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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
After Marie is attacked in the night by a man seemingly sent to kill her, she flees with her twin sons to her mother's home in Martinique. Here she recounts in a diary for her sons her past life as an FBI agent, meeting their father, and the events that lead up to this point.
This is a story that I was completely on board with, but never was fully satisfied how the story is executed. It is a slow burn to some quick action for the final climax with a smoldering ending. The jumping between dates also took a bit to get used to. An interesting story unlike any I've read before though.
This is a story that I was completely on board with, but never was fully satisfied how the story is executed. It is a slow burn to some quick action for the final climax with a smoldering ending. The jumping between dates also took a bit to get used to. An interesting story unlike any I've read before though.
Intriguing - based on a true story of FBI/CIA involvement in Africa in 80s. Read half journal memoir / half historical fiction full of history and facts which I enjoy! As a sister I ache for Marie’s loss of hers and it feels like she was living her life for her sister and later for Thomas, and ultimately her sons. Ended on a total cliffhanger which is always exciting but also excruciating.
I think this book was trying too hard to be deep. The story was a bit slow and difficult to follow at times. The end got super slow, and it wasn't clear to me why she would return to that life.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When I chose to read this I had already heard good things about this book. I haven’t read this type of fiction in a long time so I’m glad I gave this book a chance. It was interesting to read about a historical figure that I knew nothing about which was true for me in regard to Thomas Sankara. Keep in mind that this is fiction even though Sankara was real. I loved the way this book was written as if the main character, Marie was writing the story down for her sons to read one day. This was a wonderful way of adding an even more sentimental touch to an already personal story told by Marie. I think anyone interested in reading about an insider’s experience in intelligence agencies, spies, and the emotional turmoil of those involved, would enjoy reading this book.
This should probably be a two-star for “it was OK” but I’m a chronic over-rater. The premise was interesting, but I found myself very confused about everyone’s motivations. It all just felt on the surface to me. By far the most interesting part was the relationship between Marie and her sister, and we didn’t get nearly enough of that.
It was overall interesting but definitely dragged some and flips around a good bit.
I liked the concept of this one, but the execution fell a bit short. There are points where the action is engrossing, and then there are huge lulls where you are slogging through the book. I also struggled with the main character - some of her choices just really don't make sense in the context of the story. The story is intended to be a letter to the main characters two sons, but this aspect was not consistently executed throughout - you would suddenly come across a reference to them and it felt out of place. I read this as part of a buddy read, and I am curious to hear what others think of it!