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jcinf's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I love the intensity of the chapters. I honestly lost a lot of sleep reading this book because I couldn’t put it down. It has been a while since cliffhangers have gotten me so well.
The characters were fantastic. The “bad guy” was truly an evil person, and I loved that. Sometimes you don’t need to build a villain out to have complexity. Sometimes evil can just be evil. Especially in a time of war. And I think in this situation, it worked great. That said, the villain wasn’t a flat character either. They never felt underdeveloped. I always knew their motivations and I think that worked so flawlessly too because of the nature of being a spy means learning someone’s nuances and what makes them tick.
So action-packed — which I loved. But also lots of character development and character growth.
My favorite part (not a spoiler I promise): the representation/depiction of just really cool women. Really badass, intelligent, clever, courageous, interesting women. And knowing it was all based on reality made it even cooler.
Loved this book!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
emileemaree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Abortion, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Excrement, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
makmo722's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I will note that it was far more challenging to read than I expected. War is dark and the effect is has is seen clearly on every page of this book.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Abortion, and War
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
karolinaz's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Excrement, Vomit, and Classism
chalkletters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It’s surprising that I’d forgotten Charlie, as she definitely undergoes the most positive character development over the course of The Alice Network, and that’s usually something I enjoy! Her evolution from obedient daughter to defiant bookkeeper certainly feels earned, though I did notice a bit more telling than showing at times, particularly towards the end.
Kate Quinn handles the plot excellently: there are moments of creeping horror, triumph and shock, and she does an excellent job of balancing the two timelines, keeping both interesting and engaging to the last. The ending is lovely, wrapping everything up and giving a sense of hope for the characters we’ve invested so much time in. Kate Quinn’s prose is consistently effective, with some really lovely moments, especially describing the flower fields in Grasse.
I don’t know if The Alice Network is something I’ll want to revisit again, but I’d definitely read more by Kate Quinn.
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Medical trauma, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury