So! Today I'll be briefly going over a book I read recently: Murder For Two, by Niyla Farook. It's been a while since I wrote a review of anything, so apologies if I'm a bit rusty. I was super excited for this book (I learned of it just before it came out and ordered it from my local bookshop) and I still think the concept is really good, but the execution was…ehhhhhhh? Anyway, before I get sidetracked, I'll go over the aforementioned concept and give a vague summary of the Vibes:
Murder For Two is a middle grade novel about two twins, Ani and Riri, who were separated as small children and have only interacted occasionally over the years. They are finally brought back together at the age of 11, and catastrophe strikes (oh no, not catastrophe!) when Ani's friend/mentor/grandma figure is murdered. Things are complicated by the revelation that the victim might not have been who she said she was, and the twins have to work together despite their differences in order to make sure justice is done.
Now, on paper, that all seems like an excellent set-up and I was genuinely very pumped to start reading, especially since the cover rules, but this is one of those books where the execution just…didn't hit for me? Firstly, the characters. I want to state up-front that I think it's very cool that they're both Pakistani (with Riri also wearing a hijab, and there being a brief discussion of that) and also neurodivergent. Representation of intersectionality rocks and there should be more of it! I liked the frank discussion of Ani being on medication for her ADHD - I think a lot of kids would find comfort in knowing that relying on medication is normal and not a moral failing - and while I didn't particularly relate to Riri, not every autistic character needs to be relatable to every autistic person, and just having her state on the page that she is autistic and has OCD is much more straight-forward and meaningful representation than a lot of people would think.
However, the character writing was just kind of. Okay? I didn't find myself particularly rooting for either of them. I know Ani is supposed to be impulsive and loud, speaking before she thinks and often being quite insensitive, and that isn't inherently a Bad Character Type; it can be done really well, like with May Wong in Robin Steven's books. The key to making them sympathetic, though, is to put the reader in the character's shoes. Anger always comes from somewhere, and even if the reader wouldn't feel the same way as the character in every situation, subtly explaining why they feel the way they do can make things make a lot more sense.
Not helping the characters, though, is the prose. I know people think ‘ah, children’s literature: The Easiest And Worst Genre', but it's actually really difficult to write and I have read some incredibly written MG books. This isn't really one of them. It isn't bad, by any means, but the words used and the dialogue feel a lot stiffer and younger than you'd expect for what's (I think) supposed to be for kids 10-and-up? Take the part where they find the victim's body:
“'Oh gosh!' Riri exclaims behind me. ‘I’m germophobic and something of a chicken so I can't be here! I don't know what the situation is over there, but, Ani, I swear, I can't.'”
That isn't really…how people usually talk in that kind of situation, I think. Especially if they're 11 years old. I can't imagine someone seeing the dead body of a person they know and responding with ‘oh gosh!’ and the phrase ‘something of a chicken’.
The plot also isn't great. I usually enjoy middle grade because my even my brain fog-addled mind can usually make sense of what's happening, but I kept being blindsided by new elements being added, and what I thought was the ending happened about three times before actually being the ending. I'm still not entirely sure what the conclusion to the mystery was.
In summary, I think that if you're looking for a kidlit murder mystery, you could do a lot worse, but you could also ultimately do better. I'd recommend the Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens for neurodivergent girls solving crimes, and The Undetectables if you're more into YA and urban fantasy.