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rah's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Torture
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism
kelly_e's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Title: The Alice Network
Author: Kate Quinn
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: June 6th 2017
T H R E E • W O R D S
Lengthy • Mysterious • Illuminating
📖 S Y N O P S I S
The Alice Network is a multi-layered narrative of two women - Eve, a female spy recruited to the Alice Network in France during World War I, and Charlie, an American college student searching for her cousin Rose in 1947. A story of truth and redemption, of sacrifice and courage, of self-discovery and friendship, this is a very powerful novel.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When I saw this book announced as the @bookhoardersbookclub January 2021 pick, I immediately knew it was the push I needed to FINALLY pick it up. While I was instantly captivated by the alternating storylines and phenomenal character development, the sheer length of this novel was what knocked it down a notch. I completely understand a slow pace was needed to unravel the complexity of the storylines, but for me it dragged out a little too much. As with all historical fiction, I enjoyed learning about a different role of women during WWI, in this case a female spy network, and enjoyed how the narrative shone a light on PTSD, and incorporated disability into the narrative. I also loved how the relationship between Eve and Charlie transformed from start to finish, where by the end they have more in common with each other than they think. For me, the author's note at the end plays an important role here bringing the story into context, divulging what was real from creative fiction. Overall, a worthwhile read for those who enjoy a good dual-timeline, plot driven, and engaging story featuring a touch of mystery and strong women. This definitely makes a wonderful book club selection as well.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Historical fiction fans (particularly WWI & WWII)
• readers who enjoyed The Book of Lost Names
• Book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Hope was such a painful thing, far more painful than rage."
"'There are two kinds of flowers when it comes to women,' Eve said. 'The kind that sit safe in a beautiful vase, or the kind that survive in any conditions... even in evil. Lili was the latter. Which are you?'"
Author: Kate Quinn
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: June 6th 2017
T H R E E • W O R D S
Lengthy • Mysterious • Illuminating
📖 S Y N O P S I S
The Alice Network is a multi-layered narrative of two women - Eve, a female spy recruited to the Alice Network in France during World War I, and Charlie, an American college student searching for her cousin Rose in 1947. A story of truth and redemption, of sacrifice and courage, of self-discovery and friendship, this is a very powerful novel.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When I saw this book announced as the @bookhoardersbookclub January 2021 pick, I immediately knew it was the push I needed to FINALLY pick it up. While I was instantly captivated by the alternating storylines and phenomenal character development, the sheer length of this novel was what knocked it down a notch. I completely understand a slow pace was needed to unravel the complexity of the storylines, but for me it dragged out a little too much. As with all historical fiction, I enjoyed learning about a different role of women during WWI, in this case a female spy network, and enjoyed how the narrative shone a light on PTSD, and incorporated disability into the narrative. I also loved how the relationship between Eve and Charlie transformed from start to finish, where by the end they have more in common with each other than they think. For me, the author's note at the end plays an important role here bringing the story into context, divulging what was real from creative fiction. Overall, a worthwhile read for those who enjoy a good dual-timeline, plot driven, and engaging story featuring a touch of mystery and strong women. This definitely makes a wonderful book club selection as well.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Historical fiction fans (particularly WWI & WWII)
• readers who enjoyed The Book of Lost Names
• Book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Hope was such a painful thing, far more painful than rage."
"'There are two kinds of flowers when it comes to women,' Eve said. 'The kind that sit safe in a beautiful vase, or the kind that survive in any conditions... even in evil. Lili was the latter. Which are you?'"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual content, and Suicide
death of a sibling, PTSDkarinahull's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Death, and Gun violence
anouks_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the first fictional book I've read about world war 1 and 2 from the perspective of women, which is super interesting. The story is quite heavy, but also has enough funny parts. Some parts of the plot are a bit cliché, but I loved the development of the relationship between Charlie and Eve (the 2 main female characters). I listened to this book in audiobook-form and loved the narration!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Genocide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity
world war 1, world war 2, antisemitismchalkletters's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
In the four years since I last read The Alice Network, I’d managed to forget almost everything. I remembered Eve spying in German-occupied Lille, but I’d completely wiped Charlie, her quest to find her cousin and her romance with Finn from my memory. That’s not a reflection of their relative merits, because both the 1915 and 1947 plots have incredibly compelling moments. It might simply be that the title reminds me of the WWI timeline, making it easier to call to mind.
It’s surprising that I’d forgotten Charlie, as she definitely undergoes the most positive character development over the course of The Alice Network, and that’s usually something I enjoy! Her evolution from obedient daughter to defiant bookkeeper certainly feels earned, though I did notice a bit more telling than showing at times, particularly towards the end.
Kate Quinn handles the plot excellently: there are moments of creeping horror, triumph and shock, and she does an excellent job of balancing the two timelines, keeping both interesting and engaging to the last. The ending is lovely, wrapping everything up and giving a sense of hope for the characters we’ve invested so much time in. Kate Quinn’s prose is consistently effective, with some really lovely moments, especially describing the flower fields in Grasse.
I don’t know if The Alice Network is something I’ll want to revisit again, but I’d definitely read more by Kate Quinn.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, and War
Minor: Blood, Child death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Murder, and Suicide
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