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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Formulaic at the very best.
Started strong, and then quickly got lost in the all too disinteresting character sketch of the title character. Maybe I bailed too soon. It's a mystery with which I'm willing to live.
Started strong, and then quickly got lost in the all too disinteresting character sketch of the title character. Maybe I bailed too soon. It's a mystery with which I'm willing to live.
Red Sparrow is the first volume of the respective trilogy. It tells the story of Dominika Egorova, a (forced) Russian agent trained for seduction and sex as espionage craft, whom is assigned to manipulate CIA agent Nathaniel Nash, who is also a handler for a Russian mole, whom, in turn, is aware of an American mole. Both agencies trying to catch their respective mole while preserving the other.
Jason Matthews does a good job delivering an entertaining fast-paced novel, with some plot twists here and there, some are kind of predictable, some others aren't. Unlike other spy novels, J. Matthews doesn't really dive into the geopolitical scenario but rather in the mid-level operation side, which is interesting in its own way. Despite Vladimir Putin is included in the plot, his role is kind of forced and it seems he is there just to fill some gaps and portrait him as an always-aware character. Other than that, the development of the characters is good although in the case of Dominika I find her somehow contradictory since at times she's described as an agent with top-notch skills but at other times she makes emotional decisions. In addition, there are various acronyms used throughout the novel but not all of them are explained, so you may need to look them up if you, like me, are not familiar with them.
In short, Red Sparrow is an entertaining novel; no more, no less. Will I read the rest of the trilogy? No. As I mentioned, it's just entertaining but not really engaging. I will watch the movie, though.
Jason Matthews does a good job delivering an entertaining fast-paced novel, with some plot twists here and there, some are kind of predictable, some others aren't. Unlike other spy novels, J. Matthews doesn't really dive into the geopolitical scenario but rather in the mid-level operation side, which is interesting in its own way. Despite Vladimir Putin is included in the plot, his role is kind of forced and it seems he is there just to fill some gaps and portrait him as an always-aware character. Other than that, the development of the characters is good although in the case of Dominika I find her somehow contradictory since at times she's described as an agent with top-notch skills but at other times she makes emotional decisions. In addition, there are various acronyms used throughout the novel but not all of them are explained, so you may need to look them up if you, like me, are not familiar with them.
In short, Red Sparrow is an entertaining novel; no more, no less. Will I read the rest of the trilogy? No. As I mentioned, it's just entertaining but not really engaging. I will watch the movie, though.
Great! A little bit slower than the movie but definitely had more depth.
I enjoyed this novel via audio and considered getting a print copy just for the recipes at the end of each chapter. I wonder about the clues contained in the recipes as there seemed to be a pattern to the recipes that I can't quite figure out.
The story is engaging as are the characters, and I look forward to the likely continuation of the series.
The story is engaging as are the characters, and I look forward to the likely continuation of the series.
adventurous
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Compelling enough story, but the author was a government hack, clearly having a wildly inflated opinion of his agency compared to any other agency.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Spies who are also foodies!
If you like the modern day spy novel where it is measured by the body-count and egotistical dialogue, then this book may not be for you. Red Sparrow is a refreshing change. The book has a clever plot with interesting characters. Can't wait to read the next one!
If you like the modern day spy novel where it is measured by the body-count and egotistical dialogue, then this book may not be for you. Red Sparrow is a refreshing change. The book has a clever plot with interesting characters. Can't wait to read the next one!
Think the Cold War is over? Think again.
I'd always had somewhere in me (I mean, really, who doesn't?) an interest in Soviet history and everything Red Army, KGB, Iron Curtain, and Gulag. It's one of the greatest stories ever told after all -- the rise and fall of a mighty and murderous political and geographic monolith that aggressively absorbed many nations and languages and religions into its insatiable machinery in a quest for ultimate global supremacy. A nerve-wracking Cold War entrenchment would prove a constant counter-balancing act with the United States to see which would emerge the most super of two superpowers -- while the rest of us could do nothing but watch with bated breath to see whether one or both would destroy the world in a conflagration of nuclear annihilation. Good times.
While it seems like those old Cold War threats and anxieties are in the past, lost to the annals of history and diminished by Soviet collapse, I would venture that there remain a fair number of Russian politicians who think otherwise. Dig a little deeper into Putin's presidency and you will find a shocking (or perhaps not that shocking at all) amount of old-school Soviet corruption and megalomania.
And that's what gives Red Sparrow its sense of urgency and authenticity. The author doesn't really have to exaggerate or sensationalize his modern spy game between CIA operatives and Russian SVR agents. It's happening. In point of fact, it never stopped. Names might have changed, there might be a veneer of civility and legality over the top of it all to shine it up for a new century, but in a lot of important ways it's the same shit different day.
Author Jason Matthews isn't writing out of his ass either. He's been in the spy game for over three decades and served in multiple overseas locations performing clandestine acts and participating in recruitment operations.
Reading about spy games as they are unfolding in this century is definitely thrilling, though at times because it requires so much description it's easy to become mired in the details. Many times while reading the action, I longed to be watching it instead. Spy games are extremely visual by their very nature -- so I did feel that some of the book's potency and terror was lost in the amount of dense prose required to put the reader in that place.
I couldn't help think about FX's brilliant spy drama The Americans and how it handles drops and communiques, late-night rides, expedient kills and ruthlessly efficient body disposal (all the more impressive since it's done using 80s technology and employing an array of epic wigs). After three superb seasons I'm truly addicted, especially to the rich emotional depth that simmers beneath its layers of intrigue and counterintelligence techniques.
So yeah, watching this stuff tends to be way more awesome than reading about it. The author overcomes this handicap by introducing a great cast of characters to act as our portal into the twisty, exciting narrative, giving us people to care and worry about. The stakes are high in these cat and mouse games that aren't games at all of course. One wrong move and you're dead, your body likely never to be found. I will definitely read the second book in this series, if only to tide me over until The Americans return in January.
Two quick nit-picky thoughts:
1) What the hell is up with all the recipes appearing at the end of every single chapter? That became a bit annoying only because I really didn't see the purpose, and some of them made me hungry, which would make me stop reading in order to run for the refrigerator.
2) Dominika is a kick-ass female lead, I really like her a lot, but I wish she didn't have those extra sensory capabilities because it felt like cheating. Couldn't she just be kick-ass, full stop, with a really well-tuned social and emotional intelligence to read people, rather than something that's almost paranormal/supernatural?
This was a good spy novel. Pretty good character development. Predictable all the way through which is why I give it a 3.