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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
sorry, but this was too long, and too trashy.
Although I read the whole book I found the writing style to be extremely slow, knowing that this was a novel about spies and seduction I assumed that more things would happen and I would swiftly flick through the pages desperately wanting to see what happened next, but this didn’t happen.
I also got really confused as the spies real names and nicknames were used just as often as each other, I understand how it aided in the surprise towards the end but it took me a long time to decipher who was who based off of this detail.
Apart from these two things I loved the story line, the geographical accuracy and the actual writing itself. Overall it was a great novel.
I also got really confused as the spies real names and nicknames were used just as often as each other, I understand how it aided in the surprise towards the end but it took me a long time to decipher who was who based off of this detail.
Apart from these two things I loved the story line, the geographical accuracy and the actual writing itself. Overall it was a great novel.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Rape
I feel like I just finished reading two different books. One was this really great spy novel with characters I was really interested in and the other was this terrible romance novel where the female character was not well written and I didn't care at all about the relationship.
You may enjoy this book if you're especially interested in CIA procedures and the nitty gritty of the life. If you're like me and are looking for a spy thriller, keep looking.
Overall it just felt disjointed. There was very little action. I kept expecting it to pick up, but it never really did. Whatever did happen was fairly predictable and mired in so much jargon, chapter-end recipes, and gratuitous sex that it got lost. I generally don't mind sex scenes, and I get that the book is about a Sparrow, but it tended to distract from the story not add to it. It felt as if Matthews was trying to shove in as much sex as he could to drive home what a Sparrow's reality is. It may have done that, but at the cost of the plot line. The gimmicky recipes at the end of every chapter were annoying and could have been compiled at the end of the book if he desperately wanted to include them. I love to learn languages, but constantly providing the Russian language term immediately followed by the English translation interrupted the flow of the narrative. Again, Matthews could have put in a glossary if he was so worried about comprehension. Just skip it. There are better books out there.
Overall it just felt disjointed. There was very little action. I kept expecting it to pick up, but it never really did. Whatever did happen was fairly predictable and mired in so much jargon, chapter-end recipes, and gratuitous sex that it got lost. I generally don't mind sex scenes, and I get that the book is about a Sparrow, but it tended to distract from the story not add to it. It felt as if Matthews was trying to shove in as much sex as he could to drive home what a Sparrow's reality is. It may have done that, but at the cost of the plot line. The gimmicky recipes at the end of every chapter were annoying and could have been compiled at the end of the book if he desperately wanted to include them. I love to learn languages, but constantly providing the Russian language term immediately followed by the English translation interrupted the flow of the narrative. Again, Matthews could have put in a glossary if he was so worried about comprehension. Just skip it. There are better books out there.
A fun espionage thriller set in modern times and highlighting the treachery of Putin's Russia. A little unrealistic in certain aspects and nevertheless an entertaining read. Overall 3.5 out of 5
Female characters are a male fantasy
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I bought this book on a whim from Kmart after remembering the movie trailer. I honestly didn't know if I would enjoy the novel- spy thrillers are not usually my forte- but it was on sale and I thought I would pick it up and give it a go.
It was a very long, detailed book (550 pages!) told from multiple POVs. The two main characters are a Russian spy, Dominika, and an American CIA agent, Nate.
The first third of the book took me awhile to finish. The imbedded Russian occasionally made the writing feel stilted and I kept needing to go back and read over the different acronyms so that I could keep them straight. This is when we meet the two main characters- Nate is working in Russia as a handler for a Russian spy known as MARBLE and we learn about his role in the CIA. Dominika is the niece of a member high in the SVR and eventually is trained as a Russian intelligence officer and is sent to Sparrow School.
The remainder of the book had some twists and turns and was quite slow paced, but still enjoyable. It is interesting that the author chose to call the novel 'Red Sparrow' when this is such a small part of the plot. Also, when you read the blurb, the focus is on "sexpionage" and sparrow school and therefore this is what I was expecting from the book. Sparrow school and sex is only a very minute part of the plot.
My only complaints with this book were that the chapters were very long and also, each chapter ended in a Russian recipe and I really didn't understand the purpose of this or what it added to the novel.
Overall, I would really recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
It was a very long, detailed book (550 pages!) told from multiple POVs. The two main characters are a Russian spy, Dominika, and an American CIA agent, Nate.
The first third of the book took me awhile to finish. The imbedded Russian occasionally made the writing feel stilted and I kept needing to go back and read over the different acronyms so that I could keep them straight. This is when we meet the two main characters- Nate is working in Russia as a handler for a Russian spy known as MARBLE and we learn about his role in the CIA. Dominika is the niece of a member high in the SVR and eventually is trained as a Russian intelligence officer and is sent to Sparrow School.
The remainder of the book had some twists and turns and was quite slow paced, but still enjoyable. It is interesting that the author chose to call the novel 'Red Sparrow' when this is such a small part of the plot. Also, when you read the blurb, the focus is on "sexpionage" and sparrow school and therefore this is what I was expecting from the book. Sparrow school and sex is only a very minute part of the plot.
My only complaints with this book were that the chapters were very long and also, each chapter ended in a Russian recipe and I really didn't understand the purpose of this or what it added to the novel.
Overall, I would really recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
I'd say this was very much like a story that was character rather than action driven. That does not mean that it wasn't enjoyable because actually it very much was. The webs of deceit and lies was interesting to reach develop and the story developed at a good pace. The ending left me both wanting more and a little disappointed. The door was left open to see these characters again.