Eight stars
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Andrew Yang, Stephen Marche, and Recorded Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Debut thrillers can be highly exciting, especially when they focus on politics. There is something about the unpredictability of the subject matter that can keep a reader on their toes. Andrew Yang and Stephen Marche present a chilling political thriller that could easily have ramifications on the upcoming 2024 presidential election, exposing harsh truths and reading the tea leaves with ease. Yang and Marche offer up a strong ‘what if’ option and espouse that it is not too far from the current situation in the country. As the reader follows along the intense presidential election campaign, they are forced to see just how realistic the authors have painted the options and what could await us, should the public tire of the traditional system. A great thriller that kept me thinking and proved painfully possible in an era of public involvement.
The upcoming presidential election will have many key players, none as important as Mikey Ricci and Martha Kass. Ricci has seen the circus that the 2016 and 2020 campaigns turned out to be, wishing that he could change the system to ensure America gets a leader in which it can be proud. Kass has an intriguing job with the New York Times, overseeing their tip line and with access to so many secrets, she is never sure what she ought to do.
Ricci may have found his solution, as he agrees to take on the campaign manager job for a third-party candidate, running as the Maverick Party. The candidate is frank and open about his past, as well as what he wants to see for America in the future. The great difference is that it is so much from what is currently being espoused by the two main parties, which appears to be garnering a great deal of interest and support at all levels. A refusal to backdown and a sense that America needs a push in another direction, the campaign’s theme remains ‘unfuck America’. Ricci finds himself butting heads with many in the political realm and not worrying about the fallout, sure that he may have found the man who will change things forever. Dark money pours in and the momentum leading to Election Day is like nothing anyone has seen before.
At the same time, Kass comes upon a credible tip that the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been mulling over a power grab in the upcoming presidential election. While not yet ready to call it a coup, they are worried about what will happen and can only hope that there will be a chance to keep America on the right path. With the Maverick Party gaining ground all across the country, the likelihood of political chaos once the ballots are counted and the Electoral College results emerge remains high. It would appear seizing power is looking more likely each to ensure a peaceful move into the next four years.
As things unfold and the campaign reaches its zenith, Ricci and Kass become allies in an unlikely way. Watching America turn on itself and buck the trends is only the beginning in a political atmosphere rife for chaos. With it unlikely that anyone will capture the needed 270 Electoral College votes, it all comes down to the hushed plan Kass has heard about. Will someone actually try to wrest power away from the elector? Can Congress handle the weighty job of breaking the logjam? How will people accept the unconventional way of determining a new leader, using a system that has only been gathering dust in textbooks? Yang and Marche posit this and many other things in this well-paced novel that sends chills up the spine of any with an interest in political thrillers.
There is no doubt that Andrew Yang and Stephen Marche have a powerful piece on their hands. Yang, a former presidential candidate, has some inside knowledge about how the system works and can only wonder if his ideas could come to fruition. A strong narrative basis not only guides the book, but provides a strong direction for what occurs throughout. There is a frankness to the book that is only possible when the foundation of the story is strong enough to keep it upright. Characters emerge throughout that are not only relatable, but also highly intriguing and keep the reader’s attention. The authors seek not to create candidates who are spotless or an electorate who care only about fiscal values or policy shifts, but the real issues that come to the dinner table. These people are peppered throughout the book and resonate repeatedly. The plot twists emerge without stopping, being both surprises and utterly expected results in equal measure. The authors have found the perfect balance to the fictional writing project and foreshadowing what could be coming down the pipeline, leaving the reader to wonder where the line might be. This is both a highly entertaining read and something that could really be a wake-up call to many, which is why I enjoyed it so much. I will have to wait and see what comes of the election south of me, as the world watches to see the sort of circus that is sure to come.
Kudos, Messrs. Yang and Marche, for this scintillating piece of political possibilities.
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