Reviews

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

kendallpbahl's review against another edition

4.0

This was a SUPER heavy book. Lots of heavy WW1 and WW2 content. But wow was it worth it. The characters drew me in and while I didn’t ever get “hooked” or need to power through, it was a compelling and enjoyable read. I loved it. And loved the characters. The depth of characters made up for the lack of “wow” factor/draw in.

erika_kostamo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

geegeegoogoo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.25

camille_jmu's review against another edition

4.0

I didn't really enjoy Charlies storyline at first which was set in 1947. Eve's storyline however was phenomenal. Its set in1915 during World War 1 and she ends up going undercover as a spy.... everything about the Alice Network was pretty intriguing. There were elements of suspense woven in Eves storyline.
You see friendship & ideas of loyalty between women throughout both storylines but you also see a lot of the hardships that Eve and Charlie had to go through....
Prior to reading the story I had no idea that there really were women who were spies in the war or that the Alice Network was a real thing. If you are interested in historical fiction you will probably like this one.... my only con was that I felt like the story didn't really pick up or get really interesting until about 300 pages in and the book is 500 pages but that's just my perspective.
My friend also read it and she felt like it was pretty fast-paced from the beginning I guess it depends on your expectations!

Eves storyline: 5

alicecharlie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

noellesimonson's review against another edition

4.0

3.5/5 rounded up to 4/5

“What did it matter if something scared you, when it simply had to be done?”

This book started as a rough read. Writing style is very important to me as a reader and this fell short of my expectations. The more I read, the more I felt that this was YA disguised as a book for adults. The constant addition and multiplication problems inserted into sentences was choppy, unnecessary, and strange. The humor sometimes made me cringe and the character of Charlie was as much annoying as she was endearing. Although her character arc was well done, she was so self-centered and immature at the beginning that I thought about giving up.

It took me almost 200 pages to warm up to these characters but the story itself was worthwhile. I was gripped by the storyline as soon as I knew it was about female war spies and that it was based on real people. The side characters intrigued more often than the protagonists did. I wondered multiple times if I would enjoy the story more had it been narrated by Lilli rather than by Eve, regardless of Eve being a much more likable character than Charlie for 2/3 of the story.

Despite its many faults, I found myself becoming deeply invested in these characters’ sorrows and their joys. If the writing style had been less childish and immature, it would deserve a much higher rating.

arodri16's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

elysahenegar's review against another edition

4.0

I admit that I was reluctant about reading this book. I have read a generous slew of WW2 fiction in the last few years, and while I think reading about the time, its people, history, and hardship is valuable no matter the genre, I sometimes have to take a break from absorbing the brutality that was so much a part of these historic events. This was a book club selection though, so I read on, and I'm happy I did! The Alice Network, so much of which is true to the history it represents, is one of the most well written pieces of historical fiction I've read on the period. It checks all the boxes: well-conceived, engaging characters; mystery and suspense; tragedy; wry humor; love; romance; found family; and even hope. Yes, parts of this novel are brutally tragic, as certainly fits the history, but its tone is fierce and strident, which surely seems fitting for the spying women whose story it conveys.

michaela29's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

mauithemouse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5