Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Really fun, light-hearted gothic book with a bunch of adventure! I really enjoyed it!
2.5 Stars
*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book*
Firstly, I was really excited to read Tuesday Mooney Wears Black by Kate Racculia when I first saw this on NetGalley. The cover and the weird title grabbed my attention, then the synopsis was the final string that just pulled me in. However, when adding this to my Goodreads list, I discovered that, for some reason, the cover and title of this book has been changed. The new title (Tuesday Mooney Talks To Ghosts) and the new cutesy cover was a major let down. It made the book look like two different genres aimed at two different audiences. The newer one looks more young adult or even middle grade and it instantly put a downer on what I was about to read.
This book definitely has a Ready Player One and Caraval feeling to it. Hold on, hold on!! I love Ready Player One and thoroughly enjoyed Caraval so let me explain. At the beginning of this book this eccentric billionaire who has a fascination with everything horror dies! He leaves behind this hunt that is open for everyone to participate in and the winner gets.... EVERYTHING!! See.. you get that Ready Player One and Caraval vibe. I'm not going to lie, I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the storyline, as I am a MASSIVE fan of not only all things horror myself, but of treasure hunts. It's always nice to see everything click together, with one clue leading to the next clue, which is also a great way to move the storyline along. But that is where the comparison of those books comes to an end.
The storyline was good enough to keep me interested for its duration, but it's not one that is going to stick with me. It was the storyline and how it progressed through that got me through the book. The characters were quite one dimensional and lacking for a book that is 425 pages long, which is surprising, and more time should have been spent of the development of those characters. I couldn't really connect to any of them and there was a lot of generic character traits within this book, that still didn't give me what I wanted as a reader.
*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book*
Firstly, I was really excited to read Tuesday Mooney Wears Black by Kate Racculia when I first saw this on NetGalley. The cover and the weird title grabbed my attention, then the synopsis was the final string that just pulled me in. However, when adding this to my Goodreads list, I discovered that, for some reason, the cover and title of this book has been changed. The new title (Tuesday Mooney Talks To Ghosts) and the new cutesy cover was a major let down. It made the book look like two different genres aimed at two different audiences. The newer one looks more young adult or even middle grade and it instantly put a downer on what I was about to read.
This book definitely has a Ready Player One and Caraval feeling to it. Hold on, hold on!! I love Ready Player One and thoroughly enjoyed Caraval so let me explain. At the beginning of this book this eccentric billionaire who has a fascination with everything horror dies! He leaves behind this hunt that is open for everyone to participate in and the winner gets.... EVERYTHING!! See.. you get that Ready Player One and Caraval vibe. I'm not going to lie, I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the storyline, as I am a MASSIVE fan of not only all things horror myself, but of treasure hunts. It's always nice to see everything click together, with one clue leading to the next clue, which is also a great way to move the storyline along. But that is where the comparison of those books comes to an end.
The storyline was good enough to keep me interested for its duration, but it's not one that is going to stick with me. It was the storyline and how it progressed through that got me through the book. The characters were quite one dimensional and lacking for a book that is 425 pages long, which is surprising, and more time should have been spent of the development of those characters. I couldn't really connect to any of them and there was a lot of generic character traits within this book, that still didn't give me what I wanted as a reader.
Tuesday likes to keep to herself, mostly. She has one good friend, Dex, from a former job, and has earned the adulation from a young neighbor, Dorry, whom she tutors. By day, she develops fundraising profiles on some of the city's biggest donors. Which is how she ends up at a gala fundraiser where Vincent Pryce dramatically keels over, dead. Pryce leaves behind a Poe-inspired scavenger hunt of clues for the whole city, and Tuesday puts her professional sleuthing skills to use in participating. She has plenty of help--some wanted, some not--between Dex, Dorry, and a rich interloper. For readers looking for quirky characters, a fun puzzle, and hints of the macabre.
adventurous
hopeful
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
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:
Complicated
i had to look at the publication date of this book several times as i read it. this feels very strongly like a book written in 2005, not 2019, right down to the reference of gay marriage only being legal in massachusetts. it's quirky and sweet in a way that books of that time often were; i could easily recommend this to a fan of buffy, i think. it's not bad; it's incredibly charming. well okay, the teen's perspective was very bad, Racculia doesn't have a knack for writing teens. and there's what seems like a character's foot fetish. but other than that, charming. almost cozy. which is fine! i was just hoping for a little more.
Took me a minute to get interested but then the story took off and the premise is very interesting and fun. An enjoyable read!
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder