A review by shimmery
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

4.0

3.5 rounded up. An enjoyable read that I was keen to get back to to discover what happens next, until the last 100 pages or so when it really started to drag. The story of Marian Graves, a girl who wants to be a pilot in the early 20th century, was fun and moving, and I loved her bond with her brother, and best friend Caleb. I thought the parts of the book about Hadley, set in the modern day and telling the story of an actress who is set to play Marian in a film about her life, were less successful. While there was an interesting interplay between both narratives, with us finding out some of the plot through the modern day story only to have it unwound and intricacies revealed as we follow Marian’s life, I think the book could have done without the modern day part. I would blame the editor but the acknowledgments show 400 pages were cut out before publication (meaning the book would have been 1000 pages instead of 600!) — I’m guessing they had to give up at some point.

There’s a part near the end where Hadley decides she doesn’t need to keep searching for clues, that some stories should be left open ended as you can never know the whole — if only the author had shared the same sentiment.

Still, a good book on the whole.