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A review by queerreadss
Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was an extremely captivating read. From the very first chapter it draws the reader in. The incessant curiosity that drives a read into this multi plot mystery is parallel to the main character Sofie's journalistic need to find out more about the books FLOTUS.
"Our American Friend" essentially features a president in office causing continued damage to the entire U.S. and even beyond, with out a doubt modeled after Trump. The added small details spread in the book— how President Caine was backed by Russian ruler to ensure election, how he loathed the press and made up grand conspiracies, how teflon he was no matter what weekly scandal— all added up to a not so subtle nod to Trump. While I appreciated those moments, the real story lies with his Russian born wife, Lara, whose father was a leader in the Soviet Union's SGK. What follows is a riveting story of intrigue, mystery, love and loss, spanning from Lara's childhood to how she ended up as FLOTUS to an exceptionally cruel man. I loved how this story really focused on the stories and connections made in the shadows.
Most refreshing about this book was PItoniak demonstrates exactly how important her craft is in this novel with an intricate storyline containing many twists and turns. The history and timeline of FLOTUS Lara is so intriguing and well spread out it reads of a real jounralistic feature piece, where all the time lines compel the reader further into the plot. Each plot line and time jump from past to present was well thought out and added together quite great. While there were few true shocking reveals in this book, the plots perfect pacing, storytelling, and mystery were incredible. The books plot came together much like how Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" movie did, minus the more shocking twists the movie had.
This is probably one of the best historical fiction books I've read in a while.
The only aspect of the book I didn't like was the eventual depiction of the CIA as an unlikely, underdog hero doing the best it can when the CIA has its own shady history of doing many wrong things. This is somewhat acknowledge in one of the sacrifices that comes from the CIA's actions but not enough when the organization as a whole looks like a hero.
"Our American Friend" essentially features a president in office causing continued damage to the entire U.S. and even beyond, with out a doubt modeled after Trump. The added small details spread in the book— how President Caine was backed by Russian ruler to ensure election, how he loathed the press and made up grand conspiracies, how teflon he was no matter what weekly scandal— all added up to a not so subtle nod to Trump. While I appreciated those moments, the real story lies with his Russian born wife, Lara, whose father was a leader in the Soviet Union's SGK. What follows is a riveting story of intrigue, mystery, love and loss, spanning from Lara's childhood to how she ended up as FLOTUS to an exceptionally cruel man. I loved how this story really focused on the stories and connections made in the shadows.
Most refreshing about this book was PItoniak demonstrates exactly how important her craft is in this novel with an intricate storyline containing many twists and turns. The history and timeline of FLOTUS Lara is so intriguing and well spread out it reads of a real jounralistic feature piece, where all the time lines compel the reader further into the plot. Each plot line and time jump from past to present was well thought out and added together quite great. While there were few true shocking reveals in this book, the plots perfect pacing, storytelling, and mystery were incredible. The books plot came together much like how Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" movie did, minus the more shocking twists the movie had.
This is probably one of the best historical fiction books I've read in a while.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent