"What does it mean to be an American today? It's a question that will answer itself if we get back to what's brought us this far: widening the circle of opportunity, deepening the meaning of freedom, and strengthening bonds of community. Shrinking the definition of them and expanding the definition of us. Leaving no one behind, left out, looked down on."
-from the novel
For a long time, I was quite a fan of James Patterson but have been disappointed in some of his collaborative efforts. However, this one caught my attention, with Bill Clinton as the co-author. Also the novel's time on the best-seller list was impressive.
U. S. President Jonathan Duncan is facing possible impeachment proceedings in the midst of a cybersecurity emergency. The code word "Dark Ages,' only known to 8 top-ranking officials is passed on to the President, giving him reason to believe one of the eight is a traitor. The country is in grave danger of a cyber attack and the President "goes missing" as he tries to prevent disaster. The plot is pretty far-fetched but even so, the novel became a page-turner for me as I tried to keep up with the twists and turns. Since I musn't be a "spoiler" I will leave it at that.
This combination of authors is very compelling since Patterson is extremely popular as a suspense writer and, obviously former President Clinton has extensive personal experience with what goes on with White House staff, foreign relations, political conflict, etc. Often, especially toward the end, I "heard" Clinton commenting on current political situations. Some reviews of the novel are negative---critical of the prose and believability of the plot---but for sheer entertainment, I rate it a 4.
I found out there is a TV adaptation in the works from Showtime. It will be interesting to see who is cast in the main roles BUT I will know the outcome!
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