This week we are discussing Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto, Ch. 26-End.
Content Warning!!! This book contains situations and subjects related to: murder/death, dead body, violence, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, bullying and panic attacks/disorders.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
Discussion:
Michaela: Hello friends and welcome to our final discussion of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto! This last section of the book sucked me all the way in. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this one. It felt like everything started tumbling out of place and then back into place as the story unfolded.
We started off with a lot of confessions. Sana confessed to knowing Marshall and not having a ‘pot catch’. Then Riki confessed to Vera what really happened between him and Marshall with making a scam bot. Then we get a glimpse of someone following both Julia and Emma, which was quite creepy before we found out what was really going on. I was really scared someone was going to try kidnapping Emma or something.
Jacilyn: I have been anticipating the moment we learn of these people’s connections to Marshall, and their guilt and fear surrounding his death. I gotta say, though, Marshall had a hell of a last 24 hours alive. I can’t really say I blame Sana for attacking Marshall. I don’t condone physical violence, but the way he manipulated her and stole her art was so traumatic for her. And I feel the exact same way about Riki. Learning about his brother? Talk about heavy emotions. I cried so much during this final section, and honestly I really was not expecting to.
I am a sucker for found family vibes, and this book scratches that itch so well. They all need each other, including Vera. When everything exploded there for a while between the characters, my heart broke a bit. Sana and Julia were totally valid in their feelings, though. I would be shocked to find out that my boyfriend had had a part in stealing from artists, willing or not. And I cannot even imagine what it would have been like as Julia reading Oliver’s manuscript. I figured he embellished things for the sake of dramatics in the story, like his level of obsession over Julia, but if I were her I would not have felt comfortable until I knew that for sure. I did think Julia’s reaction towards Vera wasn’t entirely fair, though I understand how it happened with how heightened those emotions were.
Michaela: I freaking love found family stories and this one was a very unique set up to one. Vera and Emma bonding and then helping Sana heal by making art in the sand. Ugh, too precious!
I understand Julia’s anger, all at once she found out that the two people she trusted the most in that moment had actually been lying to her the whole time. And really Vera did throw the investigation off by taking the flash drive, but I think it was mostly that Julia felt betrayed and creeped out by Oliver (understandably) and simply betrayed by Vera. But that moment broke my heart. Then Vera gets a call from Tilly immediately after where he says he’s grateful that she’s selling the shop because that’s what he assumes is happening. (Tilly can go in the trash for how mean he is to Vera) Then Vera just spirals into a severe depression that felt like she had probably been holding in for years. I cried just at that part and when Riki immediately ran upstairs yelling her name. I’m teary thinking about it!
Going back to Oliver’s betrayal. That manuscript was creepy as hell and I do not know how he could forget what he wrote in it when he saw Vera reading it. Like dude…. It was clearly like a therapeutic thing to write but my gods man, burn it or something. Especially after Marshall turns up dead…ya let’s just keep a story you wrote of murdering your brother just in your car for anyone to easily find. Honestly, if I was Julia I still wouldn’t trust Oliver. I don’t think I could ever drop the suspicion of does he care for me as a friend or is he obsessed with me and secretly in love with me like he wrote.
Jacilyn: I liked that Tilly joined the group and ended up representing Oliver, and then becoming friends with him, but I have my doubts about whether or not he’s actually being a good son to Vera yet. The way he treats her is awful.
Her depression broke my heart. I cried that entire couple of chapters, and then Riki finding her made me cry all over again. And then when Emma ran into the hospital room and yelled “grandma!” UGH! It is just so sweet.
I thought that this would be the emotional low point of the book, but then we find out about Alex. I suspected that he was Marshall and Oli’s father with the repeated mentions of the gate at his apartment, but I figured if he had anything to do with the death, it was accidental. I was actually shocked that he purposely poisoned Marshall. My heart broke for him. To have experienced such an intense, world-changing realization and simultaneous betrayal, when he’s already lost so much with his wife. And then the guilt of having killed his child on top of it. I almost didn’t expect them to call the police, honestly. I wasn’t really sure how they would handle that. This is something that’s going to impact Oli for the rest of his life, too. Even just talking about this part of the book is making me teary-eyed. So many emotions!
Michaela: I suspected Alex was involved but I never guessed he was Marshall and Oliver’s father. That shocked me and I was not ready for it. All of Alex’s story was pure heartbreak. He visited Vera’s shop and made it a safe space for him to live for 10 minutes at a time in a world where his wife was still alive. Then he sees Marshall for the first time ever without his well practiced mask on. Alex sees how angry Marshall can be at first but Marshall quickly disintegrates the rest of his mask. I wonder if Marshall had reached his limit for being able to keep it up or if he just didn’t care anymore. He says some truly awful things about Julia, Emma, and even his own mother. I’m impressed at how quickly Alex accepted the truth of Marshall that was presented to him, many would have tried to deny it for a long time but I think Marshall’s words were so vile to Alex that his version of Marshall died in that moment.
I think Alex deciding to kill Marshall was very extreme but I can see where he felt it necessary in his mind. He finds out how awful his son really was and that everything in his life, which was centered around Marshall, was a lie. Then add on his vile actions and words, I think Alex felt he had no choice. It’s just so freaking sad.
I was surprised they called the cops. I don’t know that I would have if I were them but I suppose it would have come to light at some point. I think Alex would need therapy for what he did and everything that happened, rather than jail but that’s the justice system we’re left with so here we are. I wish we got to find out what happened to Alex in the epilogue, I do appreciate that Tilly helped find someone to represent Alex. Tilly better be stepping up his game, with all the others ready to throw some hands at him for how he treated Vera. I wish we had gotten the whole scene of Julia cussing Tilly out, that would have been so satisfying.
I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I thought ‘oh this will be cute’ and then there I was at 1 am bawling! Such a lovely found family under awful circumstances. So many emotional moments mixed in with lots of cute and funny moments. Very well written and entertaining book.
Jacilyn: This book surprised me in the best ways. I’m definitely glad we picked this title! And, I’ll be looking out for more of the author’s books in the future. That’s all we have for this one, friends. We’ll be back soon with our next book!
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