I was really glad I gave this book a go – it isn’t necessarily one I would have normally chosen, but I loved the action-packed story and its funny female protagonist. The Nursery was an easy, but gripping, read and I finished it quickly.
Mackay has crafted a whole world of spies and assassins, with all the details well thought out. Lex’s double duty as a spy and a mother is an exaggerated version of a situation many will recognise, and I found the mother-daughter scenes some of the funniest in the book. The plot was full of twists and turns and I couldn’t put it down. I thought the ending was a little quick, but good. I did guess the identity of the traitor, but many aspects of the reveal still shocked me.
At first, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the number of characters (though this may be because I have not read the previous book in the series). However, I quickly got to grips with who was who, with Mackay giving everyone distinct personalities. The one character I felt could be more developed was Will – I never felt invested in him and Lex as a couple. Lex herself is great – funny and tough in a way that is still worryingly rare for female protagonists.
Mackay has crafted a whole world of spies and assassins, with all the details well thought out. Lex’s double duty as a spy and a mother is an exaggerated version of a situation many will recognise, and I found the mother-daughter scenes some of the funniest in the book. The plot was full of twists and turns and I couldn’t put it down. I thought the ending was a little quick, but good. I did guess the identity of the traitor, but many aspects of the reveal still shocked me.
At first, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the number of characters (though this may be because I have not read the previous book in the series). However, I quickly got to grips with who was who, with Mackay giving everyone distinct personalities. The one character I felt could be more developed was Will – I never felt invested in him and Lex as a couple. Lex herself is great – funny and tough in a way that is still worryingly rare for female protagonists.