A review by wordssearched
The Perfume Thief by Timothy Schaffert

informative mysterious reflective

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

2.0

I struggled with how to rate this one because it wasn't poorly written, and if you're into World War 2 historical fiction, then this might be for you. My reaction is based entirely on high expectations from an enticing premise: a queer woman in Paris at the height of the Nazi occupation must find and secure a book of formulas by a famous perfumer before it falls into German hands. Sounds great, right? But the execution doesn't quite follow through. Schaffert did his research and is a solid writer, but in the end, I could get into the narrative or connect with any of the characters, and the plot sputters along until a ho-hum conclusion in which very little happens. Not bad, per se, just boring.