maui_kc's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
bookedwithmel's review against another edition
2.0
I had such high hopes for this book. It was my first attempt at an Amazon First book, and I thought, well if Amazon picked it for this, it’s gotta be good, right? The time period is one of my favorites when it comes to historical fiction, so I jumped in with both feet. Although it was still a quick read for me, I felt like the whole book was all over the place. There was something missing with the characters, I felt like I didn’t know them at all, even by the end. There was a lot of convoluted relationships that made the story line very complicated.
lydckerr's review against another edition
4.0
I’m usually not a thrill/mystery reader, but I really enjoyed this one and loved a different type of historical fiction read. It moved somewhat slowly to me compared to what I expected, but I was excited to keep reading and was on the edge of my seat by the ending.
energyrae's review
3.0
Once again, Kang takes us back to New York in the early 1900s, amidst the second world war. Women in the states are working in jobs they never dreamed possible. The US is covertly working on the atom bomb, and rationing is affecting people.
I’ve been working through all of Kang’s works, and this one is my least favorite. It came with a lot of secrets that felt entirely unnecessary. I wasn’t a fan of Ruby because of all the lying and manipulation. Her reasoning didn’t justify any of her lies or behavior.
I have mixed feelings about this one. But some books just aren’t for everyone, and I still have more of Kang’s works to read.
I’ve been working through all of Kang’s works, and this one is my least favorite. It came with a lot of secrets that felt entirely unnecessary. I wasn’t a fan of Ruby because of all the lying and manipulation. Her reasoning didn’t justify any of her lies or behavior.
I have mixed feelings about this one. But some books just aren’t for everyone, and I still have more of Kang’s works to read.
abby_culloton's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
wendy_blendy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
cjthedog64's review against another edition
4.0
I was expecting a historical fiction about the Manhattan Project. But this was really much more a mystery. Well written with lots of unexpected twists, but not a traditional fiction. Still worth a few hours of reading time.
jrd622's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book kept me guessing until the end. I am usually pretty good at guessing the culprit in mysteries, but this one threw me. I gave it four stars because I wasn't a fan of the ending--I thought it wrapped up too quickly without enough detail.