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anouks_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the first fictional book I've read about world war 1 and 2 from the perspective of women, which is super interesting. The story is quite heavy, but also has enough funny parts. Some parts of the plot are a bit cliché, but I loved the development of the relationship between Charlie and Eve (the 2 main female characters). I listened to this book in audiobook-form and loved the narration!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Genocide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity
world war 1, world war 2, antisemitismchalkletters's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
In the four years since I last read The Alice Network, I’d managed to forget almost everything. I remembered Eve spying in German-occupied Lille, but I’d completely wiped Charlie, her quest to find her cousin and her romance with Finn from my memory. That’s not a reflection of their relative merits, because both the 1915 and 1947 plots have incredibly compelling moments. It might simply be that the title reminds me of the WWI timeline, making it easier to call to mind.
It’s surprising that I’d forgotten Charlie, as she definitely undergoes the most positive character development over the course of The Alice Network, and that’s usually something I enjoy! Her evolution from obedient daughter to defiant bookkeeper certainly feels earned, though I did notice a bit more telling than showing at times, particularly towards the end.
Kate Quinn handles the plot excellently: there are moments of creeping horror, triumph and shock, and she does an excellent job of balancing the two timelines, keeping both interesting and engaging to the last. The ending is lovely, wrapping everything up and giving a sense of hope for the characters we’ve invested so much time in. Kate Quinn’s prose is consistently effective, with some really lovely moments, especially describing the flower fields in Grasse.
I don’t know if The Alice Network is something I’ll want to revisit again, but I’d definitely read more by Kate Quinn.
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, and War
Minor: Blood, Child death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Murder, and Suicide
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