A review by book_perk
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
For some reason, this book really droned on for me and felt incredibly long. The story is told from the perspective of two women and two different timelines. While Eve's perspective was enthralling, riveting, and fast-paced, I absolutely despised reading Charlie's perspective.
This is a very specific pet peeve of mine, but why did Charlie have to be good at math as one of her defining characteristics? This added nothing to the story and Charlie never really relied on her mathematical abilities except to calculate tips and keep track of the money throughout their travels. The analogies of 'solve for x' were overused and frankly used incorrectly. Also, Charlie supposedly studied mathematics in university and when given the opportunity to talk about something she was passionate about with Finn she chose the Pythagorean theorem? Of ALL the beautiful mathematical theorems, results, and proofs... she chose the Pythagorean theorem? I really wish authors would stop writing about mathematics with a basic high school understanding. Eve and Finn are the saving grace of this novel and their story lines kept me reading until the end.
This is a very specific pet peeve of mine, but why did Charlie have to be good at math as one of her defining characteristics? This added nothing to the story and Charlie never really relied on her mathematical abilities except to calculate tips and keep track of the money throughout their travels. The analogies of 'solve for x' were overused and frankly used incorrectly. Also, Charlie supposedly studied mathematics in university and when given the opportunity to talk about something she was passionate about with Finn she chose the Pythagorean theorem? Of ALL the beautiful mathematical theorems, results, and proofs... she chose the Pythagorean theorem? I really wish authors would stop writing about mathematics with a basic high school understanding. Eve and Finn are the saving grace of this novel and their story lines kept me reading until the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, and Violence