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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
This book needed to decide what genre and tone it wanted to strike, spy thriller or historical slice of life with a quirky protagonist. As it stood, neither ended up working despite the duality being something I wanted to be interested in. I understood what it was trying to do and the plot was genuinely hooking when it remembered it had one, and given a couple more passes the narration would have been more satisfying but in essence it is more potential than anything more than that.
I was enjoying this read as a light historical fiction, a Call the Midwife-type stand alone tale. But after I finished I realized I found the organization confusing, and the finale unfulfilling.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'll always judge every book by this author against Life After Life and they all fall short because I adored that book. But this was a decent historical women's fiction that I enjoyed reading.
I really liked the lead character; She was very interesting and funny. The plot dragged and was a bit convoluted in many places, but the final resolution was wrapped up nicely. A lot to like in this book, but the flaws made it pretty good rather than great.
This was cleverly written but I found I had not much of a clue what was really going on most of the time. I was amused by Atkinson's writing but bemused by the plot and mystified by the ending. Nothing was quite as it seems and the time changes only hindered my understanding. I think it's a good thing I never attempted espionage work. A disappointing read for me.