Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by dontworryboutme
Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw
2.0
2.4
The “romance” absolutely ruined this book. Reviews stating a lack of character development are bang on. It was difficult to like the MC because, for example, the same night she sees her friend stabbed, she suddenly wants to bone. I have literally never, in all my decades in this consciousness, not ONCE met someone who wants to bang after grave tragedy befalls them.
The book took 30% to start the plot and 60%-ish to have a critical plot turn that SHOULD have created an uber high stakes environment and pushed our MC further into solving the whodunnit, but instead she just continues to act like she’s moonlights with the Scooby-Doo crew (instead of head-on committing herself to solving the murders, as a reasonable person would in this circumstance). She seems almost narcissistic, like her mother, but then the author never bothers to explore the angle that Mina might have anti-social behavior, so I think it’s just not as deep as I’ve made it; it’s just plain poorly written.
However, the book is redeemed by its clear love of NOLA and the 90s. And, as I grew up a bayou/gulf kid in the 90s, taking trips to NOLA and asking street psychics “will I be famous?!”, I appreciate that. The story was very bare bones, but good bones all the same and I found myself wishing that this book had somehow worked out as I cleaned my bathroom today.
I’m debating reading the next book since it has a higher rating.
EDIT: Yep, I’m really missing 90s NOLA enough to get the next book. Not sure when I’ll read it though.
The “romance” absolutely ruined this book. Reviews stating a lack of character development are bang on. It was difficult to like the MC because, for example, the same night she sees her friend stabbed, she suddenly wants to bone. I have literally never, in all my decades in this consciousness, not ONCE met someone who wants to bang after grave tragedy befalls them.
The book took 30% to start the plot and 60%-ish to have a critical plot turn that SHOULD have created an uber high stakes environment and pushed our MC further into solving the whodunnit, but instead she just continues to act like she’s moonlights with the Scooby-Doo crew (instead of head-on committing herself to solving the murders, as a reasonable person would in this circumstance). She seems almost narcissistic, like her mother, but then the author never bothers to explore the angle that Mina might have anti-social behavior, so I think it’s just not as deep as I’ve made it; it’s just plain poorly written.
However, the book is redeemed by its clear love of NOLA and the 90s. And, as I grew up a bayou/gulf kid in the 90s, taking trips to NOLA and asking street psychics “will I be famous?!”, I appreciate that. The story was very bare bones, but good bones all the same and I found myself wishing that this book had somehow worked out as I cleaned my bathroom today.
I’m debating reading the next book since it has a higher rating.
EDIT: Yep, I’m really missing 90s NOLA enough to get the next book. Not sure when I’ll read it though.