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singingshooter's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed how Kanon mixed in all of the cultural and historical elements of the time, but I felt like I couldn't get my head into this book to really enjoy it. I found the pace of the book to be weird and the ending unsettling.
atamano's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, and Gun violence
spacebee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
professorbadger's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
I’ve read a few of Kanon’s other books, and I always find them a bit slow but full of memorable settings and interesting points in history. Leaving Berlin was one of his more tightly paced novels, I thought. The setting of post-war Berlin is always an interesting, with multiple countries with different goals all trying to operate on top of one another in a single divided city.
If you end up enjoying this one, you might also like The Good German. The setting is the same, and some of the other elements were so similar that I spent parts of this book wondering whether I’d already read it at some point. Turns out I hadn’t — my brain was remembering similar elements from The Good German.
If you end up enjoying this one, you might also like The Good German. The setting is the same, and some of the other elements were so similar that I spent parts of this book wondering whether I’d already read it at some point. Turns out I hadn’t — my brain was remembering similar elements from The Good German.
gnorz's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jpeers's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't read Joseph Kanon previously but had heard good things. The excerpt sounded interesting so I gave it a try. I love espionage thrillers but The Berlin Exchange left me wanting for more. I tried and tried to get into but couldn't. I kept picking it up and putting it down. From the time I started it, it took about 5 months and I finished probably 40ish books in between. Intriguing characters and redeeming qualities of the "good guys" can hide a lot of blemishes in the story. Unfortunately, The Berlin Exchange fell short in all of the above. However, the ending had a surprise, which was nice.
I want to thank Joseph Kanon, Scribner, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Berlin Exchange.
I want to thank Joseph Kanon, Scribner, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Berlin Exchange.
nicoleme1212's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
0.25
cate_with_a_c's review against another edition
The writing style made it really difficult to keep track of what was happening. Not enough background was given to the protagonist.