Scan barcode
lastpaige111's review against another edition
5.0
A great twist on the post-WWII spy novel, Pagan will keep you guessing as she dashes around the divided but as yet unwalled Berlin of the early 1960s. I've been a crazy Germanophile since majoring in German Studies in college, and I've visited Berlin multiple times. I am tremendously impressed by Berry's knowledge of geography and history. The setting was so evocative I felt like I was right there tailing Pagan. Pagan is now one of my new fave heroines--a fully rendered brave teen starlet whose humility tempers her fame. Her compulsion to help others is driven by some rough experiences in her past, and I can see her making a huge difference in other characters' lives in the next books in the series--which I'm already impatiently anticipating.
aepstone's review against another edition
5.0
Okay truth-telling time, I read this book a bunch of times because I acquired and edited it for Harlequin. So I'm a bit biased. But believe me -- you DON'T want to miss this one. Utterly brilliant, fun, gripping, and somehow still incredibly historically accurate/educational. If you're a fan of historical novels by Ruta Sepetys and Elizabeth Wein, this is one for you.
twhittie's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting setting for a YA book, and it was well executed in my opinion. I loved the flaws of all the characters and the novel was really well paced. It's totally set up to have a sequel though which I wasn't aware of! But whenever that comes out I will definitely be reading it.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
4.0
Received ARC in Instagram contest run by the author. I did not promise a review, favorable or otherwise.
Pagan goes from starlet to jailbird – she killed her family in a drunk-driving accident – and back to starlet when she is sprung from her reformatory school by a studio executive. She’s off to Berlin to film a new movie and, as she struggles to stay sober, she begins to suspect the studio executive, who is also her court ordered guardian, is a little bit more than a Hollywood suit.
Initially, I was more intrigued with the time period of this novel – the 1960s – than I was with the main character. The Cold War setting in Berlin is what made me pick it up. But then I met Pagan. Oh boy do I like the idea of a Marilyn Monroe look-alike who showed folks there were brains under that blond hair! She is conniving, sassy, and street-smart. The Cold War setting became a bonus as I was drawn into Pagan’s life drama and the commotion that seemed to follow in her wake.
Other than Pagan being a recovering alcoholic, this is an otherwise “clean read” (and, come on, she is recovering so that it is a good thing!) that is sure to entertain those who like their historical fiction with a bit of Hollywood glamour.
Pagan goes from starlet to jailbird – she killed her family in a drunk-driving accident – and back to starlet when she is sprung from her reformatory school by a studio executive. She’s off to Berlin to film a new movie and, as she struggles to stay sober, she begins to suspect the studio executive, who is also her court ordered guardian, is a little bit more than a Hollywood suit.
Initially, I was more intrigued with the time period of this novel – the 1960s – than I was with the main character. The Cold War setting in Berlin is what made me pick it up. But then I met Pagan. Oh boy do I like the idea of a Marilyn Monroe look-alike who showed folks there were brains under that blond hair! She is conniving, sassy, and street-smart. The Cold War setting became a bonus as I was drawn into Pagan’s life drama and the commotion that seemed to follow in her wake.
Other than Pagan being a recovering alcoholic, this is an otherwise “clean read” (and, come on, she is recovering so that it is a good thing!) that is sure to entertain those who like their historical fiction with a bit of Hollywood glamour.
becky_lynn's review against another edition
4.0
This book surprised me. I really enjoyed it. I want to read the sequel when it exists.
emilyctrigg's review against another edition
4.0
This book started off with a very slow start, but once it got going, it was endless action! Definitely enjoyed, but took me about 150 pages to get invested.
claiben's review against another edition
4.0
It’s not that I don’t love this book - because I do - but I hate that Pagan and Devin part ways.
knboereads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was fast-paced and fun, with an interesting and likable main character.
Pagan Jones, despite all her faults, is compassionate and brave. Through all the obstacles and difficulties life brought her, she carried on, sometimes in desperation, but sometimes with an aplomb that only a 1960's hollywood starlet could exude. This was one of the traits that really drew me to her.
Devin Black was more of an enigma, even at the end of the book, but there seemed to be a heavy implication of a possible sequel at the end so we may learn more about him yet.
I hope there is a sequel because I would like to see more of Pagan and Devin (and the other characters).
Pagan Jones, despite all her faults, is compassionate and brave. Through all the obstacles and difficulties life brought her, she carried on, sometimes in desperation, but sometimes with an aplomb that only a 1960's hollywood starlet could exude. This was one of the traits that really drew me to her.
Devin Black was more of an enigma, even at the end of the book, but there seemed to be a heavy implication of a possible sequel at the end so we may learn more about him yet.
I hope there is a sequel because I would like to see more of Pagan and Devin (and the other characters).
asey's review
3.0
Pagan Jones, teen starlet fallen from grace after driving drunk and killing her family, has been taken from Reformatory School to star in a comedy filmed in Berlin during a near nuclear crisis. Her release as well as her temporary guardian, Devin Black, are all suspicious, but Pagan finds she must redeem herself even if it means trusting the suspicious. She is, after all, the Notorious Pagan Jones.
Great plot, wonderful descriptions, fantastic characters and character development. This book made me realize how little I know about Berlin during this time period.
Great plot, wonderful descriptions, fantastic characters and character development. This book made me realize how little I know about Berlin during this time period.
tiareleine's review against another edition
3.0
More and more often I'm trying to go into books knowing next to nothing about them. I went into The Notorious Pagan Jones knowing almost nothing about it. Well, just the basics. The synopsis did a good job of not spoiling anything, and that's why I was able to go in without knowing much. Pagan Jones is a disgraced actress who, for mysterious unknown reasons, was pulled from her reform school to start in a movie in Berlin. And it's the 1960s, so Berlin is quite the hot place as far as politics go.
That last part I didn't know about the book so much as I knew it about history. I wish I'd given it more weight in my initial assessment of this book. It was the reason this book was not what I thought it would be.
I thought it would be a book about Pagan struggling with her past misdeads, trying to set things right, trying to fix her reputation. I thought there might be a little mystery (especially when the mystery about the German side of her family was set up toward the beginning).
That's not really what this book was. This was a book about the politics of Germany. It was a book about espionage, inspired (according to the end notes) by celebrities of the 1960s who participated in espionage. It was a book about Berlin and the Berlin was. Pagan Jones was just the vehicle.
I wish I had known that, because then I would have experienced this book very differently.
Here's what you need to know: this is not a book about emotions, it is a book about action. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, except that I prefer books that are about emotions over books that are about action. I'm not really a fan of 50+ pages of constant action at a time.
Here's who I recommend the book to:
1. People who like action movies. This felt to me just like the classic action movie. Lots of intrigue, lots of mystery, lots of people you may or may not be able to trust. Emotional setup at the beginning of the story that punches at the end, but maybe not as hard as some people would like. Not quite so much importance on the characters as on the plot.
2. Fans of history. From the end notes, it's clear to me that Nina Berry did a lot of research before writing this book. Obviously Pagan Jones and co. are made up, but they are based on some real stuff (and some real events are featuring in the book, like the Berlin wall going up at 1:00 in the morning so as to trap people into East Berlin). Also, had I known from the beginning about the real celebrities that participated in espionage, I might have had an easier time suspending my disbelief at the things Pagan did.
Basically what I'm saying about this book is that it was good and I think a lot of people will like it. But it wasn't for me. I'm still going to read the sequel, though. I do want to know what's up with Pagan's German family. That mystery didn't really get solved.
That last part I didn't know about the book so much as I knew it about history. I wish I'd given it more weight in my initial assessment of this book. It was the reason this book was not what I thought it would be.
I thought it would be a book about Pagan struggling with her past misdeads, trying to set things right, trying to fix her reputation. I thought there might be a little mystery (especially when the mystery about the German side of her family was set up toward the beginning).
That's not really what this book was. This was a book about the politics of Germany. It was a book about espionage, inspired (according to the end notes) by celebrities of the 1960s who participated in espionage. It was a book about Berlin and the Berlin was. Pagan Jones was just the vehicle.
I wish I had known that, because then I would have experienced this book very differently.
Here's what you need to know: this is not a book about emotions, it is a book about action. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, except that I prefer books that are about emotions over books that are about action. I'm not really a fan of 50+ pages of constant action at a time.
Here's who I recommend the book to:
1. People who like action movies. This felt to me just like the classic action movie. Lots of intrigue, lots of mystery, lots of people you may or may not be able to trust. Emotional setup at the beginning of the story that punches at the end, but maybe not as hard as some people would like. Not quite so much importance on the characters as on the plot.
2. Fans of history. From the end notes, it's clear to me that Nina Berry did a lot of research before writing this book. Obviously Pagan Jones and co. are made up, but they are based on some real stuff (and some real events are featuring in the book, like the Berlin wall going up at 1:00 in the morning so as to trap people into East Berlin). Also, had I known from the beginning about the real celebrities that participated in espionage, I might have had an easier time suspending my disbelief at the things Pagan did.
Basically what I'm saying about this book is that it was good and I think a lot of people will like it. But it wasn't for me. I'm still going to read the sequel, though. I do want to know what's up with Pagan's German family. That mystery didn't really get solved.