This was a very compelling read, drawing me in from the get-go, with vividly imagined characters, flawed but ultimately likable.

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The main character, Manny, is a young man growing up in the 1970s. I was surprised the whole way through that I liked him as a character and rooted for him; some of his actions would make me DNF a different book, but he was portrayed with such an earnest vulnerability and an ultimate desire to do the right thing that I wanted to keep reading and to see how he evolved as a character. When a book is so character-driven like this one, the arc of the protagonist is hugely important. The emotional journey Manny goes on is a fulfilling one, and the author perfectly captures the conviction and bravado of being in your late teens and early twenties.

The book felt very episodic as I read it, which sometimes worked well, but I would have liked to see a little more of the groundwork for plot points being laid earlier on. Usually the episodic style leant itself to the book; for a character of this age, life often happens in one- or two-year stages so it worked well. In some instances though I would have liked a bit more of a through-line, especially given that the style of the narration gives us a big insight into the emotion of the characters and the story.

I am fascinated by American politics, and this book gave me not only an insight into the American politics of forty years ago, but also got me thinking more about populist politics and political engagement today. It’s rare that I read a fiction book about politics, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy for review; all opinions are my own.