I purchased this book in response to the left wing crowd's bashing of Lional's comments regarding "Cultural Appropriations". Will review fully when complete.

This novel had huge potential to explore deep and disturbing issues, given the nature of the dystopian premise of the story, but I closed the book thinking the author only scratched the surface. The prose was belabored, especially when characters were introduced. Still made me want to reach the conclusion.

This novel might see Lionel Shriver described as an updated Ayn Rand, an author I'm not particularly fond of. Shriver is a self-described Libertarian, a fact I picked up on about halfway through this novel and fully realized when a major plot point seemingly purposely mirrors Atlas Shrugged. But this story looks to US history with a sharper understanding than Rand had, and these characters, even as brilliant, well-off egomaniacs, are constructed by a more compassionate, clear-eyed author. Shriver's subject matter always addresses current hot topics in US culture, and this dystopian economic drama feels a little too close for comfort. I felt tense reading this in tandem with election season. The Mandibles are an upper middle class family, all anticipating an inheritance that evaporates once the driving events of the novel begin to play out. The US of 2029 (huh...) deals with the ultimate consequences of an economy pumped for more than it's worth, and we watch the family struggle through more adversity and togetherness than the average upper middle class family is comfortable with. Throughout, much discussion/explanation of the nature of freedom and its limitations comes from an elderly author (Shriver's projected future self?) and the central character, precocious young "Willing." (Get it? Willing?) All in all, great read and very well done. The economics bits get a little drudging, but it is captivating in the context of plausibility. Some unflattering depictions could be interpreted as xenophobic, but at heart they are really critiques of our foreign policies and economic bullying. Do unto others...

This is my first Shriver novel, but I want to read more. This is a great story, with a driving plot, relatable (and lovable) characters, sharp observations, and lots of sly wit. Highly recommended.