrator (because of Molly's autistic brain misinterpreting things), and Molly continually being taken advantage of and bullied because of her autism. The final reveal felt unbelievable and a little lazy in a world of cameras.

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funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I was a little disappointed with this book. I don’t think it lived up to the hype for me. While I didn’t mind the mystery and how everything played out, I am not sure what it is that I couldn’t fully connect with. To be honest I’m not sure the fact that Molly is neurodivergent was handled well. It was just something that didn’t sit well with me. At times it did feel like she was childlike and other times it felt like she was the adult that she was. I did enjoy the fact that she didn’t curse unlike some of the other characters. It did feel good that she realized who were real friends were at the end. However, I’m not sure if I will continue the series, it didn’t “wow” me.

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funny mysterious reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Maybe there IS a good reason to have extra pillows lying around?

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated



It’s like the author took every stereotypical characteristic of a person with autism and decided to go with it, but ultimately completely missed the mark. This is coming from a ND person myself. That being said, the rating was based mostly off of the plot, which was pretty boring. I don’t really understand the hype around it unless it’s mainly because the FMC is “quirky and different.” I had to listen to this at 2.5 speed. 

0 🌶️ 

* please disregard the medical order due to voice texting. Thanks.

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slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

TW:
-Assisted Suicide
-Bullying
-Murder
-Drugs/drug use

While I was entertained, I do have a problem with the way the author writes the characters. A bit too much stereotyping for me, in all honesty I wonder if the author has ever had interactions with any neurodivergent individual. It seems as though she googled "autistic behaviors" and threw them around to create'Molly the maid'.

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dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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emotional mysterious sad 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: Complicated

A refreshingly different kind of heroine who didn't find out the truth because she was witty, but because she had friends who she could trust.

Surprisingly wholesome for a murder mystery with a bullied mc, I look forward to listening to the next story about Molly the Maid.

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-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

I read a NetGalley ARC of this and rated it without realizing Molly, the MC, is neurodivergent. I wanted to read it with new eyes, so I picked it up when I saw it at my library this week.

Upon rereading, I found Molly's innocence endearing and her quirks to be charming. I love an underdog story, and Molly was easy to root for. I'm so glad I gave this book a second chance and absolutely loved the themes of friendship and found family. The second book in the series is waiting for me at the library, and I can't wait to be back in Molly's world at The Regency Grand Hotel!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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