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Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
20 reviews
fyre_flies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Body shaming, Vomit, and Dementia
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Vera was a great protagonist, her and her newfound family's fumbling was humorous but the book still had serious undertones. It was a good mix of lighthearted & emotional. I laughed and I cried.
I didn't guess the murderer until Vera figured it out, the author did a good job of disguising them with misdirection.
My biggest complaint was that the book was a bit longer than I thought it needed. I can't wait for their next adventure!
Narrator Rating: 4.75 stars
The narrator did an amazing job, I wish they'd done a full cast for this since it was told from many points of view.
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Dementia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism
The instances of child abuse were emotional abuse of a toddler. Nothing physically or sexually abusive towards a child is mentioned.madlain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Murder
theliteraryteapot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Gaslighting
amberinpieces's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Cursing and Murder
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
aseel_reads's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Ableism, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
emilywemily6's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Medical content and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, Alcohol, and Classism
axel_p's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 14, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Cozy • Quirky • Wholesome
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Put the kettle on, there’s a mystery brewing…
Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?
Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).
But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I had previously read Jesse Q. Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties and absolutely adored it, so I was looking forward to jumping into a different world with many similarities to that book. And I must say I was not disappointed.
The characters are what really make this book different from other cozy mysteries. In a typical cozy, the characters can be surface level, yet here there is depth and we get to know each of their stories. Vera herself is absolutely hilarious and endearing woman. I found myself laughing at her stream of conscious thought and at all of the meddling (especially with her son's love life) she does. Although she first appears like an incredibly strong and confident person (with quirks, of course), there is an underlying loneliness with her. As the story progresses, she connects with a variety of people who quickly become her found family, which just gave off such wholesome vibes.
The food descriptions had be drooling and I always enjoy a novel where food plays an integral role in connection. Food is Vera's love language and I thought it was incredibly well developed into the storyline. The San Francisco setting also felt refreshing and inviting.
Overall, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a feel-good murder mystery with comedic vibes and a unique cast of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't have to think too much, Vera's antics were entertaining and I could really relax with a cozy blanket while reading. It reminded me how much I enjoyed the Aunties series and I look forward to continuing that series sometime soon.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• cozy fans
• readers on vacation
⚠️ CW: violence, murder, death, death of parent, grief, gaslighting, bullying, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, toxic relationship, cursing, misogyny, medical content, abandonment, drug use, panic attacks/disorders, infidelity, body shaming
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often."
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Abandonment
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail