@somewillwin has asked for volunteers from the fandom to help her create a more objective rating of
@somewillwin has asked for volunteers from the fandom to help her create a more objective rating of the Choices books. So I thought it might be fun to lend my voice to the conversation.I will start by saying that I am a white cis lesbian female in my early thirties. Keep in mind that my experiences will be colored by those facts.Story (4/5) - The plot is definitely one of this book’s greatest strengths. It’s a pretty standard cop show plot, with a character death in the first scene, an obvious villain, a mystery, and some plot twists along the way. But there’s a reason those cop shows are so popular - they tend to be decent stories. The focus is on achieving the objective of catching the bad guy, rather than on romance. And that’s rare in a Choices book.COC Treatment (3/5) - As a white woman myself, I’m going to be cautious with this category. This is not my area of expertise. That said, I think Most Wanted does a decent job of representation. One of the two leads is a COC, and he is well-respected by his community, and seen as an expert at what he does. I believe all the other members of the police team are POC, and they are shown to be talented, interesting individuals. Really, most of the white people are villains in this book. I hesitate to make judgments, but I consider the COC treatment in this book well done.Friend Group (3/5) - While there isn’t necessarily a clear “friend group” in this book, I quite enjoy all the side characters. The forensics team is simultaneously great at their jobs and also hilarious. And Dave’s actor friends feel more real and nuanced here than in Red Carpet Diaries. The side characters don’t get a lot of screentime, but when they do show up, it’s memorable.Wardrobe (2/5) - I almost never buy clothing in Choices. It just isn’t worth it. What I like about Most Wanted’s wardrobe is that you don’t feel that much pressure to buy the clothing options. Also, Sam’s outfit is pretty iconic, so there’s that.Main Character (5/5) - Even more than the plot, Sam and Dave are really the strong suit of this book. This is one of the extremely rare books where you don’t customize the main characters, and the book is honestly better for it. Sam and Dave are both complex characters with unique skillsets, and that feeds directly into how the book is played. To get the best ending, you have to understand how Sam and Dave operate, and I really enjoy that. Custom MCs can be great, but there is something to be said for characters that stand on their own the way Sam and Dave do.Diamond Choices (4/5) - I have not bought any of the diamond choices for Most Wanted. And I probably never will. Why? Because the story doesn’t need them. You can have a great ending through careful play, no diamonds required. I’m sure the diamond choices add some nice character touches, especially for backstory. But you can enjoy this book just as much without them. And really, that’s the best kind of Choices book.(I skipped Female LI Treament and Love Interests because, honestly, romance isn’t a thing in this book. I like the hints of Sam/Dave, and of Sam flirting with other women. But romance is never explicit nor necessary. So those categories don’t really apply for this book, in my opinion.) -- source link
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