Flauschbuch reviewed Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto
Needed more
4 stars
I was looking forward to reading this one as the cover blurb sounded like a story I'd enjoy but ultimately, it was a bit of a letdown. There are some things I liked: the general setting, the characters, the scam artists' scams, the poker game, the queerness, and the Hawaiian culture. The heist itself I found less compelling, mostly it was obviously unbelievable to me that it would be successful and they would be able to walk away from a heist like that. Later in the book there's a plotline that makes it even more unbelievable. Maybe heists work better on the screen than in a book in general. There should have been more world-building, it's rather superficial and the setting has remarkably little influence on the heist. The ending felt a bit rushed and way too smooth, considering all the things that happen in the book.
An okay …
I was looking forward to reading this one as the cover blurb sounded like a story I'd enjoy but ultimately, it was a bit of a letdown. There are some things I liked: the general setting, the characters, the scam artists' scams, the poker game, the queerness, and the Hawaiian culture. The heist itself I found less compelling, mostly it was obviously unbelievable to me that it would be successful and they would be able to walk away from a heist like that. Later in the book there's a plotline that makes it even more unbelievable. Maybe heists work better on the screen than in a book in general. There should have been more world-building, it's rather superficial and the setting has remarkably little influence on the heist. The ending felt a bit rushed and way too smooth, considering all the things that happen in the book.
An okay read but don't expect too much.