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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
First of all, this is absolutely not a thriller so my expectations were in the wrong place. The premise seems like it could lean that way - a Russian spy placed strategically in Silicon Valley to collect and pass data gets caught by a grunt worker? The action sequences could write themselves. But instead this focuses more on misogyny in the work space (tech spaces specifically) and the internal struggle of her reconciling the life she built to become a spy against actually being a spy. We don’t have anything super exciting happen, there aren’t any big reveals, I suppose it’s an interesting character study but a little lackluster and forgettable.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Pregnancy
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pretty boring. Took me forever to finish. Wouldn't suggest to anyone.
I can see how some folks would have been disappointed this wasn't a true thriller. However, as a white dude in software who also liked reading Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, I think Impostor Syndrome scratched an itch for "mundane intrigue" and gave me some perspective from the viewpoint of women in this field.
If you fall into that very specific niche, this book might be for you. This novel was engrossing for me, with a fast pace and superb characterization that never once pushed me out of the plot. I find myself wanting to know more about these characters after these events, though the story definitely stands on its own.
There was one tiny plot point that I found nigh impossible to believe, but I suppose worse security vulnerabilities have been blindly ignored in real life, so maybe it's not *that* wild
If you fall into that very specific niche, this book might be for you. This novel was engrossing for me, with a fast pace and superb characterization that never once pushed me out of the plot. I find myself wanting to know more about these characters after these events, though the story definitely stands on its own.
There was one tiny plot point that I found nigh impossible to believe, but I suppose worse security vulnerabilities have been blindly ignored in real life, so maybe it's not *that* wild
Don’t you just love it when you pick up a book that you haven’t really heard much about and end up loving it?
A perfectly good summer read! I read this in a few sittings while laid up with an injury and it was very enjoyable to consume all at once. This book is much more about character development and a sense of place than a thrilling, unpredictable storyline (especially if you’re used to mysteries). It had some interesting commentary on big tech, feminism, race, nationalism, and other relevant topics, though any of these were certainly not the main focal point.
so uh why do all the women in this book hate other women (including a lesbian character lol)
other than my issues w the narration, this was a generally enjoyable read
other than my issues w the narration, this was a generally enjoyable read