Book Review.

Did I love this book? No.
Did I hate this book? Not, really.
Then what? Well, the story was interesting, the way it was written not so much.

I felt like there was too much back story. Too many unnecessary details. I was drawn to this book after reading a review somewhere (probably one of my chick magazines) and while this is not the type of book I typically pick up and read, I found her story intriguing. And so a request was submitted to the library. Nearly 6 weeks after taking this out, I finally finished it yesterday. Ms. Prouty's life is interesting - survives an abusive family, survives growing up in war torn Lebanon, yet perseveres and makes a life for herself in the US and goes on to building a successful career in the FBI and CIA. (Success is relevant though.) And while all that is interesting, I couldn't get over the tone of the book. I found it whiny in a way I can't explain. I also didn't care for the one-too-many explanations of acronyms and definitions associated with her terms at the FBI and CIA. And what irritated me the most once I was done with the book, was realizing that the ending seemed rush. Clearly by the title of the book, we learn about her rise and fall. Yet, the part about redemption was like 2 chapters at the end. I felt jipped. I felt like I got so much of a backstory that the end seemed clipped.

Not related to my [poor] book review, but on a somehow related note, Ms. Prouty mentions a number of times, her disdain for the "boys club" attitude and atmosphere she encountered at the FBI. She also talks of instances when she was on assignment in other cities, that her fellow agents would prioritize taking advantage of the travel in the foreign destination rather than working hard on the case in which they were there for. And one of her other common  complaints of fellow agents, was the fact they did not value as much as she did, the importance of confidential, and perhaps classified information, that they touted in their travels. With all that has recently been in the news about Secret Service agents' scandal in Colombia, I find it quite humorous that the Secret Service is saying this is not a common occurrence. Sure, different agencies, but clearly this "boys club" and "boys will be boys" attitude carries throughout our federal government. After reading this book and watching the current news, it just makes you wonder what other kind of lascivious behavior has been tolerated and what other "confidential" US government information is not being properly handled.