february_friday's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
5.0
I have loved Mariko Tamaki's graphic novels for a very long time. So since I heard she has also written a couple of novels, I have been really excited to try them out. This one is a dual POV novel about the murder of a teenage boy. One of the narrators is the ghost of the boy, and the other is Georgia, a girl who has nothing to do with the murder but ends up getting involved in her own investigation.
This book was more of an exploration of the experience of being a queer teenager, which in parts got a bit triggering for how accurate it was. Tamaki's characters always feel extremely real, almost like I was watching security camera footage I wasn't supposed to see. It also has a bit of a plot, making the story's pain bearable. On that same note, this was a great murder mystery! Even though that wasn't the main goal of the author, I found myself as surprised as the main character when she found out what actually happened.
I must admit that the book may not be for everyone, but if you are the type of reader who enjoys character studies that also discuss relevant topics, I think you will love this one.
This book was more of an exploration of the experience of being a queer teenager, which in parts got a bit triggering for how accurate it was. Tamaki's characters always feel extremely real, almost like I was watching security camera footage I wasn't supposed to see. It also has a bit of a plot, making the story's pain bearable. On that same note, this was a great murder mystery! Even though that wasn't the main goal of the author, I found myself as surprised as the main character when she found out what actually happened.
I must admit that the book may not be for everyone, but if you are the type of reader who enjoys character studies that also discuss relevant topics, I think you will love this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Bullying
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Sexual content and Outing
libscote's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Told in alternating view between Georgia, an outcast queer teen, and Todd, the dead teen in question, this story outlines the murder of a boy and the steps that led to that conclusion. It didn't go the way I thought, which was a fun change. It is a book with another dead LGBTQ+ individual, but the author acknowledges why they did it in an author note at the end which I found helpful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual content, and Bullying
caseythereader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thanks to Macmillan Publishing for the free advance copy of this book.
- COLD is a quick, gripping YA murder mystery. At less than 250 pages, the story moves along at a clip, dragging you directly into Todd and Georgia's minds as they unravel the events surrounding Todd's death.
- It's sad and tense and terrible and I just had to know what happened. I felt so deeply for these two kids, outcasts in different ways, just trying to be themselves and be accepted for it.
- It does feel very neatly tied up at the end, but I think one can expect a YA mystery to be a little less messy than an adult murder mystery novel.
- COLD is a quick, gripping YA murder mystery. At less than 250 pages, the story moves along at a clip, dragging you directly into Todd and Georgia's minds as they unravel the events surrounding Todd's death.
- It's sad and tense and terrible and I just had to know what happened. I felt so deeply for these two kids, outcasts in different ways, just trying to be themselves and be accepted for it.
- It does feel very neatly tied up at the end, but I think one can expect a YA mystery to be a little less messy than an adult murder mystery novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Fatphobia
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