353 reviews for:

Anthem

Noah Hawley

3.48 AVERAGE

bookishlibrarian's review against another edition

2.75

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Anthem takes place in a near future world where our current problems (climate change, political polarization, despair) are exacerbated. A slate of suicides by young people has become a national epidemic. Hearings for a new Supreme Court Justice are underway, while her daughter has gone missing.  A group of young people, currently ensconced in a private anxiety treatment center, escape on a mission to save a young woman being held by a Jeffrey Epstein-like mogul/monster. They are also en route to potentially form their own utopia to save themselves and maybe the world? This fast-paced thriller by Hawley (writer/showrunner for the TV show Fargo) is almost horror novel in its depiction of the potential devastation we may be facing if we continue on our current trajectory--where young people are the most tragic victims but also the possible saviors. 

abookish's review against another edition

2.0

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This book did not need to be A Novel. The author has a lot of thoughts and feelings about current horrors, which makes sense! There are a lot of clever little essays in here. There was something to the plot, too, but it got muddled up by the relentless slang and timeliness of this book-- that already, a year or two after it was published, feels dated. Interesting plot moments are chopped apart by quippiness and song lyrics. I almost didn't finish, but it had potential and now here we are

tfmcgill's review

3.25

dark sad 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: No

ivanas's review against another edition

1.5

dark emotional tense medium-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

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Started so interesting, and then flopped hard. Ruined potential, made me mad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt

dburgbacher's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

taylor_nic0le's review against another edition

2.0

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This was not a book for me. I appreciated some of the messages the author tried to convey, but overall this was just kind of a jumbled mess.

*National Book Club Pick*

eggatha's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

balooberry's review against another edition

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DNF 

I saw a couple less than stellar reviews on this book but I told myself going in that I was not going to let those sway my opinion. I also have a commitment to give books a solid 100 pages and if I can’t get into by then I will DNF. Too many books and too little time…. Ya know!?!

What I disliked about this book is it is basically a convoluted, fantastical social commentary on American politics and everything that is wrong with the world. I am not one for politics on a good day and frankly I don’t care about American politics🤷‍♀️. I’m Canadian, so I am content under my ignorant little Northern rock. 

Although, well written and I liked the lite dystopian vibes this one was just a no. 

Thank you @grandcentralpub for this complimentary book.

lparks90's review

4.0

adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kimsquatch's review against another edition

2.5

dark tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix