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the_slackening's review against another edition
4.0
Well that was a strange and pretty depressing ending. Really does feel like no hope for the main character. Pretty scary premise overall that's overshadowed by the main characters sad life.
tanyamariereads's review against another edition
4.0
“Elections are about getting voters to hate others.”
TW: Alcohol abuse, driving while intoxicated, miscarriage, racism
Political thrillers are not my jam. I typically steer clear of them knowing that more often than not, they fail to hold my interest. I picked up The Coyotes of Carthage by Steven Wright after reading reviews of the novel that promised it was worth the read. Although I was wary of it being a potential miss, I was blown away by the drama that unfolded that delved into the world of corporate influence on small town politics.
Dre’s career as a political consultant in Washington D.C. hangs in the balance and relies on winning an election in small town Carthage, South Carolina. While Dre knows Carthage is his penance for a previously botched campaign, he expects it to be an easy win despite having a team made up of only him and an intern. Of course, the task at hand is harder than expected when difficulties start to arise while searching for the perfect straw man. Dre is willing to take risks despite it compromising morals which leads to a larger entanglement with Carthage politics than expected.
While this novel narrowly misses the typical trope for political thrillers, and the characters might fall into stereotypes of D.C. politics and small town civilians at a first glance, Wright throws plenty of curveballs into the mix to make it unpredictable. The southern rural parts of America doesn’t sound like the optimal setting for such a thriller, but it leads to the discussion of the separation of state and church, and a reflection on racism in the Civil Rights era compared to racism today. Readers also peer into the mechanics of elections in our digital age and Wright is able to speak about it with depth and brevity that doesn’t overwhelm the reader. On top of all of that is the right dash of humor and shock that will keep readers intrigued throughout, especially with characters that are all capable of puling the rug out from underneath you without any hesitation.
TW: Alcohol abuse, driving while intoxicated, miscarriage, racism
Political thrillers are not my jam. I typically steer clear of them knowing that more often than not, they fail to hold my interest. I picked up The Coyotes of Carthage by Steven Wright after reading reviews of the novel that promised it was worth the read. Although I was wary of it being a potential miss, I was blown away by the drama that unfolded that delved into the world of corporate influence on small town politics.
Dre’s career as a political consultant in Washington D.C. hangs in the balance and relies on winning an election in small town Carthage, South Carolina. While Dre knows Carthage is his penance for a previously botched campaign, he expects it to be an easy win despite having a team made up of only him and an intern. Of course, the task at hand is harder than expected when difficulties start to arise while searching for the perfect straw man. Dre is willing to take risks despite it compromising morals which leads to a larger entanglement with Carthage politics than expected.
While this novel narrowly misses the typical trope for political thrillers, and the characters might fall into stereotypes of D.C. politics and small town civilians at a first glance, Wright throws plenty of curveballs into the mix to make it unpredictable. The southern rural parts of America doesn’t sound like the optimal setting for such a thriller, but it leads to the discussion of the separation of state and church, and a reflection on racism in the Civil Rights era compared to racism today. Readers also peer into the mechanics of elections in our digital age and Wright is able to speak about it with depth and brevity that doesn’t overwhelm the reader. On top of all of that is the right dash of humor and shock that will keep readers intrigued throughout, especially with characters that are all capable of puling the rug out from underneath you without any hesitation.
bookishbrookeish's review against another edition
4.0
Dre is a political consultant who is on thin ice with his firm, but he is given one more shot by his boss and mentor. Tasked with getting a mining ballot initiative to pass, Dre is sent to a small town in South Carolina with limited resources. He struggles to control the local operatives he selects and struggles with his own demons as the campaign gathers steam.
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Oof. This book was A. DOWNER. It was very intriguing, mostly well paced, and the characters were interesting, but yikes...the subject matter was depressing. Following someone who doesn't believe in the message he's spreading, doing it for money, knowing that it is not at the best interest of anyone in the town...it just put me in a really dark mood. I think if the state of things in our world felt less dire, this probably would have been a great read for me, but given how things are, I was just sad. If you like political intrigue, this would definitely be a book you'd enjoy, as it covers a lot of ground relating to the impacts of campaign finance laws and the morality of diverting people's attention away from the truth of an issue. I'm glad I read it and I would definitely read more by this author, but I would recommend having a light read on deck right after this one!
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Oof. This book was A. DOWNER. It was very intriguing, mostly well paced, and the characters were interesting, but yikes...the subject matter was depressing. Following someone who doesn't believe in the message he's spreading, doing it for money, knowing that it is not at the best interest of anyone in the town...it just put me in a really dark mood. I think if the state of things in our world felt less dire, this probably would have been a great read for me, but given how things are, I was just sad. If you like political intrigue, this would definitely be a book you'd enjoy, as it covers a lot of ground relating to the impacts of campaign finance laws and the morality of diverting people's attention away from the truth of an issue. I'm glad I read it and I would definitely read more by this author, but I would recommend having a light read on deck right after this one!
pvn's review against another edition
3.0
This is pretty engaging once it gets going. It lacks the polish of a more experienced author, but still pretty good. It's a little dark and centers around politics. Hopefully the author has more in the works. 3.5 stars.
I really appreciate the ARC for review!!
I really appreciate the ARC for review!!
mark1's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty well written and entertaining. Maybe a closer look at the sausage making of 'grass roots politics' than many would want. Made me a bit queasy; still: good book
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