A review by kristinj1
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

adventurous emotional mysterious sad 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

This was a pleasant and engaging read! I liked the main character, Vera, even though I found her pushy in maybe situations. However, she was such an honest and complete character that I felt like like the other characters in the book seemed to feel - this is who she is and how she expresses her care for you just looks different than how you may want it to look. The only quibble I have is very small, and it is that I didn't really get the relationship she had with her son and how it tied up in the end with Tilly, her son, becoming part of "the gang." But maybe there's more that would be shared in future books in this series, if it becomes a series? I would be fine with this being a standalone book, however. It sounds like the author's initial series, "Dial A For Aunties," is a really interesting one, as well! Reading this book makes me interested in checking out her other books.

Coming back to this review to add, after rereading what I wrote, it strikes me that one of my favorite things about the book is what wasn't there! I don't think there were any white people, but it wasn't explicitly called out. There wasn't any racism experienced by anybody, and and maybe it's unrealistic of me, but I really liked being able to read a book about people with rich inner lives and honest experiences doing things together without being halted by other people's racist ideas and actions.
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