essentiallynovel 's review for:

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

3.0

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This, at least to me, was a unique book. First off, it's inspired by true events so as you're reading it you find yourself likely thinking, "this could have happened." Second, it's written as if it's a letter from the main character to her sons, making it entirely first-person perspective, which does help you understand why Marie says and does the things she does. Third, almost every chapter is a time jump and goes back and forth from when she was a child growing up, a young woman, during her career, and the present. It took me a few chapters to get used to this and figure things out, but eventually I got it. It felt slow to me during many points but was intriguing enough for me to read it in less than two days. There’s espionage, suspense, drama, has a deep focus on the family of the main character, and it isn't until near the end that you discover the answer to (what felt to me) the two mysteries of the book (I won't spoil). Overall, I think it's worth at least giving a shot.

Rating:
S:1, L:2, V:2