Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala

19 reviews

halebugs's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide and Murder

Minor: Death of parent

caseythereader's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 - It was so lovely to return to Shady Palms with Lila and her family. HOMICIDE AND HALO-HALO is just as full of love, intrigue, and delicious food descriptions as the first book in this series was.
- A bunch of new characters were introduced in this installment, broadening our knowledge of the town and its inhabitants. I adore how effortlessly diverse these books are - small towns don't have to be strictly white and straight.
- This book also begins probing Lila's mental health, particularly PTSD she has around the events of ARSENIC AND ADOBO. I'm looking forward to seeing where this plotline goes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Alcohol, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Death of parent

jennneely82's review against another edition

challenging funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

A deliciously cozy mystery! I love books like this. A light-hearted read that focuses on food, family, and friendships. The recipes at the end are an extra bonus. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide and Murder

thereaderfriend's review against another edition

funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Much heavier than the first one but heavily enjoyed! :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Sexism, Vomit, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Medical content, and Misogyny

alexafuson's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

After Arsenic and Adobo, the first book of this series, I found this one a bit disappointing. This was a really fun book to read, and the plot was mostly engaging. I find it unrealistic that Lila was involved in this case to the same extent as the previous book, and the dialogue and internal narration are stiff and unrealistic. There are SO many side characters that I can’t keep track up. Even with the big murder reveal, I found it hard to care because I barely remembered who that character was. This book presented great conversations about race, class, gender, and privilege, but I fear the representation of therapy and mental illness in this book could give people the wrong impression. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, and Mental illness

cassielaj's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

I think I liked this better than the first one!! The mystery was a bit more straightforward, though still without being predictable. I also loved taking a deeper look at some of the characters! And the pageant-related mystery made me think of Miss Congeniality, which I loved. 
The only thing that tripped me up a bit were the frequent and often niche cultural references. Memes, characters, and phrases were used that made this feel like a very 2022 book, and I worry that it might seem somewhat dated pretty quickly. 
Overall, though, it’s a great book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Pedophilia, and Murder

Minor: Misogyny, Gun violence, and Acephobia/Arophobia

a2_rache11's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Suicide

love3v07's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Grief

Minor: Suicide, Pregnancy, Fatphobia, Murder, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Mental illness

allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-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

3.0

This series is 2/2 for choosing the murder victim I would most like on the chopping block (ok, so I clearly have issues). It's also perfection for introducing a cast of suspects where I genuinely hoped most of them didn't do the crime so we would be graced with their presence again in future books. I was specifically excited because this one adds to the queer ensemble with a woman who I interpret to be aro/ace based on a conversation around her lack of desire to be in a romantic partnership of any kind.

As the author notes at the outset, this book still offers a cozy mystery ambience and a satisfying resolution, but it delves into some difficult themes along the way. After Lila's last round of sleuthing, expect to see her dealing with the fallout to her mental health while resisting the idea of seeking professional help (or any help for that matter). As Lila steps up to judge the town's beauty pageant, an event where she once wore the crown, uncomfortable truths about her relationship with her deceased mother also surface.

I was sympathetic/empathetic towards Lila's mental health struggles, but not so much towards her love triangle, which intersects with another love triangle and is basically a big, complicated, jealous, petty mess. My irritation was swallowed up by a tide of hilarity when a character called it out in front of all three members of the triangle and an avid audience. That ~almost~ made the angst worth it. To be fair, it is resolved by the end of the book, and I'm relieved to know it won't drag out through the series.

This cozy mystery doesn't shrink from complex issues. I would expect nothing less given its predecessor. It has the delicious foods and fun characters that make the genre sparkle while also approaching topics surrounding race, gender, and power with grace and style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

Minor: Suicide, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Racism, Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Injury/Injury detail