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danlewisfw's review against another edition
4.0
First of all I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in advance in exchange for a honest review.
Quite a few years ago I was on a trip to Florida with my family and we picked up Little Green Men by Christopher Buckley, it was a hilarious political satire book and until I listened to Utopia PR by Adam Bender I had not seen or maybe I should say heard its equal. Utopia PR is hilarious and fascinating, it does a good job of both satirizing and skewering politics and PR men and women. If you enjoy political satire at all you should grab this book, its really entertaining. Even if you have not read any political satire and just enjoy a good story and maybe a little dark humor then this book will tickle your fancy as it did mine. It reminded me a lot of Christopher Moore's books as well in just how well written it was.
I am definitely going to be looking into Adam Bender and the other books he has written after reading this. I never do spoilers in any reviews I do so what I am about to say about it is pretty much right at the start of the book. The main character is a PR guy working for a over the top crazy president of the United States who walks himself into quite a few PR problems. The solutions he and his team come up with are both a cynical look at public relations strategies and a great over the top satire of them.
I want to add that the narrator did a fantastic job as well!
#netgalley #satire #humor
Quite a few years ago I was on a trip to Florida with my family and we picked up Little Green Men by Christopher Buckley, it was a hilarious political satire book and until I listened to Utopia PR by Adam Bender I had not seen or maybe I should say heard its equal. Utopia PR is hilarious and fascinating, it does a good job of both satirizing and skewering politics and PR men and women. If you enjoy political satire at all you should grab this book, its really entertaining. Even if you have not read any political satire and just enjoy a good story and maybe a little dark humor then this book will tickle your fancy as it did mine. It reminded me a lot of Christopher Moore's books as well in just how well written it was.
I am definitely going to be looking into Adam Bender and the other books he has written after reading this. I never do spoilers in any reviews I do so what I am about to say about it is pretty much right at the start of the book. The main character is a PR guy working for a over the top crazy president of the United States who walks himself into quite a few PR problems. The solutions he and his team come up with are both a cynical look at public relations strategies and a great over the top satire of them.
I want to add that the narrator did a fantastic job as well!
#netgalley #satire #humor
stacyroth's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Blake Hamner joined the campaign that helped get Our Leader elected, and now he works as the President’s Crisis Communications Manager. As Our Leader gets crazier and more totalitarian as he goes on, there are a lot of crises to manage. When one of Our Leader’s steel hounds attacks the communications team at a press conference, the Hammer starts to reconsider his career choice. When a revolutionary accuses Our Leader of serious allegations and Hamner of covering them up, his job becomes even more of a nightmare.
This is a satirical story that sadly sounds plausible. I found it mildly humorous, but there was nothing that made me laugh out loud. Tristan Wright did a good job narrating the audiobook. I would recommend it for those who enjoy political satires.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
dsnake1's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
NetGalley and the publisher, Adam Bender, provided me with a review copy.
I've been seeing Utopia PR around a good amount over the last year or so, and this copy got me to take the plunge, so to speak.
I'm quite glad I did.
Utopia PR is a witty, clever story that hearkens back to Wag the Dog -- but at what cost.
We follow Blake Hamner, a former PR blogger turned Crisis Communications Manager, as he tries to avert what seems like daily crises in the wake of the musician-turned-president, nicknamed Our Leader. On top of being exhausted and overworked, he's the husband of one of the premier cable news network's lead anchor. When things start to get weird -- and serious, but mostly weird-- Hamner will face all kinds of decisions, primarily about where his priorities lie.
The book is more satire than laugh-out-loud comedy, although some fairly silly elements do slip in. Frankly, I thought some of the silliest components of the story struck close too home, but that's the goal of satire, I suppose.
The plot is a little messy, the characters are a bit archetypal, and the explanation for some of Hamner's mistakes feels a bit like a cop-out for this supposed PR genius, but the pacing and satire are absolutely on-point. This may not be the most structurally perfect read, but it is incredibly entertaining.
If you're into political satire beyond a satire about policy or decisions, and if you want a fast-moving book that might get too close to the truth here and there, this is a solid choice.
I've been seeing Utopia PR around a good amount over the last year or so, and this copy got me to take the plunge, so to speak.
I'm quite glad I did.
Utopia PR is a witty, clever story that hearkens back to Wag the Dog -- but at what cost.
We follow Blake Hamner, a former PR blogger turned Crisis Communications Manager, as he tries to avert what seems like daily crises in the wake of the musician-turned-president, nicknamed Our Leader. On top of being exhausted and overworked, he's the husband of one of the premier cable news network's lead anchor. When things start to get weird -- and serious, but mostly weird-- Hamner will face all kinds of decisions, primarily about where his priorities lie.
The book is more satire than laugh-out-loud comedy, although some fairly silly elements do slip in. Frankly, I thought some of the silliest components of the story struck close too home, but that's the goal of satire, I suppose.
The plot is a little messy, the characters are a bit archetypal, and the explanation for some of Hamner's mistakes feels a bit like a cop-out for this supposed PR genius, but the pacing and satire are absolutely on-point. This may not be the most structurally perfect read, but it is incredibly entertaining.
If you're into political satire beyond a satire about policy or decisions, and if you want a fast-moving book that might get too close to the truth here and there, this is a solid choice.
caseys's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I found Utopia PR to be an entertaining read, full of unexpected turns and full speed ahead hijinks. I did however find the main character to be rather unlikeable - his main personality traits seems to be feeling sorry for himself about his descent from idealism into government PR, and eating jelly donuts, which rather describes the depth of characterization that any of the characters received. Fortunately, the plot is better than the characters. We follow our narrator from one political crisis to another as he deals with everything from killer robot dogs to opiate laced milk and attempts to spin these things in favor of the President. Meanwhile, the narrator and his wife, a prominent news reporter, investigate some other sinister going ons that may or may not have anything to do with the President.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
(I received this book through Goodreads Giveaways.)
Overall, an enjoyable read.
(I received this book through Goodreads Giveaways.)
toggle_fow's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
This was a short, off-the-wall comedy satire. Kind of like if you took Wag the Dog and cranked it up to level 10 insane incoherency.
The main character, Blake, is the emergency PR fix-it man for an incompetent, authoritarian presidency. The whole book vacillates wildly between Blake's wholesome desire to build his relationship with his wife, and the steadily escalating crimes that surround him at work. The distraction speech was a high point, and the story also ends happier than it has any right to.
Deeply weird, but overall enjoyable.
The main character, Blake, is the emergency PR fix-it man for an incompetent, authoritarian presidency. The whole book vacillates wildly between Blake's wholesome desire to build his relationship with his wife, and the steadily escalating crimes that surround him at work. The distraction speech was a high point, and the story also ends happier than it has any right to.
Deeply weird, but overall enjoyable.
upward_not_northward's review against another edition
4.0
An entertaining sci-fi tale set in the near future where a PR team has to negotiate never-ending crises stemming from 'Our Leader,' a bumbling, inept, and incompetent excuse for an elected official.
skdubers's review
dark
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sequentialrun's review
4.0
This book was an entire ride.
Blake 'The Hammer' Hamner (the 'n' is silent) was a fun character to follow through the woes of his crisis managing employment. I'm sure a lot of recent aides elsewhere can relate to as the disasters pile high.
I enjoyed this book, it was a nice casual read that I flew through in a day and a half and enjoyed the journey of life goal-reaching. 4 stars!
Blake 'The Hammer' Hamner (the 'n' is silent) was a fun character to follow through the woes of his crisis managing employment. I'm sure a lot of recent aides elsewhere can relate to as the disasters pile high.
I enjoyed this book, it was a nice casual read that I flew through in a day and a half and enjoyed the journey of life goal-reaching. 4 stars!
neema_sedai's review
5.0
* Disclaimer: I was provided an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. *
Utopia PR is a dystopian novel that, like many classic dystopian novels, describes the rise of an authoritarian government. The only difference: this one is wholly incompetent. The novel is written in a casual style which allows the humor to be amplified to level that had me laughing out loud more than I have laughed reading a book as far as I can remember. With plenty of allegory to the current state of politics in the world (and the US), this novel is relevant while also being light hearted and enjoyable.
The Plot:
Instead of following a common citizen or Our Leader himself, we follow Blake Hamner (with a silent n), an unfortunate fellow who has to work as PR for the leader. While juggling his personal life and his marriage, he is tasked with dealing with the constant blunders of the current administration.
Since the novel is quite short, my copy being 197 pages, I never felt bored or as if something should have been left out. Every line had a purpose, every joke made me chuckle, and most importantly: every scene advanced the plot in a meaningful way. The pacing felt perfect for what it is and it always kept me flipping the pages to find out how Blake was going to deal with the garbage heaps he had been handed.
The Characters:
The characters in this novel felt fully realized and all had wonderful personalities that differentiated them well, but my personal favorite was Blake and his Wife. I will try to limit what I say to avoid missing out on all the fun of the story, but their relationship is delightful and very real as there are many who are in similar relationships in the US who find their jobs at odds with those they love. The context of their relationship makes their interactions that much more humorous and also that much more meaningful.
The Bad:
If you are looking for a serious, complex satire that heavily critiques authoritarianism and government regimes, this is not it. The satirical elements of this novel are all rather shallow and 'knee-slap' humor, but that really does not make it any less enjoyable!
My Rating:
I gave this a 5/5 for one main reason: I can't name a single thing about the book I did not like. The plot was interesting, the characters were relatable, and I found the humor to be genuinely funny. While this doesn't rank on the "best-of-all-time" shelf for me, I can't justify rating it anything less than 5 stars simply because of my enjoyment while reading it.
I highly recommend obtaining a copy of this and giving it a read, I know I will be getting one and checking out more by this author.
"The idea was that they'd call me in to finesse the worst PR disasters. And to be clear, that's not a part-time role in this administration."
Utopia PR is a dystopian novel that, like many classic dystopian novels, describes the rise of an authoritarian government. The only difference: this one is wholly incompetent. The novel is written in a casual style which allows the humor to be amplified to level that had me laughing out loud more than I have laughed reading a book as far as I can remember. With plenty of allegory to the current state of politics in the world (and the US), this novel is relevant while also being light hearted and enjoyable.
The Plot:
Instead of following a common citizen or Our Leader himself, we follow Blake Hamner (with a silent n), an unfortunate fellow who has to work as PR for the leader. While juggling his personal life and his marriage, he is tasked with dealing with the constant blunders of the current administration.
Since the novel is quite short, my copy being 197 pages, I never felt bored or as if something should have been left out. Every line had a purpose, every joke made me chuckle, and most importantly: every scene advanced the plot in a meaningful way. The pacing felt perfect for what it is and it always kept me flipping the pages to find out how Blake was going to deal with the garbage heaps he had been handed.
The Characters:
The characters in this novel felt fully realized and all had wonderful personalities that differentiated them well, but my personal favorite was Blake and his Wife. I will try to limit what I say to avoid missing out on all the fun of the story, but their relationship is delightful and very real as there are many who are in similar relationships in the US who find their jobs at odds with those they love. The context of their relationship makes their interactions that much more humorous and also that much more meaningful.
The Bad:
If you are looking for a serious, complex satire that heavily critiques authoritarianism and government regimes, this is not it. The satirical elements of this novel are all rather shallow and 'knee-slap' humor, but that really does not make it any less enjoyable!
My Rating:
I gave this a 5/5 for one main reason: I can't name a single thing about the book I did not like. The plot was interesting, the characters were relatable, and I found the humor to be genuinely funny. While this doesn't rank on the "best-of-all-time" shelf for me, I can't justify rating it anything less than 5 stars simply because of my enjoyment while reading it.
I highly recommend obtaining a copy of this and giving it a read, I know I will be getting one and checking out more by this author.