And if you need one reason to read this story, let it be Eve. If The Alice Network had been solely her story, I think the book would have been better. “One college sophomore minus one small encumbrance, divided by six months’ passage of time, multiplied by ten Paris frocks and a new haircut will not magically equal one restored reputation.”Įve is another beast in the story. Charlie’s character arc was small, broken up into tiny bits, and left a sour taste in my mouth. How easy it was to slip into thinking it was really a contemporary story. Granted, Charlie was hailed as a forward thinking girl of her time, but sometimes she read too Twenty First Century to be believable. I feel like I missed the part where they actually fell in love.

A few pages later, we meet the love interest, so obviously shoved in your face that by the time they do get together, it’s a boring mess of jumbled body parts. Let’s follow her on her heroic journey of finding out what happened to her cousin. Oh look, it’s the forties and this girl is pregnant and on her way to fix “the little problem”. Charlie’s condition felt like a trap to lure you in - a cheap shot to hook readers. The first couple of pages immediately turned me off. “Facing a pistol-wielding murderer does tend to put parents further down the list of things to be intimidated by.” And because it’s such an incredible story, I really wanted to like it. These ladies went above and beyond the call of duty and most times were not seen as the threat they really were. They’re the unsung heroes of the World Wars.

Her characters are the heroines that no one talks about. Quinn crafted a badass, female story steeped mostly in facts, all of which she explains in detail at the end in her author’s note. However, I think most readers will enjoy The Alice Network.

It feels like each new WWII book is trying to outdo the last one. Which is why I’m now swearing off all WWII based stories. The pain and agony that writers are putting into WWII stories is tearing me apart. If The Alice Network taught me anything, it’s that I need two rating systems - one for my enjoyment of a book and another for the technical side of things - because, though this book was well researched and most of the times well written, I really didn’t like it. “Hope was such a painful thing, far more painful than rage.” Genre: Historical Fiction People who should read this: Historical Fiction fans, people who love badass females, and stories based on real life events.

The alice network reviews