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A review by boldeststroke
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
3.5
i picked this book up for two reasons: i wanted to read a novel with a filipino american protagonist in it and i wanted to read a murder mystery that would hopefully fill the afterparty shaped hole in my heart after the show got cancelled.
needless to say, i'm glad i did! it's definitely a cozy read if i've ever seen one before, with all the recognizable tropes that make the subgenre comfortable, but it still had a decent amount of stakes. if i had a nickel for every time a character in this got a coma... anyway. something i really loved was all the taglish throughout. seeing the hybrid language intermingled so naturally throughout gave me a really nice feeling inside. as someone who understands tagalog but doesn't really have the courage to speak in the language around other people, especially filipinos who have a better grasp on pronunciation and accent as i do, it was sweet to find a place where i could put that knowledge to use. i was also pleasantly surprised there was wlw rep! adeena and elena do you need a third? i would also comment on two certain women but let me refrain for the sake of spoilers. however i think there is potential there.
i could see myself reading more of the books within this universe. AND COOKING THE RECIPES! i'm obsessed with baking ube crinkles right now so imagine my surprise when lila served those up. i gotta try out that banana bread recipe. here's hoping both satiate my hunger for good murder mysteries and great filipino food!
needless to say, i'm glad i did! it's definitely a cozy read if i've ever seen one before, with all the recognizable tropes that make the subgenre comfortable, but it still had a decent amount of stakes. if i had a nickel for every time a character in this got a coma... anyway. something i really loved was all the taglish throughout. seeing the hybrid language intermingled so naturally throughout gave me a really nice feeling inside. as someone who understands tagalog but doesn't really have the courage to speak in the language around other people, especially filipinos who have a better grasp on pronunciation and accent as i do, it was sweet to find a place where i could put that knowledge to use. i was also pleasantly surprised there was wlw rep! adeena and elena do you need a third? i would also comment on two certain women but let me refrain for the sake of spoilers. however i think there is potential there.
i could see myself reading more of the books within this universe. AND COOKING THE RECIPES! i'm obsessed with baking ube crinkles right now so imagine my surprise when lila served those up. i gotta try out that banana bread recipe. here's hoping both satiate my hunger for good murder mysteries and great filipino food!