A review by lilyrich
The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-Min Lee

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

It was originally a little hard to get into because there seemed to be a lot of strange and unnecessary similes, but then I realized it was translated from Korean so I pushed through. The premise is also a little misleading, because Marilyn Monroe is introduced a third into the book then is not actually a huge character. I don’t actually think her character was super necessary because Alice/Ae-sun as a character was extremely complex on her own. The story was as beautiful as a story about war can be, and  reading about war from the perspective of a civilian was gripping.