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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm still digesting my thoughts. Thank you to the Summer Tournament of Books for adding this to the list--it's a great pleasure to read.
Loved the fresh take on writing style - written as a letter to her children. I wish the pace had picked up a bit sooner, but at the same time, it was interesting to reflect after the ending and be surprised in real-time with the protagonist. I’m hoping there is a sequel, because the ending made me want more!
I picked up American Spy after seeing it featured as “New American Literature” in a local bookstore. I’ve been getting into historical fiction for a while and was excited to see a woman of color as the protagonist. Moreover, Caribbean/West-Indian representation, at that! I couldn’t believe this was Wilkinson’s first novel! It was so incredibly detailed and researched, I forgot it was fiction.
Overall, I liked the writing style of Marie talking to her boys. The book gets deep into the politics at times which was a bit tough for me. I often wondered how much of this I needed to commit to memory versus background to make it more believable... The book slows down for me in the middle because of this, but I devoured the final five chapters.
I’m on the fence about the rating. I did quite enjoy the book even if I wasn’t blown away. For folks interested in politics, espionage, and action sequences, this one is a great read!
Overall, I liked the writing style of Marie talking to her boys. The book gets deep into the politics at times which was a bit tough for me. I often wondered how much of this I needed to commit to memory versus background to make it more believable... The book slows down for me in the middle because of this, but I devoured the final five chapters.
I’m on the fence about the rating. I did quite enjoy the book even if I wasn’t blown away. For folks interested in politics, espionage, and action sequences, this one is a great read!
I can’t with this book. It opens with an attempted murder, and then rapidly shifts to chapter after chapter of explanation, exposition, and background filler details. I still have no clue or clarity about that opening scene. I made it to chapter 7 and decided that I no longer care. Next!
I had a hard time getting into this book. The first half seemed so slow. The second half gets exciting, but by that time I had lost interest. This was for a book club where we choose books of many genres, but the political intrigue here just didn’t grab me.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
As it turns out, I DO enjoy an espionage story, especially when the main character is a black woman. This book was a brilliantly written page turner, especially the second half. I really like how Wilkinson explores race, politics, gender bias and what it means to be American. This book really worked for me!
A solid 3.5, I enjoyed reading from the first person perspective as her existence was so layered. Over all the book felt like a missed opportunity, there was so much build up, just for things to be crammed into the last 50 pages.