A nuanced, levelheaded take on change in a country fraught with internal trouble.
In Congdon’s political thriller, a near-future America is in trouble.
The year 2036 is a tough one in the United States. Climate change has caused disasters like “aquifers drying up in the Midwest and West. Hurricanes dropping rain where it’s not needed.” Everything, from laptops to bread, is extremely expensive. Food shortages are a concern—even something as innocuous as raising chickens is technically illegal, since the grain required to feed chickens should be going to humans. One person who’s had enough of this steady decline is Tom Powell, who used to work as an attorney but now takes on carpentry jobs when he can get them. His wife, Abby, used to be a teacher; she now fixes laptops in their converted shipping container home. Tom is also the chairman of the local Revolutionary Party, a group that seeks to effect revolutionary change without resorting to violence. But when Tom gives a speech on the Fourth of July, he’s arrested for inciting a riot. (Tom had quoted a line of Thomas Jefferson’s that refers to “the blood of patriots and tyrants.”) The Revolutionary Party certainly attracts those capable of taking extreme actions, but the goal remains the alteration of the government by means of “discarding what didn’t work anymore, making it fit the times and reflect the majority.” Their message of change delights some and frightens others. When Tom decides to run for Senate, he needs to get serious about his path forward; with Abby’s desire to start a family, Tom must also take into account the safety of himself and his loved ones. With so many people “packing heat” in this world, staying safe is easier said than done.
This narrative about a dismal American future goes in directions that readers might not expect. As worked up as Tom is about the state of his country, he’s always careful to walk a fine line to keep out lunatics who might be willing to kill to enforce their vision of the future. Not that the line is an easy one to walk; Tom must regularly assure people that the cause is truly for the good of the people (the goal is always “democracy, not dictatorship”). The point is not to chase “nostalgia for the perfect past,” as others aim to do—never mind those who still hold “ice age thinking on climate change.” Both actual violence and the threat of more to come keep the narrative tense. With the environment and the economy in ruins, no ordinary people, regardless of their political views, are immune to the stressors of this world. Though the author clearly defines these issues, he reiterates them several times throughout the work; for example, characters repeatedly refer to things like a 30-year drought in the Southwest. Some passages grow wearying, dragged down by blandly chatty interjections like “Sounds good” or “Hey, I’ve got an idea.” Yet once readers are invested in Tom and his inner circle, it becomes imperative to see how things play out—a sweeping change in government will obviously not be easy or bloodless. The inclusion of some playful details, like a robot that claims to be in love, helps readers to stay engaged.
A nuanced, levelheaded take on change in a country fraught with internal trouble.Pub Date: May 31, 2024
ISBN: 9798324665524
Page Count: 307
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.
A woman accused of shooting her husband six times in the face refuses to speak.
"Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband. They had been married for seven years. They were both artists—Alicia was a painter, and Gabriel was a well-known fashion photographer." Michaelides' debut is narrated in the voice of psychotherapist Theo Faber, who applies for a job at the institution where Alicia is incarcerated because he's fascinated with her case and believes he will be able to get her to talk. The narration of the increasingly unrealistic events that follow is interwoven with excerpts from Alicia's diary. Ah, yes, the old interwoven diary trick. When you read Alicia's diary you'll conclude the woman could well have been a novelist instead of a painter because it contains page after page of detailed dialogue, scenes, and conversations quite unlike those in any journal you've ever seen. " 'What's the matter?' 'I can't talk about it on the phone, I need to see you.' 'It's just—I'm not sure I can make it up to Cambridge at the minute.' 'I'll come to you. This afternoon. Okay?' Something in Paul's voice made me agree without thinking about it. He sounded desperate. 'Okay. Are you sure you can't tell me about it now?' 'I'll see you later.' Paul hung up." Wouldn't all this appear in a diary as "Paul wouldn't tell me what was wrong"? An even more improbable entry is the one that pins the tail on the killer. While much of the book is clumsy, contrived, and silly, it is while reading passages of the diary that one may actually find oneself laughing out loud.
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-30169-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A standout in the series.
The sixth adventure of Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon explores the mysteries of human consciousness, the demonic projects of the CIA, and the city of Prague.
“Ladies and gentlemen...we are about to experience a sea change in our understanding of how the brain works, the nature of consciousness, and in fact…the very nature of reality itself.” But first—Langdon’s in love! Brown’s devoted readers first met brilliant noetic scientist Katherine Solomon in The Lost Symbol (2009); she’s back as a serious girlfriend, engaging the committed bachelor in a way not seen before. The book opens with the pair in a luxurious suite at the Four Seasons in Prague. It’s the night after Katherine has delivered the lecture quoted above, setting the theme for the novel, which features a plethora of real-life cases and anomalies that seem to support the notion that human consciousness is not localized inside the human skull. Brown’s talent for assembling research is also evident in this novel’s alter ego as a guidebook to Prague, whose history and attractions are described in great and glowing detail. Whether you appreciate or skim past the innumerable info dumps on these and other topics (Jewish folklore fans—the Golem is in the house!), it goes without saying that concision is not a goal in the Dan Brown editing process. Speaking of editing, the nearly 700-page book is dedicated to Brown’s editor, who seems to appear as a character—to put it in the italicized form used for Brownian insight, Jason Kaufman must be Jonas Faukman! A major subplot involves the theft of Katherine’s manuscript from the secure servers of Penguin Random House; the delightful Faukman continues to spout witty wisecracks even when blindfolded and hogtied. There’s no shortage of action, derring-do, explosions, high-tech torture machines, attempted and successful murders, and opportunities for split-second, last-minute escapes; good thing Langdon, this aging symbology wonk, never misses swimming his morning laps. Readers who are not already dyed-in-the-wool Langdonites may find themselves echoing the prof’s own conclusion regarding the credibility of all this paranormal hoo-ha: At some point, skepticism itself becomes irrational.
A standout in the series.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780385546898
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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