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maggies's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A good audiobook while working. Lots of female-characters-written-by-male-author moments, but if I just focused on the plot, I was totally enthralled. Will keep reading after that cliff hanger!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Murder, Death, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Grief, Vomit, and Torture
Minor: Suicide and Death of parent
literaryliaisons's review against another edition
2.0
Red Sparrow leaves a lot to be desired, but the most glaring flaw I found was the way that women are portrayed. In classic "Men Writing Women" style, the women Matthews creates are described using sexist language, the sex is male-centered and focuses on male pleasure while using the women as props, and of the five notable women in the story, one is unceremoniously murdered less than 10 pages after her introduction, two commit suicide, and one is brutally murdered by the protagonist after he breaks into her home.
The only reason why I didn't give this book a 1-star review was that I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about espionage and "tradecraft." The believable details that ex-CIA agent Jason Matthews weaves into the narrative were certainly fascinating. But all in all, this is an abysmal novel and I certainly won't be tempted to continue the series. Really, take my word for it - just watch the movie.
The only reason why I didn't give this book a 1-star review was that I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about espionage and "tradecraft." The believable details that ex-CIA agent Jason Matthews weaves into the narrative were certainly fascinating. But all in all, this is an abysmal novel and I certainly won't be tempted to continue the series. Really, take my word for it - just watch the movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Torture
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