This feels very cinematic. I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t optioned already. It has American propogandic qualities but also is more nuanced than a typically commercial fiction popcorn thriller as well. At least, for the first half, anyways. It goes into a bit of a tail spin (ha) as it reveals the motivations of the antagonists.

But it doesn’t really interrogate or examine them as much as I’d like, because as always with this kind of fiction, the antagonist(s) devolve into something simplistic in order to allow the reader to easily vilify them.

It does a great job of starting the tension and characterizing somewhat subverted characters. But again, it ends up more-or-less in the same place as others in the genre. It gestures at political motivations, but not enough to offend anyone or say anything substantive.

It is, however, fun. Frenetic. A page turner. A low-key read with decent narration. Perfect for my Sunday chore day. I think it’s safe to say it is what it says it is on the tin. Nothing wrong with that.