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A review by neema_sedai
Utopia PR by Adam Bender
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.