Sweet Tooth

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Sweet Tooth is the latest offering from Ian McEwan, best known for Atonement (later turned into a critically acclaimed movie). I put myself on the list for it as soon as I could knowing the wait might be a bit long. Of course, this was available for me right when I got my new Kindle so I frantically read it.

Good Reads' Synopsis: "Cambridge student Serena Frome’s beauty and intelligence make her the ideal recruit for MI5. The year is 1972. The Cold War is far from over. England’s legendary intelligence agency is determined to manipulate the cultural conversation by funding writers whose politics align with those of the government. The operation is code named “Sweet Tooth.”

Serena, a compulsive reader of novels, is the perfect candidate to infiltrate the literary circle of a promising young writer named Tom Haley. At first, she loves his stories. Then she begins to love the man. How long can she conceal her undercover life? To answer that question, Serena must abandon the first rule of espionage: trust no one.

Once again, Ian McEwan’s mastery dazzles us in this superbly deft and witty story of betrayal and intrigue, love and the invented self."

What I Thought: This one took a little while to get into. It was slow and while I liked Serena and the other characters, I didn't find them relatable. The story was interesting but didn't really give me a good twist until the end. The whole book was a lot quieter than I expected it to be. When you think of a spy novel, you're expecting at least a little thrill. I got no thrill. If you've never read anything by McEwan, try Atonement. This one isn't the best.

Rating: * *