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A review by winecellarlibrary
The Spitfire Girls by Soraya M. Lane
2.0
First, I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis sounds incredible: the first female military pilots fighting against all odds for the chance to demonstrate the strength of the female sex and establish themselves as respected pilots. I was so excited to read this book, but I was let down very early. I do not enjoy writing negative reviews, but it is very hard for me to find anything positive to say about this novel.
In the first chapter we meet the American pilot Lizzie. Her bravery is amazing at first. She is writing to the First Lady to ask for her support for female pilots to support the war effort by ferrying planes, releasing the men to be free for combat pilot roles. When she gets the chance to actually meet the First Lady and President Roosevelt, [a:Soraya M. Lane|4809447|Soraya M. Lane|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1550453390p2/4809447.jpg] writes, “Lizzie held herself together as first the president rose and then the man in uniform beside him.”
Stop. Stop right there.
This is where I realized that I was not going to like this book.
How exactly did the president rise? Did he miraculously overcome his paralysis from polio and stand up from his wheelchair? I realize that Ms. Lane is not an American writer, but for all the research she claims to have done on this subject, FDR’s paralysis seems a major oversight. I hope this is corrected in publishing because it will seriously damage the credibility of the author and the publishing company if this goes to print.
In addition to this factual error, there are three other major issues with this book. First, the excessive use of clichés! I could physically feel my eyes rolling each time I read one. Great writers are those who craft the phrases that turn into clichés; great writers do not regurgitate clichés.
Second, the overuse of deus ex machina. For those unfamiliar with this phrase, it refers to when an author gives the characters the easy way out, so to speak. Every time one of these girls is presented with a problem, she frets over it, but by the end of a chapter or two it is easily resolved without effort or conflict. There is only one true devastating event in this book. Everything else is resolved before it even becomes a real problem.
Third, every single character lacks depth. The worst of all of them is Lizzie. Each time she is accused of being cocky, she thinks about it and just casually decides she won’t be cocky anymore. This is not how cocky people think. This is not how anyone thinks.
A side note about Lizzie: she has far too much of a contemporary attitude to be a believable character.
This book could have been incredible if it was afforded the proper character and plot development it deserved. Of course the author was constricted as she was basing her characters on real people, but there is so much more that could have been done to make the characters believable.
Overall, this book was a very quick and easy read being that it is highly conversational. It would be a good book for the beach or for just before bed as it is not very complex.
#netgalley #thespitfiregirls
I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis sounds incredible: the first female military pilots fighting against all odds for the chance to demonstrate the strength of the female sex and establish themselves as respected pilots. I was so excited to read this book, but I was let down very early. I do not enjoy writing negative reviews, but it is very hard for me to find anything positive to say about this novel.
In the first chapter we meet the American pilot Lizzie. Her bravery is amazing at first. She is writing to the First Lady to ask for her support for female pilots to support the war effort by ferrying planes, releasing the men to be free for combat pilot roles. When she gets the chance to actually meet the First Lady and President Roosevelt, [a:Soraya M. Lane|4809447|Soraya M. Lane|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1550453390p2/4809447.jpg] writes, “Lizzie held herself together as first the president rose and then the man in uniform beside him.”
Stop. Stop right there.
This is where I realized that I was not going to like this book.
How exactly did the president rise? Did he miraculously overcome his paralysis from polio and stand up from his wheelchair? I realize that Ms. Lane is not an American writer, but for all the research she claims to have done on this subject, FDR’s paralysis seems a major oversight. I hope this is corrected in publishing because it will seriously damage the credibility of the author and the publishing company if this goes to print.
In addition to this factual error, there are three other major issues with this book. First, the excessive use of clichés! I could physically feel my eyes rolling each time I read one. Great writers are those who craft the phrases that turn into clichés; great writers do not regurgitate clichés.
Second, the overuse of deus ex machina. For those unfamiliar with this phrase, it refers to when an author gives the characters the easy way out, so to speak. Every time one of these girls is presented with a problem, she frets over it, but by the end of a chapter or two it is easily resolved without effort or conflict. There is only one true devastating event in this book. Everything else is resolved before it even becomes a real problem.
Third, every single character lacks depth. The worst of all of them is Lizzie. Each time she is accused of being cocky, she thinks about it and just casually decides she won’t be cocky anymore. This is not how cocky people think. This is not how anyone thinks.
A side note about Lizzie: she has far too much of a contemporary attitude to be a believable character.
This book could have been incredible if it was afforded the proper character and plot development it deserved. Of course the author was constricted as she was basing her characters on real people, but there is so much more that could have been done to make the characters believable.
Overall, this book was a very quick and easy read being that it is highly conversational. It would be a good book for the beach or for just before bed as it is not very complex.
#netgalley #thespitfiregirls