readingqueen83's review
4.0
I enjoyed it!!! I love this author's writing style.....very vivid wording and descriptions! There's a lot happening in this novel!!! Took me a bit to get through it, but finally finished it!
hannahsoothers's review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pinkvogue's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
elizabethsturms's review
1.0
I just really did not like this book. Interesting point of view for WW2 that we don’t usually get as readers but there were too many character POVs for me and I found the authors word choice a tad pretentious
lngoldstein's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
njw13's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.75
ksprokes's review
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
tense
slow-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
2.0
matthew2666's review
4.0
Love a WWII novel with a completely fresh take on the subject. Here, Marra depicts, usually quite electrically, the struggle of European families and emigrants under fascist regimes (particularly Mussolini's), and the US State Department's coopting of Hollywood into the propaganda machine. The brutal irony of Japanese internment and immigrant surveillance in the name of defending freedom and democracy is center-stage in Mercury Pictures Presents, and Marra's evident love for his characters as they navigate these struggles makes the novel often a heartbreaking read, full of rich moral quandary. As a reader perennially interested in WWII narratives, the history of Hollywood, and the immigrant experience, I just really devoured this one.
Demerits are few, but mostly stem from Marra's occasional preciousness with language. Often, his prose is spectacular, with precise and unusual diction that neither condescends or pretends. But he still has a slight problem with that twee-ness of description that made it impossible for me to finish his first novel.
Demerits are few, but mostly stem from Marra's occasional preciousness with language. Often, his prose is spectacular, with precise and unusual diction that neither condescends or pretends. But he still has a slight problem with that twee-ness of description that made it impossible for me to finish his first novel.
marjshopes's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
heidirgorecki's review against another edition
2.0
This had the potential to be a really great story, but it was so much work to get thru, it was kind of like trying to run in a lake - just treading water - when it could have been more focused and less ambiguous to let me be invested.
I was so interested in the concept of Hollywood and “enemy aliens” from other countries in the US during WW2 but the way this unfolded was just so unfocused, and overly done. It would start to tell a little of the story - enough for me to get interested - and then do a massive rabbit trail of a random character’s backstory, side story, future story, etc. and do it in a poetic and philosophical way that was just work to read. It didn’t lend to the story, just drew it out and was distracting so that when we finally got back to it I had to then work to get my bearings back on where I was at again.
I was so interested in the concept of Hollywood and “enemy aliens” from other countries in the US during WW2 but the way this unfolded was just so unfocused, and overly done. It would start to tell a little of the story - enough for me to get interested - and then do a massive rabbit trail of a random character’s backstory, side story, future story, etc. and do it in a poetic and philosophical way that was just work to read. It didn’t lend to the story, just drew it out and was distracting so that when we finally got back to it I had to then work to get my bearings back on where I was at again.