I think the biggest issue is I was expecting a spy book but got a romance book with spying on the side. There’s spying in the book but it seemed like an after thought because it happens infrequently or the main character just stumbles into something and goes “oh, yeah, spying!” I’ve been looking at a few reviews and if the real 355 was a lady of the upper class - since there are rumors/theories she could have been anyone, including Sally Townsend, Robert’s sister who was not in the higher ranks of the Loyalist class but could have used the fact that the British had stationed inside the Townsend house to spy - she would have been listening over and gossiping at parties. That would have been her cover so I just wanted to point that out.
But that one scene where the main character just stumbles into an office/bedroom with Andre’s papers was just a tease of what could have happened. Someone actually poking their nose into places they shouldn’t be, knowing that they could die for it and having to cover their tracks.
Which I think is the other problem - the main character never really understands how serious spying actually is. She decides it one day on the way to a wedding and then kinda just bops around the place. Even when she meets Abraham Woodhull - who the book never explains is Culper Senior, the person who was doing most of the heavy lifting until he got Townsend on board so he would stop having to cross the border into Manhattan because it was getting too dangerous and he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown - she thinks he’s being too harsh and too nervous, when they could literally be hanged for this.
People were hanged for this.
The main character never really gets that. She just bumbles her way around the city, finding information by accident and then moving on to her love life again. I didn’t really care about her love interests and the love triangle - or really the fact that her abusive step father just was plopped back into the story in the last few chapters. It seemed to take up so much time when I wanted a book on 355. She gets the code, she mentions it but seemingly never uses it because she just keeps telling Townsend her information.
Maybe I just know too much about the Culpers and am just a little picky. I don’t know. I thought Andre was perfect. I love the mention of the Shippens, since it’s possible Peggy was the one that got Andre and Arnold in contact with each other. There’s also a theory that Peggy was 355 - just to put that out there. Austin was a nice surprise, if I’m assuming that the Austin in the book is Austin Roe who was a runner for the ring - basically he was bringing the messages from Senior to Junior.
And as someone who has a very special place in my heart for the Culper Spy Ring - especially the “main” five - it was nice to see them being given a tiny bit of spotlight. If you wish to know more about them - I highly recommend [b:Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring|19503231|Washington's Spies The Story of America's First Spy Ring|Alexander Rose|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392590611l/19503231._SY75_.jpg|172357].
Very little is known about Revolutionary spy, known only as 355, but in the hands and imagination of author, Veronica Rossi, who weaves in historical figures like Benedict Arnold and Anna Strong, she creates an entirely believable story about the elusive spy.
I loved the audiobook, the narrator, and the story, and while he’s never mentioned, if you’re a Hamilton fiction fan, you’d likely enjoy this book.
I read this for a book circle and was excited when I saw that it was about a woman spying for the American side in the Revolutionary War. I learned a lot about this time in our nation’s history, including the apparent fact that general George Washington was quite the spymaster.
When I started the book, it was not at all what I expected, and I wondered how the story would ever get to where it was supposedly going. It did, though, and then some. This was quite nicely done, and obviously well-researched. The only complaint I have is that it could have been a bit heavier on the spy details.
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
REVIEW
I was so excited to see that there was a book tour for Rebel Spy for two reasons. One, I've read and lovedUnder the Never Skyby Veronica Rossi, so I know that I absolutely adore her writing. Two, it's all about HISTORY. I'm a fan of historical fiction, and have been looking for a new YA historical fiction book to read for a while.
Now, for some reason I was never a huge fan of American history, but I did still find this book intriguing. I learned a lot from it! The plot itself was really interesting to me, but I found that it was especially really slow to start. If you just push through the beginning part, it definitely picks up.
I really liked the character of Frannie and the relationship she had with Asa. I found Frannie to be a very strong-willed character and I enjoyed reading about her throughout the novel.
Another thing that I really appreciated about this novel was that I haven't read many YA novels that take place during this time period of the American Revolution. I feel like there's a lot of historical YA books that take place in other countries, but not many in the US!
Overall, if you like historical fiction and you have the will-power to push through the slow beginning, you should definitely give this book a try!
About the Author
VERONICA ROSSI is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the UNDER THE NEVER SKY series. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, grew up in California, and graduated from UCLA. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two sons, one of whom just surpassed her in height. Find her online at veronicarossi.com or on Twitter at @rossibooks.
