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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Full review now up on the blog: https://www.thewritinggreyhound.co.uk/2019/09/book-review-spitfire-girls-soraya-m-lane.html
Packed with action, adventure, and unimposing heroism, The Spitfire Girls tells the tale of three incredibly brave women, set against the backdrop of World War Two.
The story's three heroines are very different women from very different walks of life, but when duty calls, they are all prepared to fight for their right to serve their country. May, Ruby, and Lizzie may have their own demons to face, but when they work together, there isn't much that this talented trio can't achieve when they put their minds to it!
Although each of the main characters does have a clear weakness, I enjoyed reading about them as strong, independent women - yet also very human women who are not afraid to show emotion for the people they care about most. As their bond grows stronger, the solace that each woman finds in the others is incredibly touching to read.
The book is loosely based on a true story. The actions of the real-world heroines who went out there, under heavy criticism, and flew planes to help the war effort may not be widely known. However, these women's stories deserve to be told. True feminists before their time, these courageous ladies stood up for themselves and their abilities and, against all odds, their dedication and perseverance finally paid off.
In my opinion, every single one of those selfless women who put themselves in danger every day - yet still did not receive the recognition they deserved - is a true heroine. The Spitfire Girls is a great read with a poignant message, remembering the sacrifices made by our women during World War Two.
Packed with action, adventure, and unimposing heroism, The Spitfire Girls tells the tale of three incredibly brave women, set against the backdrop of World War Two.
The story's three heroines are very different women from very different walks of life, but when duty calls, they are all prepared to fight for their right to serve their country. May, Ruby, and Lizzie may have their own demons to face, but when they work together, there isn't much that this talented trio can't achieve when they put their minds to it!
Although each of the main characters does have a clear weakness, I enjoyed reading about them as strong, independent women - yet also very human women who are not afraid to show emotion for the people they care about most. As their bond grows stronger, the solace that each woman finds in the others is incredibly touching to read.
The book is loosely based on a true story. The actions of the real-world heroines who went out there, under heavy criticism, and flew planes to help the war effort may not be widely known. However, these women's stories deserve to be told. True feminists before their time, these courageous ladies stood up for themselves and their abilities and, against all odds, their dedication and perseverance finally paid off.
In my opinion, every single one of those selfless women who put themselves in danger every day - yet still did not receive the recognition they deserved - is a true heroine. The Spitfire Girls is a great read with a poignant message, remembering the sacrifices made by our women during World War Two.
Bummer... Not What I Was Expecting!
Synopsis: In the midst of WWII, several brave, young women volunteered to ferry fighter and bomber planes between military bases. These women are known as the ATA Girls (Air Transport Auxiliary). Their participation set a new precedent for women’s equality and involvement in military operations. ‘The Spitfire Girls’ primarily follows the stories of Lizzie, May, and Ruby as they take to the sky and set new equality standards.
Review: Let me start with the fact that Soraya Lane is a terrific author and her writing style is incredibly conversational, which I gravitate toward. Her ideas are very clear which makes following along with the story a breeze. And she handled multiple protagonist perspectives well.
Now, I wanted to love this story. The initial plot was super intriguing (referring to meeting the president) and actually encouraged me to do a lot of research into the women of the ATA. But story focused less on women making a mark and more on egoism and romance.
I would say that 50% of the dialogue within the book revolved around Lizzie being petty. That kinda soured the experience for me. I don’t mind a rivalry, but to dominate the plot was a little overwhelming. I wish there was a bit more character development so that Lizzie’s incessant need to win had a backstory. I also wish that some of the predictability related to gender roles was toned down. And I think that’s why the romance was a little off-putting for me, because I anticipated this to be about women empowerment and, yet, still a man was pivotal to prop them up (specifically May and Ruby).
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a historical romance, easy read. It perfectly fits that ticket. I just went in with different expectations based on the premise. It's not for seasoned historical fiction readers, unfortunately.
Thank you, Net Gallery for this copy in exchange for an honest review!
Synopsis: In the midst of WWII, several brave, young women volunteered to ferry fighter and bomber planes between military bases. These women are known as the ATA Girls (Air Transport Auxiliary). Their participation set a new precedent for women’s equality and involvement in military operations. ‘The Spitfire Girls’ primarily follows the stories of Lizzie, May, and Ruby as they take to the sky and set new equality standards.
Review: Let me start with the fact that Soraya Lane is a terrific author and her writing style is incredibly conversational, which I gravitate toward. Her ideas are very clear which makes following along with the story a breeze. And she handled multiple protagonist perspectives well.
Now, I wanted to love this story. The initial plot was super intriguing (referring to meeting the president) and actually encouraged me to do a lot of research into the women of the ATA. But story focused less on women making a mark and more on egoism and romance.
I would say that 50% of the dialogue within the book revolved around Lizzie being petty. That kinda soured the experience for me. I don’t mind a rivalry, but to dominate the plot was a little overwhelming. I wish there was a bit more character development so that Lizzie’s incessant need to win had a backstory. I also wish that some of the predictability related to gender roles was toned down. And I think that’s why the romance was a little off-putting for me, because I anticipated this to be about women empowerment and, yet, still a man was pivotal to prop them up (specifically May and Ruby).
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a historical romance, easy read. It perfectly fits that ticket. I just went in with different expectations based on the premise. It's not for seasoned historical fiction readers, unfortunately.
Thank you, Net Gallery for this copy in exchange for an honest review!
Roaring Fire That Sputters Out. This was an excellent and engaging tale of the Air Transport Auxiliary and the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II and what those ladies went through to even be allowed to serve. The book spends the front two thirds dealing primarily with a race between two young pilots to be the first to fly a four engine bomber outside of training as well as the race to ferry Spitfire planes to board the USS Wasp for an emergency trip to Malta to shore up defenses there. And it is in this part of the book that it is a roaring, all consuming fire - brilliantly told and executed. Where the book sputters out a bit is in the back third, where it switches gears to more emotional punches that are often happening off screen. The mainline story ends well with the final chapter, and the epilogue adds a final exclamation point to the tale. Strong book that could have been stronger, perhaps as a duology or even trilogy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this inspiring historical fiction novel.
Interesting WWII novel - As the quote at the end of the book says, “We will not again look upon a women’s flying organization as experimental.” Not only did the women pilots in this book (and in real life) learn they could do so much more than given credit for, but so did the Army Air Force.
'The perfect ladies’ plane’, that’s what they used to call the Spitfire, although I doubt they were ever designed with women in mind. – a quote from the epilogue.
These courageous women made a great contribution in both England and the US during WWII, willing to risk their lives while faced with discrimination from almost everyone -including the male pilots and often times, their own families.
Three women’s life stories are told here, all with flying skills but very different personalities. Women who must overcome their differences to step up and help their country during WWII.
It’s an enjoyable, informative read!
Interesting WWII novel - As the quote at the end of the book says, “We will not again look upon a women’s flying organization as experimental.” Not only did the women pilots in this book (and in real life) learn they could do so much more than given credit for, but so did the Army Air Force.
'The perfect ladies’ plane’, that’s what they used to call the Spitfire, although I doubt they were ever designed with women in mind. – a quote from the epilogue.
These courageous women made a great contribution in both England and the US during WWII, willing to risk their lives while faced with discrimination from almost everyone -including the male pilots and often times, their own families.
Three women’s life stories are told here, all with flying skills but very different personalities. Women who must overcome their differences to step up and help their country during WWII.
It’s an enjoyable, informative read!
Loved this historical fiction based on women pilots during WWII with a little romance thrown in… the audio was fun and available on kindle unlimited.
I thought the premise for this book was great, but the story focuses more on personal dramas versus the war. It made the story seem slow. It’s a good Kindle Unlimited read, and the author has a great style, I just wanted this to be a little more fast-paced.
Bummer... Not What I Was Expecting!
Synopsis: In the midst of WWII, several brave, young women volunteered to ferry fighter and bomber planes between military bases. These women are known as the ATA Girls (Air Transport Auxiliary). Their participation set a new precedent for women’s equality and involvement in military operations. ‘The Spitfire Girls’ primarily follows the stories of Lizzie, May, and Ruby as they take to the sky and set new equality standards.
Review: Let me start with the fact that Soraya Lane is a terrific author and her writing style is incredibly conversational, which I gravitate toward. Her ideas are very clear which makes following along with the story a breeze. And she handled multiple protagonist perspectives well.
Now, I wanted to love this story. The initial plot was super intriguing (referring to meeting the president) and actually encouraged me to do a lot of research into the women of the ATA. But story focused less on women making a mark and more on egoism and romance.
I would say that 50% of the dialogue within the book revolved around Lizzie being petty. That kinda soured the experience for me. I don’t mind a rivalry, but to dominate the plot was a little overwhelming. I wish there was a bit more character development so that Lizzie’s incessant need to win had a backstory. I also wish that some of the predictability related to gender roles was toned down. And I think that’s why the romance was a little off-putting for me, because I anticipated this to be about women empowerment and, yet, still a man was pivotal to prop them up (specifically May and Ruby).
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a historical romance, easy read. It perfectly fits that ticket. I just went in with different expectations based on the premise. It's not for seasoned historical fiction readers, unfortunately.
Thank you, Net Gallery for this copy in exchange for an honest review!
Synopsis: In the midst of WWII, several brave, young women volunteered to ferry fighter and bomber planes between military bases. These women are known as the ATA Girls (Air Transport Auxiliary). Their participation set a new precedent for women’s equality and involvement in military operations. ‘The Spitfire Girls’ primarily follows the stories of Lizzie, May, and Ruby as they take to the sky and set new equality standards.
Review: Let me start with the fact that Soraya Lane is a terrific author and her writing style is incredibly conversational, which I gravitate toward. Her ideas are very clear which makes following along with the story a breeze. And she handled multiple protagonist perspectives well.
Now, I wanted to love this story. The initial plot was super intriguing (referring to meeting the president) and actually encouraged me to do a lot of research into the women of the ATA. But story focused less on women making a mark and more on egoism and romance.
I would say that 50% of the dialogue within the book revolved around Lizzie being petty. That kinda soured the experience for me. I don’t mind a rivalry, but to dominate the plot was a little overwhelming. I wish there was a bit more character development so that Lizzie’s incessant need to win had a backstory. I also wish that some of the predictability related to gender roles was toned down. And I think that’s why the romance was a little off-putting for me, because I anticipated this to be about women empowerment and, yet, still a man was pivotal to prop them up (specifically May and Ruby).
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a historical romance, easy read. It perfectly fits that ticket. I just went in with different expectations based on the premise. It's not for seasoned historical fiction readers, unfortunately.
Thank you, Net Gallery for this copy in exchange for an honest review!
I guess 3.5 - 4
The history is fascinating, I loved reading about women who flew planes in WW2 and the only reason I give this book a 4 star final review and not a 3 star (Goodreads I'm still waiting for half a star review options!)
But... I didn't like the characters? they didn't feel real to me, more like cutboard characters that supposed to fill the story and that's it.
I felt like most of them were characterised by one character flaw and strenght and that's it, also they were saved by their boyfriends (I mean come on May, this relationship was so inapropriate!)
I saw in another review that after reading "Code name veirity" everything in the genre feels pale in comparison and that is true.
The history is fascinating, I loved reading about women who flew planes in WW2 and the only reason I give this book a 4 star final review and not a 3 star (Goodreads I'm still waiting for half a star review options!)
But... I didn't like the characters? they didn't feel real to me, more like cutboard characters that supposed to fill the story and that's it.
I felt like most of them were characterised by one character flaw and strenght and that's it, also they were saved by their boyfriends (I mean come on May, this relationship was so inapropriate!)
I saw in another review that after reading "Code name veirity" everything in the genre feels pale in comparison and that is true.
3.5 stars!
I really enjoyed listening to that audio book! It follows the story of the first women pilots during WWII. However, it doesn't talk about the war that much or what was happening in the world, it is more character driven. I also loved the three main characters but I felt as if the plot was missing a bit. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it and I would recommend it for sure!!
I really enjoyed listening to that audio book! It follows the story of the first women pilots during WWII. However, it doesn't talk about the war that much or what was happening in the world, it is more character driven. I also loved the three main characters but I felt as if the plot was missing a bit. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it and I would recommend it for sure!!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The writing of this book could have been better, and there were times when it was not as feminist as it claimed to be, but I still found myself sucked in by these characters. Overall I really enjoyed it. I won't be rushing out to buy more books by this author, but if one happened to be on sale, I wouldn't say no.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Sexism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War