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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
2.5 stars Believe it or not, this was my first Kate Atkinson book. I have to say I was not overly impressed. It was a bit too all over the place for me. I listened to the audio book, and - as much as I usually hate the "THEN"/"NOW" narration, the transitions here were a bit too subtle. From time to time I missed the switch and has to rewind to figure out where I was. This in itself was not a deal breaker, but the story didn't draw me in. As others have noted, there were interesting moments, but they were not enough to elevate the overall story.
Both in love and so mad about this book!!! But it’s still tops and here is why: Kate Atkinson!
I’ve been thinking about this a lot: how do you take a story about a transcriptionist and make it anything but boring? Well, this. This is how. True to Atkinson, it’s a slow build but worth it. Some very tense moments. All English war and post war history as experienced by the protagonist who lived it, and yet, I can see the effects that our American social war and 2016 election have had on the story. In fact, I’m not sure we would get it without that. Fantastic. Even if I am a bit mad. 🙄😳😎
I’ve been thinking about this a lot: how do you take a story about a transcriptionist and make it anything but boring? Well, this. This is how. True to Atkinson, it’s a slow build but worth it. Some very tense moments. All English war and post war history as experienced by the protagonist who lived it, and yet, I can see the effects that our American social war and 2016 election have had on the story. In fact, I’m not sure we would get it without that. Fantastic. Even if I am a bit mad. 🙄😳😎
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was mainly just really disappointed with this book. I love Kate Atkinson, but this was not the one. The story seemed to be all over the place, I didn't care about any of the characters and the ending seemed to come from nowhere.
informative
mysterious
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
High hopes for this book as I love the author. But I'd didn't quite hit the mark.
Slow moving, the main character is indecisive, I didn't find her likable
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It started out so promising! I love the quirky, unvoiced thoughts of the main character, and the plot clipped right along... until around 40% into the book, when it slowed down and suffered from plot bloat. Alas, I found myself on a flight with nothing else to read, so I continued with it. I wish I hadn't, as it just went downhill.
If you're interested in reading an Atkinson novel, I'd recommend Life After Life and skip this one.
If you're interested in reading an Atkinson novel, I'd recommend Life After Life and skip this one.
I found this kind of boring until the last 50 pages or so. The ending seemed awfully convoluted, and I’m not convinced there really was much lead-up to it. I think part of the problem was not being what I expected. When I read the blurb and saw MI5, I was expecting more code breaking, and less audio transcription.