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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
I haven’t read a good spy/thriller for a long time but this one certainly fits the bill. A little slow to get going but about a third the way through, I found it unputdownable.
Did I love it enough to read the whole series? Maybe, although maybe not. (There are hundreds of books on my “want to read” list.)
Did I love it enough to read the whole series? Maybe, although maybe not. (There are hundreds of books on my “want to read” list.)
So I had this book for about a month, yes, but I've been reading other books too. The amount of time that this site says is lying - I read it in 2 days. I read the first 200 pages one day, the next a month later. Besides all that, this book was INCREDIBLE. One of the best books I've ever read. It's just...so amazing. His book was based on true events - the characters weren't real, but the events were. And what events they were. This book is just mind blowing, and I recommend it endlessly.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Reading Child 44 was a strange experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid portrayal of the historical context of the story- the strong emphasis on the collective while disregarding all rights of the individual, the brutal reality of fear and suspicion permeating even seemingly small aspects of life, and the desire to find the good in others, despite constant evidence of cruelty and pain. The part that didn't work for me was the serial killer storyline (which is, admittedly, kind of the point of the book). I found myself wishing Smith would've just focused on the political regime and its impact on society without the addition of the killer and the investigation- I would've enjoyed that novel so much more.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
"Did his work have meaning or was it merely a means to survive?"
Meh. Maybe bad timing, maybe this one just wasn't for me. 2.5 rounded up. It was an interesting story but took too long to get going. It was over 200 pages in before the actual mystery started up. Before that, it's just the slow build up of the government, his job and the fear and rule that everyone feels because of the government. A government that Leo works for.
I did like the ultimate twist and how the final outcome is delivered. The mystery was a good one, but I don't plan to read the next one.
Meh. Maybe bad timing, maybe this one just wasn't for me. 2.5 rounded up. It was an interesting story but took too long to get going. It was over 200 pages in before the actual mystery started up. Before that, it's just the slow build up of the government, his job and the fear and rule that everyone feels because of the government. A government that Leo works for.
I did like the ultimate twist and how the final outcome is delivered. The mystery was a good one, but I don't plan to read the next one.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yet another generational trauma book to the list :]. It's really concrete in the way it wants to make you feel considering it's from the POV of the main character or other side characters. But there is room for judgement, both of the characters and the author.
Either way, the book is a pretty fast read, chapters flowing from one to the other and the overall tone is dark. Yet hopeful too, in a sense.
Many times I had to stop and breathe due to the unfairness of situations, but there were not many moments of outright bitterness. The author was really clever in the way he solved problems, too! Also, expect a lot of pointing at the screen and reliving moments of your childhood in the East.
Either way, the book is a pretty fast read, chapters flowing from one to the other and the overall tone is dark. Yet hopeful too, in a sense.
Many times I had to stop and breathe due to the unfairness of situations, but there were not many moments of outright bitterness. The author was really clever in the way he solved problems, too! Also, expect a lot of pointing at the screen and reliving moments of your childhood in the East.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Torture
I was quite skeptical when I started this book, but as I progressed with the plot, I became very emotionally involved. Smith does a very good job in building the uncertain, paranoid Soviet universe, to such an extent that fiction blurs into fact. It's a 'whoddunit'-type of thriller in a way, but it seems the murders are just a pretext for Tom Rob Smith to give us a glimpse into the closed world of Soviet law enforcement and the twisted rules that govern it. It really impresses on the reader that people's lives hang on the whims of a handful of people and uttering somebody's name in the wrong circumstances can seal their fate. I would definitely recommend it, especially for people interested in this period of history.