Reviews

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

malihareza_19's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

minty's review against another edition

3.0

This reminded me a lot of Code Name Verity--a perhaps less-good but more grown-up version of CNV. The writing is a bit over the top, but as an audiobook at 2x speed it moved at a good clip, and I wasn't ever really bored. I enjoy the "lady spy" genre, I think.

andipants's review against another edition

5.0

Loved this! I found both plotlines compelling, and the two halves of the story flowed together perfectly. The characters were flawed and broken but still eminently likable. I especially liked the several "gotcha" moments where Eve or Charlie got to show up the people who underestimated them; things like that can come off as so contrived or out of place in historical fiction, but these were believable in the setting while still being delightfully satisfying. And I loved the ending.

Spoiler

It seems like so often with stories like this, all full of tragedy, the author thinks they have to have a sad or bittersweet ending in the interest of believability, but no, this was an unmitigated happy ending, and I loved it.

Five stars.

ghouldie's review against another edition

5.0

i absolutely LOVED this book - i mean, talk about strong and empowered women!! the main characters of this book were such independent, courageous women who took a stand. i’m not huge on realistic fiction (i have a hard time reading about WWI and WWII), but this book had me wanting MORE. the plot was phenomenal, as well as the character development. i especially liked the growth of charlie as she comes to figure herself out and what she wants out of life. i think the book had the right amount of romance, action, mystery, EVERYTHING. i would highly recommend this to anyone and everyone.

emilyheltzel's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.75

brittlebee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

wildwolverine's review against another edition

4.0

I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel. I certainly didn't expect be absolutely BLOWN AWAY by it. Normally, I steer clear from historical novels set around WW2 and especially from books with dual timelines. One is usually underdeveloped. Not so here. The Charlie storyline and the Eve storyline were both engrossing, and both women were real, flawed, and captivating. I couldn't put this book down.

Then, there's the ending where their storylines converge, and everything is just so perfect. Yes, it's gritty. Yes, it's intense. Yes, it's emotional. I definitely had to put the book down a few times to re-establish emotional equilibrium, but that's why I read! I want to feel like I'm in the story, even if it's an emotional journey. After reading this, I felt like a more empathetic human being. Kate Quinn is a phenomenal story-teller in that she can make you feel with any of her characters, and her characters are so poignant. They'll stick with you long after you finish reading about them.

My only complaint about this novel was that, because there were two timelines to develop, the setting was a bit lackluster. If you read Quinn's Borgia Chronicles or her Rome Saga, the details about setting, customs, clothing, and food are so vivid that you're basically in the story. With The Alice Network, by the time you sink into one time period, the next chapter switched you to another one. It was a little jarring.

Also, no matter how good you are, dual timelines just isn't my favorite writing technique. Sorry not sorry. I still recommend this to everyone. Yes, everyone. You should read this. You should also read everything else by Quinn. Do it. Now.

brennakaye's review against another edition

3.0

Overall I liked the story, but thought the book was a touch too long. I also could have done with less of the story from Charlie's perspective. It is not an easy book to read, but the history aspect was fascinating. I just personally thought Charlie was boring and kind of unnecessary to the story.

mbcoyne's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

5.0

afield's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

3.5