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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
I loved reading about MI9 and the ingenuity and resourcefulness that team had to have to smuggle things into the hands of officers and enlisted men during WW2. I’ve never heard about but it really is incredible what they came up with and I think I could have read a whole book on it. This book only dealt with a little of that in detail but I did enjoy what I read, and it’s the first to introduce it to me.
There were parts of the book that were a little slow, especially in the 1928 portion, and I sort of had to tread thru but for the most part it was interesting and well written. I also enjoyed hearing more about WW2 in the Netherlands. I’m finding more and more books start to focus their stories around that area while previously the majority of the focus has been only on the mainland of Europe.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. Opinions are mine alone.
There were parts of the book that were a little slow, especially in the 1928 portion, and I sort of had to tread thru but for the most part it was interesting and well written. I also enjoyed hearing more about WW2 in the Netherlands. I’m finding more and more books start to focus their stories around that area while previously the majority of the focus has been only on the mainland of Europe.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. Opinions are mine alone.
Did Not Finish at page 56. This might be a terrific story but I'll never know because I didn't like the writing at all. The author misused "daresay," "kindly," and "obliged" within the space of three pages, and yet I kept on until page 56 when I decided that life is too short to read substandard dialogue. Most of the dialogue is stilted and there are too many unnatural attempts at thesaurus words. I can't do it. So done.
What a book. And one that I have a hard time reviewing.
I do not come lightly to the rating. But I could not justify higher. Even though my inner dialogue asked because I fell in love the the characters. And desperately wanted to hear more from them. One of those sad moments of watching dear friends leave; knowing we will never see again, and knowing that is ok.
But, yes, not to romanticize this. The first half was great, truly enduring us to the characters. To the story. It was dramatic to fall back in time over 20 years. And, immediately I found it jarring. However, the first half was a tale of tales. 5/5. A love started, and it was painful to watch the end.
And then...it happened. A shift. Back to the current time. 1940s part II. I did not enjoy this. I felt like I lost the characters and did not really know them. And that was painful for me.
Finally, I will say, I am reading this along with "All the Light we cannot see", not designed that way. But changed how I view both books. Furthermore, I could not leave the grasp of "The Book Thief", a book that I still hold an unholy reverence for. Nothing will compare. Yes, unfair to all three books. But the reality is, that is how we judge all books.
I would not read this again.
I would not recommend it.
But, I am still sad to leave it.
I do not come lightly to the rating. But I could not justify higher. Even though my inner dialogue asked because I fell in love the the characters. And desperately wanted to hear more from them. One of those sad moments of watching dear friends leave; knowing we will never see again, and knowing that is ok.
But, yes, not to romanticize this. The first half was great, truly enduring us to the characters. To the story. It was dramatic to fall back in time over 20 years. And, immediately I found it jarring. However, the first half was a tale of tales. 5/5. A love started, and it was painful to watch the end.
And then...it happened. A shift. Back to the current time. 1940s part II. I did not enjoy this. I felt like I lost the characters and did not really know them. And that was painful for me.
Finally, I will say, I am reading this along with "All the Light we cannot see", not designed that way. But changed how I view both books. Furthermore, I could not leave the grasp of "The Book Thief", a book that I still hold an unholy reverence for. Nothing will compare. Yes, unfair to all three books. But the reality is, that is how we judge all books.
I would not read this again.
I would not recommend it.
But, I am still sad to leave it.
This was actually an audiobook. At the beginning, I was very into it but once she quits the magic show I started losing interest. Later she gets the job for MI9 and I thought it would be interesting again, but I just could not get into it...I actually did not finish, but I got to over 50% of it.
emotional
medium-paced
Woooof. I think I need to take a break from war-based historical fiction, because (predictably) really central people die! In this one, at a point that felt very unsatisfying (again, I suppose death doesn’t alway happen when a romantic arc reaches a satisfactory resolution, but this IS fiction).
My main criticism of this book is the weaving together of a tragedy-filled childhood (including a horrific crush that left our main gal traumatised), an unusual life as a successful magician and performer, to a key player in the war. The repetition of a similar tragedy feels forced and unrealistic, and the ensuing period of becoming an undercover agent with almost no training also a far fetch.
I think this book suffers from too many ideas, too many extraordinary experiences, to hang together in a believable book.
My main criticism of this book is the weaving together of a tragedy-filled childhood (including a horrific crush that left our main gal traumatised), an unusual life as a successful magician and performer, to a key player in the war. The repetition of a similar tragedy feels forced and unrealistic, and the ensuing period of becoming an undercover agent with almost no training also a far fetch.
I think this book suffers from too many ideas, too many extraordinary experiences, to hang together in a believable book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
This had a SLOW start, but it did end up picking up a bit after around page 100/150. I enjoyed the plot and the side characters, but the main character, Fenna... McMorris made her hard for me to like. At times I felt like I was reading a Mary Sue self insert fan fic. But a well written one! Overall not terrible, but not the best.
I really tried to get into this book but after 1/4 way through and still forcing myself to read it I gave up.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes