The Alice Network

There are two different POVs in this book and I think they deserve completely different ratings.

Charlie - 1 star
This is exactly how you DO NOT write a historical fiction character. Charlie has the mindset of a woman living in 2022, and not only does it not fit into the story being told, it's freaking annoying. Her background in math is used to make her seem different and her “little problem” (as she refers to her pregnancy through the entire damn novel) really makes her stand out as not just an annoying character but a childish one. I skimmed and skipped entire chapters of hers. Even the plot with her trying to find her (also pregnant?) cousin, Rose, is boring and unbelievable. The author likes to remind us regularly through Charlie's story that women were hated and could do nothing during this period - but don't worry, Charlie isn't like those regular girls!

Eve - 3 stars
I liked her story more but not by much. In the end, her trauma turns into something that SORT OF looks like PTSD, but the author seems to think drinking = PTSD symptom and throws in a few night terrors for good measure. She simply cannot be a good spy, but she also has to bend from “proper” behavior to conform to a “man's world” and it's just exhausting. Why can't she just be a badass on her own?

Frankly, this whole book feels a bit immature and unfinished. It's got a good idea and the plot is there, but it's over explained and really hits hard at the feminist view too strongly for this time in history. There are inaccuracies in the history, the characters are plain boring and for being based off true events, it all feels disjointed. There are too many great books written about women's roles in WWI and WWII for this to be a “must read” for this genre. I'd recommend skipping it and going with “All the Light They Cannot See” if you want a solid character story from multiple perspectives set in a similar time.