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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
To be rated/reviewed after this month’s book club (note: discussion delayed until May)
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was waiting for this to take a thrilling turn, as it was marketed as a thriller, but it never did..... instead it was boring and slow paced. Somehow character based with no character growth and a very boring plot that could've been more interesting with some tweaks. I have never read a fictional book about the CIA in Africa before and was intrigued but this fell flat
This book is fine to a point but not finished? Fun set-up, though.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m a little confused…is this the beginning of a series? Or was that the end? Left me wanting to know what she & Robbie were going to do next. Hope there is more to come.
The only anger I ever expose to the world is through implication, by suggesting that I’m on the brink of no longer being able to contain my fury. This is what a woman’s strength looks like when it’s palatable: like she is containing herself.
Lauren Wilkinson's American Spy is a brilliantly paced novel that continually keeps you guessing. At the height of the Cold War, Marie Mitchell is an under-appreciated FBI agent who is recruited to spy on Thomas Sankara, the president of Burkina Faso. His Communist ideology has made him a political target to the United States. As she becomes more involved with Thomas and more aware of what she’s actually gotten herself into, she’ll have to risk everything to do what she thinks is right.
One of the things that makes this novel so compelling is the use of second-person narration. It helps the reader feel completely immersed in what is happening, but also makes them aware that the story they are consuming is told from a very specific viewpoint. Additionally, I found the confluence of the issues that surround race, gender, political ideology, and expressions of love to be enthralling and especially timely. This isn’t just a spy thriller; it’s a commentary on Reaganomics, racial and gender discrimination, and egomania. It’s about Marie’s love for the few people who she has let into her life. It’s about how sometimes a political movement is more important than the individual, and how sometimes it’s not. It’s an allegory to much of what is still happening in this current political landscape.
Without mentioning any spoilers, I will say that the ending does feel somewhat abrupt (I kept thinking that there weren’t enough pages to possibly finish the story), but I think that the choice to end the novel where it ends is as perfect as it is infuriating. Wilkinson’s voice is unique and perceptive, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Lauren Wilkinson's American Spy is a brilliantly paced novel that continually keeps you guessing. At the height of the Cold War, Marie Mitchell is an under-appreciated FBI agent who is recruited to spy on Thomas Sankara, the president of Burkina Faso. His Communist ideology has made him a political target to the United States. As she becomes more involved with Thomas and more aware of what she’s actually gotten herself into, she’ll have to risk everything to do what she thinks is right.
One of the things that makes this novel so compelling is the use of second-person narration. It helps the reader feel completely immersed in what is happening, but also makes them aware that the story they are consuming is told from a very specific viewpoint. Additionally, I found the confluence of the issues that surround race, gender, political ideology, and expressions of love to be enthralling and especially timely. This isn’t just a spy thriller; it’s a commentary on Reaganomics, racial and gender discrimination, and egomania. It’s about Marie’s love for the few people who she has let into her life. It’s about how sometimes a political movement is more important than the individual, and how sometimes it’s not. It’s an allegory to much of what is still happening in this current political landscape.
Without mentioning any spoilers, I will say that the ending does feel somewhat abrupt (I kept thinking that there weren’t enough pages to possibly finish the story), but I think that the choice to end the novel where it ends is as perfect as it is infuriating. Wilkinson’s voice is unique and perceptive, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
2.5
This is an absolutely brilliant premise but unfortunately I wasn’t so fond of the execution. The story is told in a journal format which for me, considerably slowed down the pace and removed much of the tension out of the story. It’s far more reflective and contemplative than an synopsis promising an espionage thriller would have me believe.
I found myself emotionally distant from the drama and action occurring in the book. I never saw the attraction between Marie and Jonathan. It’s a massive problem because you need to believe in their chemistry for the entire plot to work. Overall it was a very underwhelming read, made even more so with the glimmer of an amazing premise.
This is an absolutely brilliant premise but unfortunately I wasn’t so fond of the execution. The story is told in a journal format which for me, considerably slowed down the pace and removed much of the tension out of the story. It’s far more reflective and contemplative than an synopsis promising an espionage thriller would have me believe.
I found myself emotionally distant from the drama and action occurring in the book. I never saw the attraction between Marie and Jonathan. It’s a massive problem because you need to believe in their chemistry for the entire plot to work. Overall it was a very underwhelming read, made even more so with the glimmer of an amazing premise.