Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

3 reviews

emily_mh's review

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was enjoyable and entertaining, which is all I really ask of a “cosy mystery”. I was really pleasantly surprised that this one went deeper by bringing in a complicated family dynamic: Lila felt a lot of tension over wanting to support her elders in thanks for their sacrifices, while also wanting to be independent and do her own thing. I also love how much food was centred in the story. It was mouthwatering to read about and themed the narrative well. 

The plot itself was investigation-focussed with multiple avenues being explored at once, which was fantastic for me as it drove the story and also meant I could speculate and form different theories. The resolution ended up being well-suited. 

The characterisation was excellent. This book has a large cast but each character felt distinct, including Lila the MC who was stubborn, loving, and confused about what she wanted. She was a realistic depiction of a 25 year-old, as someone who is very nearly 25. I do think that her character development could have been better realised, though, as it felt a little quick. 

I have two other criticisms. The first is that the romance (in the form of a love triangle) was totally unnecessary, and there was also no chemistry whatsoever with either LI. The second is that Lila was smart enough to have figured out more of the mystery on her own, but instead we got a little villain monologue. 

But overall, as I said before, I enjoyed this read. I definitely want to continue with the series! 

Rep: Filipina-American MC, Filipino-American SCs, Muslim Pakistani-American LI, biracial white/Korean-American LI, lesbian Muslim Pakistani-American SC, biracial white/Korean-American SC, sapphic Mexican-American SC, Black SC, Japanese-American SC 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Moderate: Car accident, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Violence, and Addiction

Minor: Body shaming, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexism, Bullying, Racism, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, Deportation, Ableism, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Addiction, Misogyny, Colonisation, Death of parent, Vomit, Drug use, Hate crime, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Physical abuse

Major: medical emergency, false legal accusations Moderate: imprisonment, break-in Minor: loss of a loved one, gambling, police corruption, extortion, disordered eating, blackmail, sick loved one

kbairbooks's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I love how good based this book was, I love the diversity, the friendships, and the culture. But I didn’t like the fat phobia and the aunties …. at all. I didn’t like the romances and she didn’t have chemistry with anybody. Her reactions to everything were so dramatic for a 25 year old. The ice at the end was random and I really didn’t connect with this book at all. Not for me I guess. Probably won’t read book 2.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Vomit, Hate crime, and Panic attacks/disorders

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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? No

4.0

This was so good????? I don't think I've ever read a cozy mystery before, but I think I will be trying some after reading this, and I can't wait for the next book in the series. The writing was fast paced and lighthearted, while still managing to navigate difficult topics effectively. I loved Lila as a main character, and there are a ton of side characters that I'd like to see more from. The plot was entertaining, and I didn't see the twist coming. I also really appreciated the Author's Note at the beginning addressing the content warnings. Huge fan of this one. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders