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A review by bringmybooks
The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, & Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Look, is it the book's fault that one of my MOST HATED TROPES in historical fiction is the martyr / miscommunication that lasts upwards of 50 years? No. But also. I cannot.
I was way more invested in the more contemporary of the two timelines, following Kathleen as she enrolls in the US Naval Academy in 1976, the first year that women were allowed to join. That being said, if you read that sentence and thought to yourself, "My God, I bet that some of the dudes made that absolute hell for them," you would a) be correct and b) be really upset throughout most of the chapters focusing on Kathleen's story.
I appreciated the author showing how tough women are, and I also appreciated that at the end of their first year there wasn't a magical moment when all the men accepted them (because that would not have been realistic).
Emmaline's POV bugged me because I knew in my bones that normally I would eat that up - two childhood friends reconnecting in a France at war over books and memories and idioms from the shared language of their Russian ancestry? SIGN. ME. UP. But it didn't work for me, and I can't put my fingers on why. (Most likely: most hated trope mentioned above, but whatevs)
Ultimately I'm glad I read it because it focused on something I didn't know a lot about out (one of the reasons I love hist fic!) but it wasn't a favorite.
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Look, is it the book's fault that one of my MOST HATED TROPES in historical fiction is the martyr / miscommunication that lasts upwards of 50 years? No. But also. I cannot.
I was way more invested in the more contemporary of the two timelines, following Kathleen as she enrolls in the US Naval Academy in 1976, the first year that women were allowed to join. That being said, if you read that sentence and thought to yourself, "My God, I bet that some of the dudes made that absolute hell for them," you would a) be correct and b) be really upset throughout most of the chapters focusing on Kathleen's story.
I appreciated the author showing how tough women are, and I also appreciated that at the end of their first year there wasn't a magical moment when all the men accepted them (because that would not have been realistic).
Emmaline's POV bugged me because I knew in my bones that normally I would eat that up - two childhood friends reconnecting in a France at war over books and memories and idioms from the shared language of their Russian ancestry? SIGN. ME. UP. But it didn't work for me, and I can't put my fingers on why. (Most likely: most hated trope mentioned above, but whatevs)
Ultimately I'm glad I read it because it focused on something I didn't know a lot about out (one of the reasons I love hist fic!) but it wasn't a favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Gaslighting and War
Sexism, Assault, Gaslighting, Intimidation & Fear Tactics, Chauvinism, Wartime Horrors