Reviews

I enjoyed this mystery. I did struggle a bit with the writing, particularly some of the pandemic details since it felt like it was being written for people with no context of the COVID pandemic.

Content Warnings

acton's review

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is an entertaining mystery set in Kaua’i, during the worst days of the pandemic, when small businesses and schools were all closed. Viewing the pandemic’s effects on a vastly different place and culture than my own was the most intriguing aspect about this story.

Actually, I feel that this novel is just as much drama as mystery. There are many characters involved, and their stories do not necessarily have much to do with the mystery, but do show the reader the everyday struggles of life on a remote island during an economic downturn.

All the background stories also highlight how important the main character, Leilani Santiago, is to so many people. Naomi Hirahara has certainly invented a strong and likable female protagonist. I found this to be a light and enjoyable read.

Thank you to Turner Publishing Company and Edelweiss+ for this enjoyable experience.

saenz's review

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character voices all kind of felt the same and it was difficult to differentiate or connect to any of them in the first 50 pages, and not enough happened to keep me engaged in the beginning

caseydmc's review

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This sub-200 page, novella is an extremely quick read, but I struggled with the choppy writing style and the rushed conclusion where the climax and the wind-down are scrunched into so few pages it felt like a list of plot advancements rather than developed concepts. It's so rushed it felt like a stereotypical "...and then everything magically worked out for everyone, the end." There was insufficient character development for most of the large ensemble of characters to get too attached to many; at times I found myself asking 'who was that person again?' at the names of occasionally recurring characters, even though again, the whole piece is just a couple hundred pages.

The narrator drops what the author describes as a Hawaiian-creole Pidgin, Japanese, and Hawai'ian linguistic features throughout (the author states she isn't Hawai'ian and provides an incomplete glossary), but not as much in the first sections of the book so the shift feels like it's a noticeable change in the character voice.

The general plot was interesting, and if developed, could have been really compelling. It was a disappointing read for me.

margothere's review

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funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

dangerpronedaphne's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

rebeccasreadingrambles's review

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4.0

This book made me want to hop on a plane and head to Kaua'i to have a shave ice with Leilani and Court. The descriptions in this book made me feel right at home on this small island and I also want to read more and more about it. This book takes place during the pandemic and really shows a hard look at how it is affecting so many people in different ways. It's jarring to think about people being forced from their homes and losing businesses, but as we know it is one of the terrible realities of these past years. However, the ending does leave us with hope for many of the characters.
I loved following Leilani as a sleuth. She may not be positive what she wants to do long term now, but she is clearly passionate about helping people and that leads her to investigating many of the strange things happening around her. She is smart and savvy and I was rooting her on the whole way. I love her family and friends and how she will do anything to help them, even if it's scary or uncomfortable. I was completely stumped by the mystery and loved all the twists and reveals. I hope we will get more stories in this series!

Thanks to the publishers for a review copy.

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