You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Excellent mystery...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Death of parent
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall a light and pleasant read, but I’d be curious to better understand the author’s choice to write the character the way she did. While a lovable character, at times she feels like a bit of a neurodivergent stereotype. I enjoyed having a main character appear to be neurodivergent, but I would have preferred her to be a little further developed or for there to not has been as many moments that took advantage of the fact that she didn’t pick up well in certain social situations or on people’s tones. Maybe I will check out the other books in The Maid series to see how the character develops.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Murder
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief
Minor: Alcohol
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
CW: deaths, grief, ableism, bullying, physical abuse, suicide
I liked Molly, she seemed to have a touch of OCD and autism, as do I, so her character was relatable to me, if not the general public.
I liked Molly, she seemed to have a touch of OCD and autism, as do I, so her character was relatable to me, if not the general public.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Physical abuse
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read 50% and then skimmed the rest.
The portrayal of neurodivergent-but-unlabeled Molly bothered me. It made me feel like I did back in middle school when one of the neurodivergent-but-unlabeled students in my class would think they were getting along with a group of people for a change, but it was clear to everyone else that he was being used for entertainment. Even if they weren't saying anything openly hurtful, it was still a gross thing to do. I can't say how accurate of a portrayal Molly is because maybe there is someone out there who experiences the mental inconsistency of being perceptive and astute one moment and completely gullible and naive the next, but the treatment of the character in her own narrative didn't sit right with me.
I have more complaints. The writing is aiming for a more simplistic and whimsical style that flattens all the characters and undercuts any attempts at emotional depth in the storytelling. There is nothing to latch onto with any sense of grounding.
Also, in my opinion a central purpose of a mystery is that the reader should be able to see the clues and connect the dots as they read. Perhaps they are hard to find and there are red herrings, but you should be able to get to the reveal and feel that it is plausible with the information you have. This bookarguably breaks the promise of the genre in favor of having the POV character obscure relevant information from an otherwise very detailed internal monologue. I did figure it out before the reveal, but not for the right reasons, and I can see how a reader would feel their trust in the mystery had been betrayed. It would be like reading a romance novel where you spend 90% of the book with one couple and then at the end they break up and date other people who were mentioned briefly in a random early chapter. That's not satisfying and that doesn't really qualify as a romance.
The portrayal of neurodivergent-but-unlabeled Molly bothered me. It made me feel like I did back in middle school when one of the neurodivergent-but-unlabeled students in my class would think they were getting along with a group of people for a change, but it was clear to everyone else that he was being used for entertainment. Even if they weren't saying anything openly hurtful, it was still a gross thing to do. I can't say how accurate of a portrayal Molly is because maybe there is someone out there who experiences the mental inconsistency of being perceptive and astute one moment and completely gullible and naive the next, but the treatment of the character in her own narrative didn't sit right with me.
I have more complaints. The writing is aiming for a more simplistic and whimsical style that flattens all the characters and undercuts any attempts at emotional depth in the storytelling. There is nothing to latch onto with any sense of grounding.
Also, in my opinion a central purpose of a mystery is that the reader should be able to see the clues and connect the dots as they read. Perhaps they are hard to find and there are red herrings, but you should be able to get to the reveal and feel that it is plausible with the information you have. This book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Murder
Minor: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Deportation
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have heard folks saying this book celebrates neurodiversity; I'm all for inclusivity and representation so was super eager to read it! But hmm does it? Not sure. I enjoyed the book enough to read it to the end and it was a quick read too so that has gotta count as positive no?
But things get solved and wrapped up so fast there was zero suspense created. Oh and the way the characters are written in this book were problematic for me. They didn't feel quite fleshed out or that they ever really broke out of stereotype. I mean it was like person A is a baddy so lets make him a low budget Breaking Bad type baddy. Person 2 is an illegal immigrant so lets throw in the typical plight and vulnerability - tick. Make the main character "unusual" so it will appeal to the right critics and publishing houses that pride themselves on perceived inclusivity and visibility; "we won't label her as anything specific because woke folks will hate that but I will watch Rain Man and google autism and bang out something." The fact that this is going to be made into a film is the kind of ick that I'm talking about - it has insincerity and agenda written all over it. However, the fact that it's in Florence Pugh's hands gives me hope she will make lemonade out of this somewhat lemon. Ok, I just re-read this paragraph and I didn't mean it to sound that nasty (I gave this book 3 stars after all and like I said, I mostly enjoyed it) but the crew in this book were without a doubt caricatures and nothing too original. Stereotypes exist for a reason yes, but I expect better creativity and research from the author and for a book published in the 2020s.
Despite all the those things that didn't sit well with me, i'll admit the character of Molly is no doubt interesting, I liked her enough and she made me smile a lot for a good chunk of the book. I cared about her and felt protective like an older sister would. But like I said, the character depictions are a little problematic for me. Molly says she finds it difficult to read people or figure out if they are laughing with her or at her, HOWEVER she is somehow extremely perceptive in reading certain situations when convenient to moving the plot along. Yes, people are complex and no one - neurotypical or neurodivergent fits neatly into a box, but contradictory and inconsistent behaviours take me out of going along with the story and it makes me lose faith in trusting the narrative the author is trying execute. Big problem #1 Molly participating in the assisted suicide of her very much beloved and talked about grandmother just didn't make sense for someone like the Molly we came to know. I could understand if she tried but then backed out but not this - not actually going through with it. Problem #2, the author withholding what Molly did indeed see and having her lie to everyone because she was able to understand Mr Black's first wife's motive, does not fit with the character of Molly either. Made me feel like Molly did a 360 and that she is not the person we came to know. She is always honest to a fault and doesn't pick up on the nuances of social interaction but is down with all this??? hmmm... If this was intentional I am baffled, if it was unintentional I say where was her editor? This bogus "twist" seems to be flippantly thrown in for the "wow didn't see that coming" factor to appeal to certain audiences. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a twist, but the thing is, they only work when well written and most importantly, when it is a plausible thread to the world that has already been built. Because in this instance, no way in hell Molly would have gone along with this.
Look, it's a quick and easy read that will make you smile a lot but maybe will frustrate you as well. As long as you are not expecting anything groundbreaking, it an ok enough read.
But things get solved and wrapped up so fast there was zero suspense created. Oh and the way the characters are written in this book were problematic for me. They didn't feel quite fleshed out or that they ever really broke out of stereotype. I mean it was like person A is a baddy so lets make him a low budget Breaking Bad type baddy. Person 2 is an illegal immigrant so lets throw in the typical plight and vulnerability - tick. Make the main character "unusual" so it will appeal to the right critics and publishing houses that pride themselves on perceived inclusivity and visibility; "we won't label her as anything specific because woke folks will hate that but I will watch Rain Man and google autism and bang out something." The fact that this is going to be made into a film is the kind of ick that I'm talking about - it has insincerity and agenda written all over it. However, the fact that it's in Florence Pugh's hands gives me hope she will make lemonade out of this somewhat lemon. Ok, I just re-read this paragraph and I didn't mean it to sound that nasty (I gave this book 3 stars after all and like I said, I mostly enjoyed it) but the crew in this book were without a doubt caricatures and nothing too original. Stereotypes exist for a reason yes, but I expect better creativity and research from the author and for a book published in the 2020s.
Despite all the those things that didn't sit well with me, i'll admit the character of Molly is no doubt interesting, I liked her enough and she made me smile a lot for a good chunk of the book. I cared about her and felt protective like an older sister would. But like I said, the character depictions are a little problematic for me. Molly says she finds it difficult to read people or figure out if they are laughing with her or at her, HOWEVER she is somehow extremely perceptive in reading certain situations when convenient to moving the plot along. Yes, people are complex and no one - neurotypical or neurodivergent fits neatly into a box, but contradictory and inconsistent behaviours take me out of going along with the story and it makes me lose faith in trusting the narrative the author is trying execute. Big problem #1
Look, it's a quick and easy read that will make you smile a lot but maybe will frustrate you as well. As long as you are not expecting anything groundbreaking, it an ok enough read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Violence, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Minor: Infidelity, Racism, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Classism, Deportation
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Murder