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spicycronereads's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
It was fine. Entertaining though there were some pacing issues.
Not sure what to make of a Japanese American author writing Black characters as gang members.
Not the kind of thing I normally read but it was my book club’s pick for this month. I considered not even finishing it but didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the person who picked it.
Not sure what to make of a Japanese American author writing Black characters as gang members.
Not the kind of thing I normally read but it was my book club’s pick for this month. I considered not even finishing it but didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the person who picked it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Gang violenceanitaconchita's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
Very much a book that is meant to establish a setting and compelling main character for a longer series, and for me it worked. Isaiah and Dodson are compelling characters, and they become more so as the story goes on. The central mystery is meh, but it’s great for setting your our main characters. Dialogue is enjoyable and laugh-out-loud funny in many parts, and there were some brilliant descriptions. Enjoyed it overall, but beware major toxic masculinity and casual misogyny.
peppermint_kiss's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I was ambivalent about this book.
Pros: The main character is very interesting, lovable, and an archetype you don't see much in modern mystery fiction, both in terms of his background and his personality. I actually respected him, which is unusual for me with a fictional character. The writing is pretty good and evocative, with some great laugh-out-loud moments. I enjoyed the locations and everyday activities that were depicted.
Cons: the main mystery was really, really boring to me. It was hard to care what happened. To be fair, that's also kind of how the protagonist feels, but he has to wake up every day and deal with it, whereas I have to choose to pick up the book and keep reading, which was often hard to make myself do. I also found that, while some of the characters were really complex and interesting, some of them just felt like silly stereotypes, so much so that it was hard to tell them apart. The brash hoochie girls, the dumb thugs, the hand-rubbing salesmen - which one was which? Who knows what and who is in what relation to the victim? It's fine if there's more than one character like that, but they should have at least some idiosyncratic, personal traits.
Pros: The main character is very interesting, lovable, and an archetype you don't see much in modern mystery fiction, both in terms of his background and his personality. I actually respected him, which is unusual for me with a fictional character. The writing is pretty good and evocative, with some great laugh-out-loud moments. I enjoyed the locations and everyday activities that were depicted.
Cons: the main mystery was really, really boring to me. It was hard to care what happened. To be fair, that's also kind of how the protagonist feels, but he has to wake up every day and deal with it, whereas I have to choose to pick up the book and keep reading, which was often hard to make myself do. I also found that, while some of the characters were really complex and interesting, some of them just felt like silly stereotypes, so much so that it was hard to tell them apart. The brash hoochie girls, the dumb thugs, the hand-rubbing salesmen - which one was which? Who knows what and who is in what relation to the victim? It's fine if there's more than one character like that, but they should have at least some idiosyncratic, personal traits.
hectaizani's review against another edition
4.0
Isaiah Quintabe, otherwise known as IQ, lives in a run-down, neighborhood in Los Angeles. It’s a neighborhood where the residents don’t bother calling the police because the police don’t respond. Isaiah has a reputation for helping out his neighbors with all kinds of problems. They pay him as they can with food and services.
It all started one day at the laundromat when an older lady told Isaiah the story of how the gifts at her daughter’s wedding were stolen from the hotel. Something just didn’t ring true in Isaiah’s mind, and after thinking about it figured out exactly what had happened. Word got around, and now he’s the neighborhood detective.
The story draws heavily from Sherlock Holmes. IQ has his Watson, his old roommate Dodson. Dodson is a hustler and Isaiah doesn’t really like or trust him, but when Dodson approaches him with an opportunity to actually make some money by using his detective skills instead of being paid in fruit, well, it’s an offer that’s hard to refuse. Unlike Holmes’ Watson, Dodson doesn’t seem to be very impressed with IQ and is always trying to catch him out and prove him wrong. Their relationship and early life are explored through flashbacks.
I really liked this book. I wasn’t sure I was going to when I picked it up from NetGalley, I read the blurb and thought it was just going to be an inner city homage to Sherlock Holmes. In some ways it is, but it’s also so much more than that. I don’t want to get into the case that IQ solves or give too much detail on his personal tragedy because I don’t want to spoil the fun of watching the story unfold. NetGalley gave me an ARC of this book for an honest and unbiased review, but I enjoyed it enough to continue reading past my 50 page cut off point.
It all started one day at the laundromat when an older lady told Isaiah the story of how the gifts at her daughter’s wedding were stolen from the hotel. Something just didn’t ring true in Isaiah’s mind, and after thinking about it figured out exactly what had happened. Word got around, and now he’s the neighborhood detective.
The story draws heavily from Sherlock Holmes. IQ has his Watson, his old roommate Dodson. Dodson is a hustler and Isaiah doesn’t really like or trust him, but when Dodson approaches him with an opportunity to actually make some money by using his detective skills instead of being paid in fruit, well, it’s an offer that’s hard to refuse. Unlike Holmes’ Watson, Dodson doesn’t seem to be very impressed with IQ and is always trying to catch him out and prove him wrong. Their relationship and early life are explored through flashbacks.
I really liked this book. I wasn’t sure I was going to when I picked it up from NetGalley, I read the blurb and thought it was just going to be an inner city homage to Sherlock Holmes. In some ways it is, but it’s also so much more than that. I don’t want to get into the case that IQ solves or give too much detail on his personal tragedy because I don’t want to spoil the fun of watching the story unfold. NetGalley gave me an ARC of this book for an honest and unbiased review, but I enjoyed it enough to continue reading past my 50 page cut off point.
mhuntone's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mariapfarr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.75
ginny17's review against another edition
2.0
This book was a mess. I adored the two main characters, but they weren't enough to save the book from the choppy writing and terrible dialog.
princesspersephone's review against another edition
4.0
Joe Ide spins the tale of a modern day sherlock holmes-esque character in IQ. Isaiha Quintabe is from Los Angeles and is no stranger to gang violence, guns, and sleazy manipulative people. He turned out to be o of the most unique heros ive ever read, with his unwavering eye for detail and ability to always stay one (or three!!) steps ahead of the culprits. This book takes on so many twists and turns as it centers around the investigation of the attempted murder of a famous rapper. A complicated plot and the excitement of the "who dunnit" aspect made this completely unputdownable.
As exciting as it was to read it, I also cant stop thinking about it weeks after I finished the last page. The eccentric methods of IQ and his penchant for strange knowledge made this unforgettable. Im just sitting here thinking WHY IS THIS NOT A MOVIE YET?!? I kept picturing Keiynan Lonsdale as the perfect IQ for his cute geeky vibe!
As exciting as it was to read it, I also cant stop thinking about it weeks after I finished the last page. The eccentric methods of IQ and his penchant for strange knowledge made this unforgettable. Im just sitting here thinking WHY IS THIS NOT A MOVIE YET?!? I kept picturing Keiynan Lonsdale as the perfect IQ for his cute geeky vibe!