Esther is caught in the middle, serving as a page in the United States House of Representatives when rogue politicians and military leaders stage a modern day coup d'etat. When the coup turns violent, she abandons Washington, D.C. for home. She must learn to survive on her own as transportation and financial networks fail, as the war disrupts food and water supplies. The result is a cautionary tale about political extremism and the true cost of war.Economic ruin and partisan rancor have pushed America to the brink of a new civil war.
Published July 24th 2011 by Roche Harbor Books
Ever wondered what would happen if war just broke out AND ( as if that wasn’t enough) you were far from home?
This happened with Esther. Esther is from Orcas Island and is now a page for the US House of Representatives in Washington D.C.
The novel follows her on her journey to return home once war breaks out in future dystopian United States.
I initially struggled to read this book because not being a US citizen I wasn’t aware of the politics and it just confused the hell out of me! I was clueless as to what a lot of the terms used in the book meant.
However, the story is extremely thoughtful and just so honestly written.
Once the plot moved forward I was emotionally caught up in it.
The book is extremely well researched and Jeffrey David Payne has perfectly captured the brutality and destruction in war.
I loved how honestly everything was portrayed and the author did not shy away from shocking us readers.
There is political chaos and corruption depicted. We all know corruption is extremely rampant all over the world. But do we really do anything to stop it?
There was corruption EVERYWHERE.
Corrupt government? Check
Corrupt military? Check
Corrupt politicians? Check
Sadly, I think this novel has potential to be prophetic.
The writing is crisp and the blunt voice used to describe these terrible things happening just added to the impact. It was a blow after another. I loved how the author didn’t try to make anything melodramatic but just kept it real.
The protagonist Esther is smart and witty. She is extremely mature for a seventeen year old. Most seventeen year olds don’t know a thing in politics. But Esther was really knowledgeable and at times I found it hard to believe she was so young. The supporting characters were also well-crafted.
I feel this book caters to more mature and intelligent readers.
It may not have been the most entertaining novel but it was unique and thought-provoking.
A Heart-rending and Gut-wrenching read.I would like to thank Roche Harbor books for proving me with a copy for review.
Posts
lol don't worry...not even US citizens understand out own politics. This book sounds interesting, but not what I usually read. I like dystopian, but I aboslutely abhor politics...maybe I'll check it out from the library or something. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this one before, sounds like an interesting one though.
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds fascinating. I'm not sure how I would feel about such a politically intense book, but I just read and loved Unwind, which is a dystopian that has similar political overtones except it doesn't seem to be quite as politically detailed as this book sounds. Wonderful review.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of it before. Does sound interesting. No matter what time or day and age it is US politics are INTENSE! I don't even live there and i find them that way lol Not something I normally would have picked up but would give it a go now:)
ReplyDeleteI read about this book on Goodreads when it was up for a First Reads giveaway but the political element put me off. However, I was intrigued when I read in your review just how widespread the corruption in this novel is and I'm re-thinking my decision on whether to read it or not. It certainly sounds more appealing now:)
ReplyDeleteSarah
LOL! US politics has always always confused me! I think I annoyed my parenst with a zillion questions during the previous elections :P I will definitely try to get my hands on a copy, but bookstores are rare where I live, and good books in those bookstores, even rarer. =D
ReplyDeleteJolainne
I may have to read this. Even if novels like this aren't the most fascinating of reads, they can definitely serve as a cautionary tale for what might come. I actually think it IS kind of fascinating, seeing how close we are to that.
ReplyDeleteGreat review. I'll look out for this book.
I will definitely check this out. I'm just starting to explore the dystopian genre, and this will definitely be the first ones I will read. Thank you for this! :)
ReplyDeleteI am actually in the middle of reading this book and am really enjoying it. Finding it hard to put down. Like you at first I was confused with the terms and the poltics etc as am not from the US but am still really enjoying it. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThis book was sent to me for review also. I am yet to start it though, and when I saw that you had read it, I wanted to see what you thought of it. Nice review! :)
ReplyDeleteRumana @ Relook the Book
I initially assumed that this book wouldn't be one I'd be interested in, but reading your thoughts on it made me want to read it way more than the summary did. I'm a US citizen, so I'll probably understand the political aspect of it, but future US dystopian sounds interesting enough, and I already know you enjoyed reading it, so I'm guessing I will too. Thank you so much for spreading the word and this lovely review!
ReplyDelete