lisagray68's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Great fictional story about the Cuban missile crisis
anderson65's review against another edition
3.0
Entertaining, but not compelling story about imagined behind the scenes events set during the Cuban Missle Crisis. The author captures the tone of that time recognizable to those of us who lived through it.
The obvious follow-up novel would connect this book to the assassination of JFK. I would read it.
The obvious follow-up novel would connect this book to the assassination of JFK. I would read it.
benfast's review against another edition
4.0
Another Chapters bargain pick-up that turned out really well! $7 well spent :)
I actually quite liked Back Channel by Stephen L. Carter. The idea of an international Cold War spy thriller centring on an almost-teenage student who also happens to be a woman of colour was a great idea.
Carter's writing was clear, easy to follow, but yet suspenseful and engaging. There were times when I had no clue who the real enemy was, or what was going to happen next. The portrayal of Kennedy was a bit weak, but presented an interesting view of a distracted president in a time of great potential peril. The notion that academics could be so involved in international politics was also quite interesting, and something I assume would be more impactful for an American audience afraid of who controls government and fear of the upper classes, etc.
I'm glad I read this book, it was a good change from Tom Clancy-esque Cold War thrillers and had some memorable characters making the genre seem fun again. I would read another book by Carter.
I actually quite liked Back Channel by Stephen L. Carter. The idea of an international Cold War spy thriller centring on an almost-teenage student who also happens to be a woman of colour was a great idea.
Carter's writing was clear, easy to follow, but yet suspenseful and engaging. There were times when I had no clue who the real enemy was, or what was going to happen next. The portrayal of Kennedy was a bit weak, but presented an interesting view of a distracted president in a time of great potential peril. The notion that academics could be so involved in international politics was also quite interesting, and something I assume would be more impactful for an American audience afraid of who controls government and fear of the upper classes, etc.
I'm glad I read this book, it was a good change from Tom Clancy-esque Cold War thrillers and had some memorable characters making the genre seem fun again. I would read another book by Carter.
tschmitty's review against another edition
3.0
Not my fave genre, but it was an interesting if not fantastical read. I thought the suspense was good, and the setting of the Cuban Missile Crises worked well. I did get bogged down by all the characters, their names, and their spy affiliations.
stricker's review
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Having lived through and knowing the background of the Cuban Missile Crisis helped me enjoy this book more. Substituting a young black co-ed for the "red crisis phone" that Kennedy and Kruschev used to resolve the crisis was an interesting twist and even though I knew how the crisis ended the author was able to hold my attention and make for a nice tense, interesting story.
kevinhendricks's review against another edition
4.0
This is an imagined history of the Cuban Missile Crisis where a black college student serves as President John F. Kennedy's back channel negotiator with the Russians, hidden behind a fake affair. It's a real spy story that moves quickly and is very engaging. I don't know the history of the Cuban Missile Crisis well enough to know how accurate it was (the author includes a detailed list of every fact he changed to fit his story), though it felt very real.
maddiestough's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t read a lot of political thrillers because I often feel like I’m turning the pages so fast because of the tension that I don’t really appreciate (or remember later) the story. Sometimes that’s because the story isn’t good (or is very similar to the many other political thrillers out there). My dad on the other hand nearly exclusively reads political thrillers. This summer alone he has read 34 books from one series by John Sanford. Back Channel is a book I think we will bother like! This is not only a great story, but it’s well paced and intricate to keep me guessing and at the edge of my seat, but not skimming to just see what the heck happens!
Margo Jenson is a 19 year old college sophomore who falls into the political games of the Cuban Missile Crisis. With a family history she didn’t know much about before a “last minute” trip to Bulgaria behind the Iron curtain, Margo meets with Soviet agents while also negotiating with the top US officials, including meeting in secret with JFK under the cover of being one of his many dalliances. While that all seems wilding improbable, Carter weaves a great story of what could have been.
Margo Jenson is a 19 year old college sophomore who falls into the political games of the Cuban Missile Crisis. With a family history she didn’t know much about before a “last minute” trip to Bulgaria behind the Iron curtain, Margo meets with Soviet agents while also negotiating with the top US officials, including meeting in secret with JFK under the cover of being one of his many dalliances. While that all seems wilding improbable, Carter weaves a great story of what could have been.
bill_desmedt's review against another edition
3.0
Curiously, Carter's depiction of (nearly) present-day Washington DC doesn't ring as true as his recreation of the same city in the Civil War era for The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln. The plot has a certain manic energy which kept me turning pages, but the characters could have used one more dimension.
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
Carter renews his powerful writing style in another novel thick with history and strong on intrigue. In the midst of the most frigid part of the Cold War, college student Margo Jensen is targeting by White House officials to aid her country in a covert mission, one that might have dire implications. She soon finds herself in Bulgaria, tasked with determining if she can garner information about the Soviets' plans to send nuclear missiles into Cuba facing directly facing towards Washington. Returning sooner than she'd hoped, Margo discovers that her involvement is all but over. After the missiles appear and both sides refuse to stand down, Margo is again chosen to act on behalf of her country, this time passing messages from the President of the United States through to a contact who has the ear of General Secretary Khrushchev, all through top secret back channels, in hopes of averting nuclear war. Margo finds herself embroiled in the most serious game of 'chicken' imageable, with only one way out; to ensure both sides trust one another at a time when trust does not exist. With a 'war party' in both camps, the hopes for peace may be stifled if she cannot deliver crucial information from one camp to the other. In her dealings with those in the upper echelon of White House politics, she soon finds herself in the most compromising of positions, fighting to save her reputation, as well as the lives of all her countrymen. While history knows how the story will play out, Carter hands the reader a powerfully crafted tale with numerous nuances to help strengthen the story and narrative, Carter keeps the reader on their toes through to the end, as the denouement moves forward and the truth behind the headlines comes to life.
It is not the historical undertones alone that keeps the story moving at a quick pace, but the small details that helps flesh out the larger storyline. Margo, as a young African American woman play a pivotal role at a time when race relations will soon erupt. Playing on this and the scandal that might follow, Carter utilises this in a novel of espionage and secrecy to depict some of the most important days of the Cold War. Little more can be said about how close the world came to the brink of annihilation, but Carter finds a new narrative to tell the tale and present a wonderful sub-plot that keeps the reader interested from the get-go. With a cast of well-known characters from the time period, Carter keeps the story real and pushes the limits only in the slightest ways in order to tell this story, which does not have a happy ending for all involved. Even in his epilogue, he hints that this work of fiction may be anything but, save a slew of name changes.
Kudos, Mr. Carter for another wonderful novel, full of history and intrigue, while also forcing the reader to step back and think about the place of race relations during this tumultuous time.
It is not the historical undertones alone that keeps the story moving at a quick pace, but the small details that helps flesh out the larger storyline. Margo, as a young African American woman play a pivotal role at a time when race relations will soon erupt. Playing on this and the scandal that might follow, Carter utilises this in a novel of espionage and secrecy to depict some of the most important days of the Cold War. Little more can be said about how close the world came to the brink of annihilation, but Carter finds a new narrative to tell the tale and present a wonderful sub-plot that keeps the reader interested from the get-go. With a cast of well-known characters from the time period, Carter keeps the story real and pushes the limits only in the slightest ways in order to tell this story, which does not have a happy ending for all involved. Even in his epilogue, he hints that this work of fiction may be anything but, save a slew of name changes.
Kudos, Mr. Carter for another wonderful novel, full of history and intrigue, while also forcing the reader to step back and think about the place of race relations during this tumultuous time.