Friday, October 4, 2013

Eddy's Current by Reed Sprague

Title:  Eddy's Current
Author:  Reed Sprague
Published:  December 1st 2011
Page Count:  375
Genre:  political thriller
Shelf:  Review Copy
Rating:  ★★★

Synopsis:

Hell’s angels reach up and plant their special seed just below the surface in America’s heartland. Political and media extremists don't notice the young shoot as it begins to grow. They’re busy with their perpetual banquet, serving comfort food to each other and to select members of the clergy. The menu includes every imaginable combination of hog trough fare for the elite.

The quality of the food doesn't matter—it's somewhere between near–rotten leftovers and cheap junk food. The huge servings fatten the chosen just fine. The resulting muck fertilizes the U.S. heartland, providing the nutrients necessary to grow the soul of Satan's exceptional infant.

The special baby boy, christened Tyler Lee Peterson, reaches age twenty then descends steadily for another twenty–three years deep into a personal and professional living nightmare. His world is dark and he is desperate. He is out of options so he gambles.

Peterson bets that the far right in America will grant him salvation without works and then cast him to stardom. His gamble pays off. The country’s power pendulum swings down from the far left to its lowest possible point, grabs Peterson, pulls him out of the mire, continues toward the extreme right, and hurtles him to the pinnacle of world power.

Crafted by politicians, promoted by media and embraced by clergy, the new American norm — two political extremes without an average — settles in and is perfectly comfortable. The disturbed aren't bothered by the disturbance. Peterson fits in.

Into this madness of extremes that produces Tyler Peterson, Eddy's Current thrusts a small and diverse group of Americans, each of whom seems to have been set aside from the extremism that plagues their country. This band battles against all odds to restore their fellow citizens' freedoms and their country's independence. You will be inspired by their fight.

My Review:

I must admit that while reading the prologue I spent the entire time wondering what was happening, and wondered once or twice how it was to tie back into the novel proper. I found that there was almost too much history leading us through the novel. It leads to having too much going on to follow easily. I appreciate how the storylines do eventually tie together, showing the interconnectedness of everything. The possibilities behind the political intrigue and corruption in this novel are simply astounding, shocking, and rather frightening.

The characters in this novel were quite unique. Some were extremely well developed, while others were ghosts. Based on the subject matter at hand, it wasn’t a bad thing but I would have appreciated a bit more detail on some of the recurring characters.

Overall this novel was interesting but hard to follow. The novel itself was well put together, edited and presented while the writing style was somewhat harsh and forced. It was a very thought provoking novel but at the same time was difficult to immerse myself fully into.

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