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rob_sosnowski's review against another edition
3.0
Pleasant enough easy read with a semi flawed protagonist. Characters that are both stereotypes, and yet sadly probably quite representative of everyday North Americans.
camille_catterpillar's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
Fulfilling prompt 7 of the 52 Book Club Challenge: "An author with only 1 published book".
Political thrillers are notoriously hard to make. Or perhaps I should say: I am notoriously picky about political thrillers. And maybe it's just because I'm bitter I don't live in one.
The premise is stellar: a political thriller that puts a complicated Black character front and centre and pairs him with an unlikely sidekick, deals with Big Corp corruption, and sets its scene in rural Appalachia. In recent years, political thrillers had a bit of a primetime moment: Designated Survivor, Bodyguard, House of Cards (pre-scandal), Scandal (the only one I can think of with a Black lead) and, to a certain extent, Billions, were, each at a time, a topic of the hour. Our fascination with the political underbelly, I think, is similar to our fascination with the upper crust: we want to believe our social betters are indeed better. We also like to see them fuck up.
In political thrillers, heroes are smart, polished, savvy. When I started in government/public relations, I tried so very hard to emulate the stone-cold swagger. I sweat in polyester suits that were pale imitations of what I saw on the screen. I spent money on gels, mousses and sprays that never worked with my hair. I practiced not-smiling-in-an-attractive-way that I hoped said, "I know what I'm doing, I'm focused, I'm unflappable," and not "I'm angry at how itchy polyester is, and I am sleep deprived." (In the end, I landed a job at a small non-profit, which it turns out is nowhere nearly as cutthroat and conspicuously glamorous).
The bad guys are just as smart, polished, and savvy, but they're, well, bad. They are greedy, whereas the hero is merely ambitious. They are arrogant, where the hero is confident. They are philandering little pervs where our heroes can't help but be so cool everyone naturally wants to sleep with them. But mostly, it comes down to the Cause. The bad guys, you see, pick the wrong Cause.
All this considered, Steven Wright makes a bold choice for his protagonist. Toussaint Andre "Dre" Ross is a former felon, an alcoholic, and a bitter, cynical man. He does, however, wear really nice suits that are not polyester and is smart and good at his job. (Until he isn't, that's how the story begins). Despite his shortcomings, he is loyal to his boss and mentor, if not his principles.
Many reviewers named Ross's character flaws as their main problem with the book. My first thought, not to make sweeping judgements, was that audiences would have been more lenient towards a man of European ancestry. After all, politics - especially when fictional - are a dirty game, and our hero can't be a wide-eyed idealist unless the point of the story is to shatter his illusions and transform him into the thick-skinned bastard hero of another story (see Ryan Gosling's character in The Ides of March).
Unfortunately, the tone gets rather heavy While Dre's character is interesting, he gets no redemption story and no growth. Worst, his miserable cynicism is justified by the rest of the book.
Nobody seems worthy of fate. Women are either hysterical or shrewd, firmly camped in the proverbial 'Madonna' and 'whore' camps (even praise of a successful businesswoman include - as part of the praise - the fact that she was a devoted wife to two husbands, and mothered many children). Men are irrevocably stupid or also shrewd (equality!) and misogynistic. American Southerners are simple, American Northerners are heartless. Poor people are trashy, wealthy people are scornful. Black and white, everyone's a con.
Brandon, the golden-retriever like unlikely sidekick, gets to play the sacrificial lamb and has his hopes and dreams shattered. His character is so archetypal (and even cliché) that it isn't exactly surprising, so to really drive home the point of how miserable life is.
The story has a lot of potential (perhaps due to my own personal interests), but the nihilism and cynicism of this story, lacking convincing characters, makes it hard to get through. It makes attempts at emotionality that come close, but that remain too surface-level. It flows well, however, with a good pace and appropriate conciseness for such a breakneck narrative.
Fulfilling prompt 7 of the 52 Book Club Challenge: "An author with only 1 published book".
Political thrillers are notoriously hard to make. Or perhaps I should say: I am notoriously picky about political thrillers. And maybe it's just because I'm bitter I don't live in one.
The premise is stellar: a political thriller that puts a complicated Black character front and centre and pairs him with an unlikely sidekick, deals with Big Corp corruption, and sets its scene in rural Appalachia. In recent years, political thrillers had a bit of a primetime moment: Designated Survivor, Bodyguard, House of Cards (pre-scandal), Scandal (the only one I can think of with a Black lead) and, to a certain extent, Billions, were, each at a time, a topic of the hour. Our fascination with the political underbelly, I think, is similar to our fascination with the upper crust: we want to believe our social betters are indeed better. We also like to see them fuck up.
In political thrillers, heroes are smart, polished, savvy. When I started in government/public relations, I tried so very hard to emulate the stone-cold swagger. I sweat in polyester suits that were pale imitations of what I saw on the screen. I spent money on gels, mousses and sprays that never worked with my hair. I practiced not-smiling-in-an-attractive-way that I hoped said, "I know what I'm doing, I'm focused, I'm unflappable," and not "I'm angry at how itchy polyester is, and I am sleep deprived." (In the end, I landed a job at a small non-profit, which it turns out is nowhere nearly as cutthroat and conspicuously glamorous).
The bad guys are just as smart, polished, and savvy, but they're, well, bad. They are greedy, whereas the hero is merely ambitious. They are arrogant, where the hero is confident. They are philandering little pervs where our heroes can't help but be so cool everyone naturally wants to sleep with them. But mostly, it comes down to the Cause. The bad guys, you see, pick the wrong Cause.
All this considered, Steven Wright makes a bold choice for his protagonist. Toussaint Andre "Dre" Ross is a former felon, an alcoholic, and a bitter, cynical man. He does, however, wear really nice suits that are not polyester and is smart and good at his job. (Until he isn't, that's how the story begins). Despite his shortcomings, he is loyal to his boss and mentor, if not his principles.
Many reviewers named Ross's character flaws as their main problem with the book. My first thought, not to make sweeping judgements, was that audiences would have been more lenient towards a man of European ancestry. After all, politics - especially when fictional - are a dirty game, and our hero can't be a wide-eyed idealist unless the point of the story is to shatter his illusions and transform him into the thick-skinned bastard hero of another story (see Ryan Gosling's character in The Ides of March).
Unfortunately, the tone gets rather heavy While Dre's character is interesting, he gets no redemption story and no growth. Worst, his miserable cynicism is justified by the rest of the book.
Nobody seems worthy of fate. Women are either hysterical or shrewd, firmly camped in the proverbial 'Madonna' and 'whore' camps (even praise of a successful businesswoman include - as part of the praise - the fact that she was a devoted wife to two husbands, and mothered many children). Men are irrevocably stupid or also shrewd (equality!) and misogynistic. American Southerners are simple, American Northerners are heartless. Poor people are trashy, wealthy people are scornful. Black and white, everyone's a con.
Brandon, the golden-retriever like unlikely sidekick, gets to play the sacrificial lamb and has his hopes and dreams shattered. His character is so archetypal (and even cliché) that it isn't exactly surprising, so to really drive home the point of how miserable life is
Spoiler
not only are his dreams shattered, but he can take down whatever is left of Dre's joy with him by breaking his heart. To be fair, other people do attempt to befriend Andre and he steadfastly rebuffs them all. Even after Brendon's departure.The story has a lot of potential (perhaps due to my own personal interests), but the nihilism and cynicism of this story, lacking convincing characters, makes it hard to get through. It makes attempts at emotionality that come close, but that remain too surface-level. It flows well, however, with a good pace and appropriate conciseness for such a breakneck narrative.
christine_queenofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This world needs more smart political fiction.
Enter: The Coyotes of Carthage.
This book lays bare the inner working of a political campaign, as the main character fights to pass a ballot initiative on behalf of a mining company. Oh yeah, bring on the moral and ethical quandaries!
That character is Dre, a Black political consultant who suddenly finds himself in the boondocks of South Carolina on a shoestring budget. He's "unlikeable" but sympathetic, which you could probably say about all the characters in this one. Aka: They're complex! This is not a happy book, but it's a great read about how we treat people, how our actions influence others, and a glimpse at how politics can work.
The Coyotes of Carthage is a debut by Steven Wright, who's a professor and co-director of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, so it might be a minute before he's got another book out. But this debut has me locked in as a fan for sure. (See also, USA Today's list of "100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read" - they recommend him too!)
Enter: The Coyotes of Carthage.
This book lays bare the inner working of a political campaign, as the main character fights to pass a ballot initiative on behalf of a mining company. Oh yeah, bring on the moral and ethical quandaries!
That character is Dre, a Black political consultant who suddenly finds himself in the boondocks of South Carolina on a shoestring budget. He's "unlikeable" but sympathetic, which you could probably say about all the characters in this one. Aka: They're complex! This is not a happy book, but it's a great read about how we treat people, how our actions influence others, and a glimpse at how politics can work.
The Coyotes of Carthage is a debut by Steven Wright, who's a professor and co-director of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, so it might be a minute before he's got another book out. But this debut has me locked in as a fan for sure. (See also, USA Today's list of "100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read" - they recommend him too!)
paulabellman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Not sure why this book is included in the 50 horror stories for 50 states. This is an election for purchase novel.
bookcrazyblogger's review against another edition
4.0
Dre Ross is a black man who grew up in DC, living in and out of shelters, eventually catching four felonies. Now 35, he has become a political consultant, accepting money from different corporations and lobbyists to get their candidates or whatever it is that they’re selling, elected. After he screws up his latest consultation, he’s sent to rural Carthage County, in South Carolina, to convince the small-town to accept selling a thousand acres of public land to a gold-mining company. Dre finds himself partnered with his mentor and part-owner’s grandson Brenden, a delightfully naive albeit wealthy, white kid in his early 20’s, whose latest schtick is to fully embrace his Irish heritage. Dre and Brenden end up linking up with a blue-color couple, Tyler and Charlene Lee, to act as their initiatives public face. I found this to be a really fascinating book dealing with the dirty side of politics and confronting race, class issues. It’s a book about completely in likable characters, about politics that wildly differ from mine (money over decency) and it was so accurate about where American government has landed, that it makes me ashamed to be an American. I recommend reading this book because despite it being fiction, it portrays very real experiences about how politics in our country are run and at what cost to the people.
screamdogreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Coyotes of Carthage is a gritty political noir that follows Andre Ross as he tries to pull his career back from the brink. His last shot is to use his brutal tactics to help a candidate win a local election. At first, I wasn't sure how invested I would be in a novel that centered itself around politics, but Wright has managed to craft a witty, almost satirical novel laced with smatterings of political wisdom.
Every single character was absolutely detestable, and while some people are depicted in a pretty generalized manner, it reads as if it's through the eyes of Andre, as if its commentary on how preconceived prejudices shape how we see people. We really get to see the ugly side of everyone, especially Andre, he's a classless drunk who enjoys knowing how his aggressive tactics have ruined his opponents.
The ending was pretty abrupt, and while I liked how things weren't all neat and tidy, I did find the coyote symbolism a little heavy-handed.
Every single character was absolutely detestable, and while some people are depicted in a pretty generalized manner, it reads as if it's through the eyes of Andre, as if its commentary on how preconceived prejudices shape how we see people. We really get to see the ugly side of everyone, especially Andre, he's a classless drunk who enjoys knowing how his aggressive tactics have ruined his opponents.
The ending was pretty abrupt, and while I liked how things weren't all neat and tidy, I did find the coyote symbolism a little heavy-handed.
nadinekc's review against another edition
4.0
A trip through the guts of a small-time southern political campaign, seen through the eyes of an experienced political consultant who's both an insider and an outsider. It's also a morality tale with many angles and no easy answers, where winning and losing are ultimately beside the point. Audio narrator Glenn Davis completely inhabited protagonist Dre Ross for me. One small pronunciation slip-up made me laugh though..... "crocheted" pronounced "crosheted". Maybe Glenn and the audio editors should have consulted their grandmas ;)
bootsmom3's review against another edition
5.0
Listened to on audio.
I was immediately interested in this because of the political subject matter. The writing was also great from the start and Andre is a super complex and fascinating character.
I loved how intimately told this was, and it explored so many themes: how morality shifts over time, belonging and loneliness, motivation and purpose. It just left me with a ton to think about and I loved this political setting as the backdrop to explore all these ideas. So surprising and smart.
I was immediately interested in this because of the political subject matter. The writing was also great from the start and Andre is a super complex and fascinating character.
I loved how intimately told this was, and it explored so many themes: how morality shifts over time, belonging and loneliness, motivation and purpose. It just left me with a ton to think about and I loved this political setting as the backdrop to explore all these ideas. So surprising and smart.
angelaf's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Ugh. . . . dark political satire is just not my thing. While I share the author's disdain for the role of dark money in politics, I struggled to see any point to the book. Plus, it draws so heavily on current political tropes that I doubt it will age well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Drug use
macfiar's review against another edition
2.0
I ended up DNFing this book. It got 2 stars because it is well written and the tone is very similar to John Grisham's thrillers. However, I am just sick of reading books about alcoholics feeling sorry for themselves. I got halfway through and had to stop. I don't find miserable, angry, alcoholics interesting. And each one of the books that contain these characters are essentially the same. Drinking, anger, drinking, more anger, whining and feeling for themselves, drinking, anger, drinking, do something stupid while drinking, deal with the aftermath. Boring.