Review: Topical and engaging
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 1, 2013
"Rude Awakenings" begins with a mysterious nuclear explosion. This sets a dystopian tone for the novel, which is set in 2013 and seems to have been written in response to America's recent financial and political turmoil. Having read several such books recently, I would say that "Rude Awakenings" is the best, and darkest of the bunch.In short, snappy chapters the mystery unfolds. Who is the assailant, and what are his motives? These are the questions that the President of the United States, Michael Paul Macdonald, must answer, with the fate of the country in his inexperienced hands. At the same time, the country's economic problems have come to a head, threatening a spiral into debt-burdened Third World status.I found the political commentary and satire in this book to be timely, and refreshingly even-handed. I was also impressed by the author's deft handling of these heavy political and economic themes; they certainly don't prevent "Rude Awakenings" from being a fun, easy-to-read mystery thriller.