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A review by dsnake1
Utopia PR by Adam Bender
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.