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hollydyer328's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is a gem of a WWII novel, based off of real-life events of Nancy Wake, Australian female spy that was a military leader for the French resistance against the Germans. Ariel Lawhon does a great job highlighting this lesser-known historical figure and writing her to be a confident, humorous, and overall bada** protagonist. The pacing of events is fairly slow but that is made up for with the quality of the writing and creating a robust narrator. There is great humor and I LOL'ed, and there is a sweet love story, both of things I wasn't expecting but really enjoyed. My only issue was that there are many characters, plus when some of them have multiple code names, and with the dual timeline, it can be hard to keep track of them. But it doesn't hinder too much with knowing what's going on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
daysathomereading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Torture
rharris86dc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
luosymekawa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Jumping back and forth within a timeline can be really hard to pull off. Ariel Lawhon executed this literary device perfectly. Each scene build upon the next and ramped up the anticipation to the climax, despite the change in year. The story could have been told linearly, but I think the time jumping made the story much more compelling. I liked that it ended at the beginning.
Nancy Wake is an inspiration. Learning about her story was an incredible journey. I hope to one day possess the confidence, ingenuity, and courage that she did.
Nancy Wake is an inspiration. Learning about her story was an incredible journey. I hope to one day possess the confidence, ingenuity, and courage that she did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Gun violence
curatoriallyyours's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Well-written and fascinating historical fiction about Nancy Wake, also known as The White Mouse, an Australian living in France at the time of Hitler’s rise to power who became a spy and military leader in the French resistance. I listened to this as an audiobook and remained gripped by the story throughout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Police brutality, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence