Review: Chainsaw justice and two cautionary tales...excellent
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 16, 2012
Eric Thomas's first novel, Fall of the Citizens, kept me turning the pages well into the night. A cross between an apocalyptic technothriller and political suspense novel, Citizens pulls off the difficult task of presenting two cautionary tales, one buried inside the other. These cautionary tales lie at the heart of the his story, and the shift from one to the other is where Citizens finds its unique niche in modern storytelling. Corporate excess, political maneuvering, and a growing American insurgency combine, in a near futuristic setting, to set the stage for an entertaining, yet hard hitting read.The buildup to the insurgency in the first third of the novel is well drawn, as Max, the enigmatic leader of the Citizens gathers the disgruntled cast of characters necessary to launch his violent uprising. After reading Thomas's novel, you'll forever look over your shoulder at the sound of a chainsaw in the distance. Some of his scenes are particularly memorable.The development of the second cautionary tale within the story is by far my favorite aspect of Thomas's novel. I won't spoil the fun, more like terror, but I will disclose that I was surprised. Thomas leads the reader down a sympathetic path, filled with a few road bumps...then unleashes a nice left turn.My only complaint revolves around the sometimes-lengthy interaction between two of the main characters. These interludes held a steam punk quality, which proved entertaining, but ultimately left me yearning for the next plot advancement.Overall, this is a uniquely entertaining, well-constructed read for technothriller, horror, or apocalyptic fans. There's a well tamed political aspect critical to the story's main twist, which will interest political thriller readers as well.