Reviews tagging 'Stalking'
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
6 reviews
k_readingmorenow'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? No
3.5
I found it loses steam around the 3/4 mark and sort of treads water, still trying to focus on atmosphere while not knowing what to do with the plot. The child character who is supposed to be two becomes more of a focus, which I dislike. She is inconsistently precocious, being whatever the plot needs her to be, behaving anywhere from one to ten years old. But the ending is surprising and does tie it all neatly together, which I appreciate in a mystery. All in all, it was an enjoyable light read.
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Stalking
Minor: Child abuse
guessgreenleaf'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
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, and Abandonment
Minor: Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Violence, and Stalking
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book is ridiculously hilarious. I think I probably found it more so because of the people I know who are elderly Chinese migrants. I had mixed feelings as to whether I was playing into Racial stereotypes or just laughing at things that I recognise fondly from people I know. (These are the things that White Progressively minded people have to wonder at in the hope that we aren't perpetuating stupid biases against other people.. even expressing that feels awkward as all get out, but it's worth the effort.) As someone whose job used to be making advertising for Asian small-business owners, I was belly laughing at the discussion between Vera and her son, about how she "can't" to make baseless claims about her business such as it being "World Famous", when nobody had heard of it. This was a culture clash that I had personally encountered in my work, and the book had me nodding along with these various cultural quirks; Vera continually commenting on the condition of people's skin, criticises young people for being lazy, and refers to any self-trained expert as a "doctor" - I have been called Computer Doctor by Chinese workmates... it's a thing).
Vera is a character. She operates with very little filter, and a lot of energy. Her commanding presence has her drawing together all her suspe... new friends, to unravel their involvement in the life of the man who was killed. Vera's English is not quite right, and her command of modern technology is .. approximate. She bumbles her way overconfidently through a modern age of Googles and Podcasts, fairly well, and is up before dawn to make bribe.. er breakfast for the local police and the various people she hopes to befriend on her search for Justice!
Under Vera's insuppressible bluster is a story about people surviving encounters with an entitled Narcissist. Interspersed throughout the story in ways that make the emotionally fraught content a little more palatable, we have the bitterness of a son who is demonised by his manipulative twin, a wife who is gaslit and socially isolated by her derisive husband, an artist who is continually pressured and controlled by her family to the point where her self-esteem is worn down, and a guy who is making bad decisions because of financial hardship and his duty to his family. Family is a deep theme through the whole book, and we are slowly brought to the modern idea of building new families around us that are nurturing, regardless of the damage done to us by the families we are born or married into.
I didn't know whether or not to cringe at how these people were manipulated and pushed around by a strange old lady - how badly had they been treated that they were so full of self-blame and lack of assertiveness? At the same time I was also upset that I might have been in a similar position especially when I was younger. I have at times been such a bombastic force of nature that others have gone along with whatever I said because it was easier than trying to swim against the rip-tide. In some ways Vera uses the same techniques as the horrid dead man, in that she focuses intently on people, love bombs them (sometimes with tea and food) and then inserts herself into their lives, but the main thing that separates her from the nasty guy is that she tries to get people together, to help them communicate, to help people excel at what they love and value themselves for it, and to build them up rather than tearing them down. (I can relate - but it's a little embarrassing to admit).
At times it eels like this story runs quite slowly. The fear of the main characters makes them hide their true motives and so it takes some time before the backstory comes out, but it is worth the wait. Fun story.
Graphic: Mental illness, Gaslighting, Murder, Domestic abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Terminal illness, Stalking, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Chronic illness and Terminal illness
gillianengelbrecht'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
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Stalking, and Death of parent
lifeisshortsoami'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
4.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
Minor: Stalking and Death of parent
imstephtacular's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Gaslighting, and Ableism
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Vomit, Body shaming, Blood, Violence, Murder, Misogyny, Alcohol, Stalking, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Pregnancy, Grief, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Drug use