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librarian_of_trantor's review
3.0
Ambitious book that ultimately didn't quite pull it off. My SF book club picked this for list of books about climate change. Climate was there but only as bit player. It was much Moe about politics, violent, revolutionary politics. But the author had the guts to give an epilogue that suggested just how difficult building a new social order would be.
snowcrash's review
4.0
For me, this is a book that forces the question, "Could it happen here?" A lot of the book is depressing, dark in its portrayal of a USA gone mad. There is a vibe of hope, but even after it all smashes together at the end, I have to wonder.
This isn't the USA of today, but it could be. Think of this as an alternate verse, with some things tweaked in the history. The Watchmen graphic novel came to mind. If you can roll with that and fine with hints sprinkled throughout of what the differences are, then you'll start to get the story.
The USA presented is bleak. It feels like a taffy stretched extrapolation of where we find ourselves today. A tyrant runs the show there, controlling everything. And scared of everyone. A single word of disent will get you put into jail. A citizen's loyalty is in doubt if critical of the USA in any regard. A privileged class lives behind walls. Drones seem to be in charge.
The story, as it is told, has fuzzy edges. It is told in short snippets, flipping between Tania and Sig. Some things are not fully explained, but I find this to be part of the character of the book. It is about a family and a country trying to find themselves. There is also a hope that there are people out there to care enough to do something.
The writing is a step above the usual dystopian fare, to me. There is a lot of relevant, quotable sections. Such as:
"The people are crazy," said Tania. "Manipulated by political marketers into a rabid toddler mob that feeds the President and his oligarchs."
Roll that quote around and see how it makes an observation of today.
This isn't the USA of today, but it could be. Think of this as an alternate verse, with some things tweaked in the history. The Watchmen graphic novel came to mind. If you can roll with that and fine with hints sprinkled throughout of what the differences are, then you'll start to get the story.
The USA presented is bleak. It feels like a taffy stretched extrapolation of where we find ourselves today. A tyrant runs the show there, controlling everything. And scared of everyone. A single word of disent will get you put into jail. A citizen's loyalty is in doubt if critical of the USA in any regard. A privileged class lives behind walls. Drones seem to be in charge.
The story, as it is told, has fuzzy edges. It is told in short snippets, flipping between Tania and Sig. Some things are not fully explained, but I find this to be part of the character of the book. It is about a family and a country trying to find themselves. There is also a hope that there are people out there to care enough to do something.
The writing is a step above the usual dystopian fare, to me. There is a lot of relevant, quotable sections. Such as:
"The people are crazy," said Tania. "Manipulated by political marketers into a rabid toddler mob that feeds the President and his oligarchs."
Roll that quote around and see how it makes an observation of today.
kara666's review
3.0
Like an updated Eclipse series by John Shirley. You have rebellion, fascism, grassroots organizing, counter-cultures, mercenaries, corporations. Focus is only on the U.S. though. Main lead guy is cool.
ranaelizabeth's review
3.0
Fascinating story and world-building but very choppy between chapters. And oddly so, like the e-pub version was missing pages but it wasn't. The jump between characters and scenes just wasn't smooth.
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