squidjum's review against another edition
3.0
I appreciated the hopeful note of the ending, though I had some difficulty connecting with the character of Evelyn
kadej's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gl_cool's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
2.5
This book just didn’t hook me - I expected to be more engaged but found myself easily getting distracted.
quiche12's review against another edition
4.0
An intriguing novel- mix of historical fiction, spy thriller and the tale of a woman trying to find her place in the world. I particularly enjoyed the historical aspect- there aren’t many books that cover the early years of WWII. I also enjoyed learning about MI5. Recommended for fans of historical fiction .
megancmahon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Warning: spoilers
I have to say I really didn't enjoy this one. I liked that Starford wanted to explore the ways that undercover personas affected spies' identities during WWII, but the central point of this book seemed to be asking me to feel sympathy for fascist/Nazi sympathizers, or at least to feel sympathy for Evelyn, who had come to know them well, for turning them in. The whole point of the book was that Evelyn didn't know which side she was on, because she had never belonged anywhere, and she liked some of the people who'd been expressing abhorrent views. They'd been her friends.
Yeah, if your novel's central theme is "a character feels bad for reporting on fascists" I'm not going to get into it.
I know that Evelyn's whole deal was supposed to be that she shifted her identity to fit in everywhere she went, including while she was infiltrating fascist cells, but I don't like or feel sorry for her. She is so selfish and awful that I wondered for a while if it was supposed to be an "unreliable narrator" sort of thing. There was huge "I'm not like other girls" energy for the first 150 pages - which were very slow - and that's a trope I really can't stand.
The plot also didn't make a lot of sense to me. Everything happened very slowly, and not a lot of stuff...actually happened. There's no ultimate climax, really - just Evelyn working to put her life back together after a stay in prison. I suppose you could read it as she's finally living her own life without trying to fit into anyone else's mould, but it was really difficult to feel any sympathy for Evelyn. I also didn't like any of the background characters - none of them were really fleshed out enough for me to care about them, or for Evelyn's actions regarding them to make sense.
1.75 stars.
I have to say I really didn't enjoy this one. I liked that Starford wanted to explore the ways that undercover personas affected spies' identities during WWII, but the central point of this book seemed to be asking me to feel sympathy for fascist/Nazi sympathizers, or at least to feel sympathy for Evelyn, who had come to know them well, for turning them in. The whole point of the book was that Evelyn didn't know which side she was on, because she had never belonged anywhere, and she liked some of the people who'd been expressing abhorrent views. They'd been her friends.
Yeah, if your novel's central theme is "a character feels bad for reporting on fascists" I'm not going to get into it.
I know that Evelyn's whole deal was supposed to be that she shifted her identity to fit in everywhere she went, including while she was infiltrating fascist cells, but I don't like or feel sorry for her. She is so selfish and awful that I wondered for a while if it was supposed to be an "unreliable narrator" sort of thing. There was huge "I'm not like other girls" energy for the first 150 pages - which were very slow - and that's a trope I really can't stand.
The plot also didn't make a lot of sense to me. Everything happened very slowly, and not a lot of stuff...actually happened. There's no ultimate climax, really - just Evelyn working to put her life back together after a stay in prison. I suppose you could read it as she's finally living her own life without trying to fit into anyone else's mould, but it was really difficult to feel any sympathy for Evelyn. I also didn't like any of the background characters - none of them were really fleshed out enough for me to care about them, or for Evelyn's actions regarding them to make sense.
1.75 stars.
ilona_rae's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting read, with building dread as the spy plot came to a climax. Ultimately though, I didn't really believe how the author imagined the character could be a good spy - it gave malicious intent to code-switching and class mobility.
unicornsinshangrila's review
4.0
More like 3.5 stars.
Evelyn is hard to get invested in. I appreciate her distance fit in well with her role as a chameleon but it made it hard to care about her, much like Julia said in the end.
To start with I found the premise of the story intriguing. Evelyn has this past where she played a role in WWII that she is plagued by.
While the story remained interesting, it took a good 150 pages to get into the juice of it. Then it quickly picked up speed and there were a few truly shocking moments which had me applauding Starford because I didn’t see them coming and they were very well done.
For me, the book’s ending was a let down. All this build up for very little pay off. I still sit here feeling a bit ripped off. Like, what Evelyn was so plagued over? Was it really the role she played in the war or the accident? I don’t know, it felt a bit empty and too brusque an ending for me.
Evelyn is hard to get invested in. I appreciate her distance fit in well with her role as a chameleon but it made it hard to care about her, much like Julia said in the end.
To start with I found the premise of the story intriguing. Evelyn has this past where she played a role in WWII that she is plagued by.
While the story remained interesting, it took a good 150 pages to get into the juice of it. Then it quickly picked up speed and there were a few truly shocking moments which had me applauding Starford because I didn’t see them coming and they were very well done.
For me, the book’s ending was a let down. All this build up for very little pay off. I still sit here feeling a bit ripped off. Like, what Evelyn was so plagued over? Was it really the role she played in the war or the accident? I don’t know, it felt a bit empty and too brusque an ending for me.
mgwalker8's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
cosetteld's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75