Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

49 reviews

kasey_reads's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Suicide attempt

danni_chambers67's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

I loved the book and found it really gripping.

The story is told through two different points of view and about different times. One is a girl called Charlie after WW2 searching for her missing cousin with the help of a woman named Eve. Eve was a spy in France during WW1. It tells the story of both women. I personally enjoyed both points of view and stories and how they intertwined with each other. I felt invested into both of them and their stories.

I like the characters and by the end really felt for them. And loved how they developed and grow as people.

I felt like it dealt with hard topics very well and really made them feel real. It made me google and learn about the real life woman the novel is based off. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend. I would before you read however, search for the warnings as this book does have quite a few.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, Violence, and Abortion

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Sexism

katgoetzzz's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A historical fiction novel that spans across World War 1 and just after World War 2. The story is told from 2 different perspectives. One focuses on experiences during World War 1, and the other is set during “modern day” (1947 for the this book). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Abortion

Minor: Child death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Detailed description of Evelyn’s torture to try to get her to break and reveal classified information (she’s a spy in France during World War 1).

tatitos's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Abortion, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Rape, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Murder

rah's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Abortion

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism

kelly_e's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring slow-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

4.0

  Title: The Alice Network
Author: Kate Quinn
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: June 6th 2017

T H R E E • W O R D S

Lengthy • Mysterious • Illuminating

📖 S Y N O P S I S

The Alice Network is a multi-layered narrative of two women - Eve, a female spy recruited to the Alice Network in France during World War I, and Charlie, an American college student searching for her cousin Rose in 1947. A story of truth and redemption, of sacrifice and courage, of self-discovery and friendship, this is a very powerful novel.

💭 T H O U G H T S

When I saw this book announced as the @bookhoardersbookclub January 2021 pick, I immediately knew it was the push I needed to FINALLY pick it up. While I was instantly captivated by the alternating storylines and phenomenal character development, the sheer length of this novel was what knocked it down a notch. I completely understand a slow pace was needed to unravel the complexity of the storylines, but for me it dragged out a little too much. As with all historical fiction, I enjoyed learning about a different role of women during WWI, in this case a female spy network, and enjoyed how the narrative shone a light on PTSD, and incorporated disability into the narrative. I also loved how the relationship between Eve and Charlie transformed from start to finish, where by the end they have more in common with each other than they think. For me, the author's note at the end plays an important role here bringing the story into context, divulging what was real from creative fiction. Overall, a worthwhile read for those who enjoy a good dual-timeline, plot driven, and engaging story featuring a touch of mystery and strong women. This definitely makes a wonderful book club selection as well.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Historical fiction fans (particularly WWI & WWII)
• readers who enjoyed The Book of Lost Names
• Book clubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Hope was such a painful thing, far more painful than rage."

"'There are two kinds of flowers when it comes to women,' Eve said. 'The kind that sit safe in a beautiful vase, or the kind that survive in any conditions... even in evil. Lili was the latter. Which are you?'" 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, and Abortion

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Grief

Minor: Death, Sexual content, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder

death of a sibling, PTSD

badmanbythesea's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicide

karinahull's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Blood

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!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Minor: Child death, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders

world war 1, world war 2, antisemitism