Reviews

Northern Spy by Flynn Berry

mstall_'s review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I found Northern Spy to be a really entertaining and fast paced book, albeit a little far fetched. The bokok focused on Tessa, a single mother living in Belfast in current day who works at the BBC. The IRA had been ramping up attacks again and Tessa become more and more worried about her and her sons safety. When she sees a group of IRA members robbing a convenience story on the television, she recognizes one as her sister. Adamant that her sister is not a terrorist, Tessa begins a descent into the world of the IRA which she realizes she might not come back from. 

Overall, I enjoyed the pacing of the book and the story line. This is a book about the resiliency of single mothers, family, and occupied peoples. You do have to suspend some major disbelief here, namely

at the end of the book where Marian and Tessa fake their deaths, they are moved only two hours away, DEEPER into republican Ireland?? And Tessa keeps her son, he doesn't go live with his dad which is what would happen if she was dead? Like, how is that realistic in anyway?

. I know that there is a second book coming out and I'm already struggling with these details that keep me from believing the plausibility of this story. 

I'd give this book a 3.75 overall.

okevamae's review against another edition

4.0

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

BBC producer and single mom Tessa and her sister Marian live in Northern Ireland, where despite peace having been officially reached decades earlier, the IRA is still active and tensions in the community remain high. One day, much to Tessa’s shock and confusion, Marian is caught on video participating in an armed robbery. Police believe Marian has joined the IRA, but the very idea of this goes against everything Tessa knows about her sister, with whom she has a very close relationship.

The plot and pacing of the story get more intense as Tessa slowly becomes embroiled in a world of espionage and her life spins out of her control. But through it all she remains focused on what is most important to her – the through line guiding all of her actions is her love and concern for her son, Finn. Tessa’s fear and desperation are palpable, as is her love for her family. The book contains beautiful depictions of motherhood, and captures the devotion (and frustration) of sisterhood, as well as including some gorgeous descriptions of the Irish scenery. This book was beautifully written, and the plot kept me flying through the pages. It’s the first book I’ve read by Flynn Berry, but now I’m definitely interested in looking into her other works.

amylynn1031's review against another edition

slow-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? It's complicated

2.0

michhxox's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.0

thatswhatkatread's review against another edition

Will come back to 

elliemck's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

rachellherrington's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

lauralovefeild's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

booksadoodle's review against another edition

4.0

This was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once going, I became more interested in the story and characters. Having been to Ireland several times, I did really enjoy all the location references, and was already familiar with many of them.

cindy_f's review against another edition

4.0

I liked the general plot of this book. It takes place in Northern Ireland post GFA with a threat of a new Republic Army. It is told from the perspective of Tessa, a mother of a six month old baby boy who discovers from police video that her sister is suspected of being a member of the IRA. Refusing to believe her sister Marian had anything to do with this army, she confronts her. She admits to being a member of the IRA for seven years but feeds information to MI5. Due to heavy surveillance, it’s not safe for her to meet her handler so she recruits Tessa to be a spy along with her.

This is the moral dilemma for Tess as she wants to help her sister, but also has different priorities now that she has her baby Finn to protect. But she also thinks of a future for Finn with a conflict-free Belfast.

I really loved the moments when Tessa is with Finn, and the description of her hometown sounds lovely. Beautifully written book about choices, motherhood, loyalty and consequences.