Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Honestly, what a weird book. Simultaneously moves too fast and too slow, both overwritten and underwritten. The premise is so good, but ultimately a disappointment.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
NYT Notable Books 2019: 24/100
I probably should have known going into this book that it might not be for me. Some of the blurbs on the back compare it to John Le Carre, and having read his work, I know that style isn't for me. Maybe I just don't like spy books. This one had a really interesting premise but it felt that it fell flat. I didn't love the journal style it was written in and found that at times it was hard to follow, and when it wasn't, it was just kind of meh.
I probably should have known going into this book that it might not be for me. Some of the blurbs on the back compare it to John Le Carre, and having read his work, I know that style isn't for me. Maybe I just don't like spy books. This one had a really interesting premise but it felt that it fell flat. I didn't love the journal style it was written in and found that at times it was hard to follow, and when it wasn't, it was just kind of meh.
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Big sigh. This book has been forever on my TBR....and I have avoided it....a bit more than a easy read and I wasn't sure I had the mental space. I am glad I finally grabbed a copy from the library. I thought this was a spy novel- and it is....but no real mystery....just the story of THE spy and her travels and exploits. She ends up befriending the president of Burkina Faso....seducing him...Thomas Sankara. And she is telling her story to her sons- and explaining why they are in Martinique with her mother and why she has left them to seek revenge....
This was a tad slow....a bit twisted...and definitely a reminder of how much international shit the US has gotten involved in when we should have minded our own business.
Read if you want to learn about a part of African history most westerners have never heard of...
M&L Reading Challenge 2024: a book on a friend's Goodreads TBR
This was a tad slow....a bit twisted...and definitely a reminder of how much international shit the US has gotten involved in when we should have minded our own business.
Read if you want to learn about a part of African history most westerners have never heard of...
M&L Reading Challenge 2024: a book on a friend's Goodreads TBR
3.5. I liked this book and I think because I read it for a book club, it made me examine some of the holes more than I normally would. Would still recommend for others.
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5
It's a beautifully written book that mix historical element with fiction.
I learned more about West Africa and American involvement in other countries' politics, something that was never explicitly told before. I am intrigued by everything that happens, and the writer beautifully drives the story forward based on a love story. A love story between mother-children, siblings, and an overwhelming love story. It talks about morals and what it means to have value. Yes, the characters did not always make the moral choice, but they're the right choices.
The story also has so much more than that. It talks about the walls we built and the confidence that we have on something we're proud of that might led us to our downfall. It talks about relationships and how one person might not be what they seem.
Daniel is a good American boy, but he's controlling and changed Helene. Helene is angry at Marie because Marie saw something in him that Helene didn't see, but didn't fight for her. Helene has put a lot for Marie, but Marie was not doing enough for Helene. Helene built a wall for herself, but she was hoping her sister could see the real her and rescue her. But Marie did not do any of that. This shows how most people are hurt and how important open communication is.
In the reverse, Robbie is the problematic bad boy that everyone advised against, but he was the one that's there until the very end. Appearance is not what they might seem. Don't judge someone based on that.
It's a beautifully written book that mix historical element with fiction.
I learned more about West Africa and American involvement in other countries' politics, something that was never explicitly told before. I am intrigued by everything that happens, and the writer beautifully drives the story forward based on a love story. A love story between mother-children, siblings, and an overwhelming love story. It talks about morals and what it means to have value. Yes, the characters did not always make the moral choice, but they're the right choices.
The story also has so much more than that. It talks about the walls we built and the confidence that we have on something we're proud of that might led us to our downfall. It talks about relationships and how one person might not be what they seem.
Daniel is a good American boy, but he's controlling and changed Helene. Helene is angry at Marie because Marie saw something in him that Helene didn't see, but didn't fight for her. Helene has put a lot for Marie, but Marie was not doing enough for Helene. Helene built a wall for herself, but she was hoping her sister could see the real her and rescue her. But Marie did not do any of that. This shows how most people are hurt and how important open communication is.
In the reverse, Robbie is the problematic bad boy that everyone advised against, but he was the one that's there until the very end. Appearance is not what they might seem. Don't judge someone based on that.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was sad? not like tears sad, although a bit of that? more injusticie sad and too real sad. it was angrie and even though it was hopeful angrie it was still sad mad.