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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Rating 3.75
Read for the 52 book club challenge #34: takes place in a landlocked country. Could also be used for abrupt ending.
Read for the 52 book club challenge #34: takes place in a landlocked country. Could also be used for abrupt ending.
This book was convoluted at times, but I appreciated the strong female character and the setting. I did not particularly love the style in which it was written, but I feel some people would really connect with that style.
I had high hopes for this novel, but overall it fell short of my expectations. It was still enjoyable and I’ll gladly read whatever may come next from this author, Lauren Wilkinson.
Maria is a black woman who grew up in Brooklyn with her older sister Helen and her father, an African American police officer, after her mother left the family and returned to Martinique, a French island territory in the Caribbean.
Marie’s older sister Helen decides early on to become a spy, she is pretty determined and leaves home to pursue this path. There is a bit of a falling out, or maybe Helen just pushed Marie away to make it easier to leave, but there is limited communication between the sisters. Then, with little explanation, we learn Helen has died.
Inspired by her sister, as well as her father’s work in law enforcement, Marie joins the FBI but, she believes, she is never quite welcome or given the opportunity she deserves. Marie crosses path with the CIA and is offered a chance to use her talents to build a relationship with a rising new leader from Burkina Faso, and soon Marie finds herself in west Africa.
Marie, eager to learn more about her sister’s life and death, finds herself partnering with someone who is not quite what they seem. Sure, Marie is smart and knows enough to keep her cards close to the vest, but the other players are just as savvy and more experienced.
There was so much opportunity in Marie’s story for exploring identity, colonialism, race and gender and wrapping it all up in a thrilling spy novel, but it just didn’t pan out. It was good enough, not great but not bad.
Maria is a black woman who grew up in Brooklyn with her older sister Helen and her father, an African American police officer, after her mother left the family and returned to Martinique, a French island territory in the Caribbean.
Marie’s older sister Helen decides early on to become a spy, she is pretty determined and leaves home to pursue this path. There is a bit of a falling out, or maybe Helen just pushed Marie away to make it easier to leave, but there is limited communication between the sisters. Then, with little explanation, we learn Helen has died.
Inspired by her sister, as well as her father’s work in law enforcement, Marie joins the FBI but, she believes, she is never quite welcome or given the opportunity she deserves. Marie crosses path with the CIA and is offered a chance to use her talents to build a relationship with a rising new leader from Burkina Faso, and soon Marie finds herself in west Africa.
Marie, eager to learn more about her sister’s life and death, finds herself partnering with someone who is not quite what they seem. Sure, Marie is smart and knows enough to keep her cards close to the vest, but the other players are just as savvy and more experienced.
There was so much opportunity in Marie’s story for exploring identity, colonialism, race and gender and wrapping it all up in a thrilling spy novel, but it just didn’t pan out. It was good enough, not great but not bad.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The premise sounded so interesting, but then, nothing happened.
A mid-tier spy narrative that quickly loses steam after its neck-breaking opening sequence.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes