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sandiet's review against another edition
1.0
The worst book I've read by this author. Politics and religion hitting you over the head. I feel like RNP came in to this book with a set agenda and I didn't like it. Typically if I'm not enjoying a book I just toss it aside but this one I persevered because in the past I've really liked his books. It was written several years ago but the dirty politics and tactics to win a presidential campaign reeks of what just took place recently in the US. Don't waste your time on this drivel.
zmull's review against another edition
2.0
A hohum political thriller starring a Republican candidate for President that looks, talks, and acts like Democrat. He's a maverick, you see. Some much of a maverick that he falls in love with a black lady! They "make love" several times. Political complication ensue. Like all thrillers, you'll be hooked just enough to feel cheated by the absurd cop out at the end.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
2.0
Couldn't finish the audiobook. I just didn't enjoy the story. Didn't find it interesting or believable. Just feelt very extreme
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"Corey Grace--a handsome and charismatic Republican senator from Ohio--is plunged by an act of terrorism into a fierce presidential primary battle with the favorite of the party establishment and a magnetic leader of the Christian right. A decorated Gulf War Air Force pilot known for speaking his mind, Grace's reputation for voting his own conscience rather than the party line--together with his growing romance with Lexie Hart, an African-American movie star--has earned him a reputation as a maverick and an iconoclast. But Grace is still haunted by a tragic mistake buried deep in his past, and now his integrity will be put to the test in this most brutal of political contests, in which nothing in his past or present life is off-limits.
Depicting contemporary power politics at its most ruthless, The Race takes on the most incendiary issues in American culture: racism, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, gay rights, and the rise of media monopolies with their own agenda and lust for power. As the pressure of the campaign intensifies, Grace encounters betrayal, excruciating moral choices, and secrets that can destroy lives. Ultimately, the race leads to a deadlocked party convention where Grace must resolve the conflict between his romance with Lexie and his presidential ambitions--and decide just who and what he is willing to sacrifice." (From Amazon)
A great political thriller. Loved the writing and the story.
"Corey Grace--a handsome and charismatic Republican senator from Ohio--is plunged by an act of terrorism into a fierce presidential primary battle with the favorite of the party establishment and a magnetic leader of the Christian right. A decorated Gulf War Air Force pilot known for speaking his mind, Grace's reputation for voting his own conscience rather than the party line--together with his growing romance with Lexie Hart, an African-American movie star--has earned him a reputation as a maverick and an iconoclast. But Grace is still haunted by a tragic mistake buried deep in his past, and now his integrity will be put to the test in this most brutal of political contests, in which nothing in his past or present life is off-limits.
Depicting contemporary power politics at its most ruthless, The Race takes on the most incendiary issues in American culture: racism, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, gay rights, and the rise of media monopolies with their own agenda and lust for power. As the pressure of the campaign intensifies, Grace encounters betrayal, excruciating moral choices, and secrets that can destroy lives. Ultimately, the race leads to a deadlocked party convention where Grace must resolve the conflict between his romance with Lexie and his presidential ambitions--and decide just who and what he is willing to sacrifice." (From Amazon)
A great political thriller. Loved the writing and the story.
jskell911's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoyed this book, it seemed to be lacking that extra edge that usually accompanies all of the other books that I have read by the same author. Maybe it was that this book was shorter in length or that I actually felt bad for the antagonist in the story (not the campaign manager, just the candidate).
tita_noir's review against another edition
3.0
This book took me forever to get into, but once I did it was a quick and enjoyable read.
It is in three parts, the first part is a lot of set-up, flashbacks and exposition. The last two-thirds is when the ride starts.
As a main character, Corey Grace is almost freakishly perfect. He's a hero, a decent guy, says what he means and not what he thinks people want to hear. He's a young, handsome white Republican dating a beautiful Oscar winning, young, fabulous Democratic, liberal black actress. In short, he's someone who'd never actually make it in politics. But this is fiction, so, there you go.
The romance is nice and adds a little angst for Our Hero, but frankly, the guy has enough angst without the added twist of the girlfriend. He's running for President and his party doesn't want him to win. His main opponent has a campaign manager who is just about the slimiest, dirtiest piece of work you'd ever want to meet. And he there is his own version of Rupert Murdoch who hates his guts.
The stand-out part is the whole primary in South Carolina. As one character says "South Carolina, too small for a republic, too large for an insane asylum. You're headed for the heart of darkness, boy."
I did think that there were too many convenient events, too many loose ends tied up. I don't mind the dangly bits left dangling once in awhile. This was just too pat for my taste. But, as I said above, this is fiction, so there you go. And I was disappointed in the the ending. I thought it was a bit of a cheat.
I give this three stars because, well, it feels like a three star book. I liked it well enough, but that is pretty much it.
It is in three parts, the first part is a lot of set-up, flashbacks and exposition. The last two-thirds is when the ride starts.
As a main character, Corey Grace is almost freakishly perfect. He's a hero, a decent guy, says what he means and not what he thinks people want to hear. He's a young, handsome white Republican dating a beautiful Oscar winning, young, fabulous Democratic, liberal black actress. In short, he's someone who'd never actually make it in politics. But this is fiction, so, there you go.
The romance is nice and adds a little angst for Our Hero, but frankly, the guy has enough angst without the added twist of the girlfriend. He's running for President and his party doesn't want him to win. His main opponent has a campaign manager who is just about the slimiest, dirtiest piece of work you'd ever want to meet. And he there is his own version of Rupert Murdoch who hates his guts.
The stand-out part is the whole primary in South Carolina. As one character says "South Carolina, too small for a republic, too large for an insane asylum. You're headed for the heart of darkness, boy."
I did think that there were too many convenient events, too many loose ends tied up. I don't mind the dangly bits left dangling once in awhile. This was just too pat for my taste. But, as I said above, this is fiction, so there you go. And I was disappointed in the the ending. I thought it was a bit of a cheat.
I give this three stars because, well, it feels like a three star book. I liked it well enough, but that is pretty much it.
eabrevaya's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
punchofwishes's review against another edition
4.0
The riveting tale of a Republican primary contest for the ages. Centered around Senator Corey Grace, this book dives deep into the nitty-gritty of politics and its impact on life. Central themes of how far people will go for power as well as racism, homophobia, media conglomerates, campaign finance violations, mental health, rape and addiction permeate this succinct yet dense novel. The twists and turns kept me throughly engaged, even if a few minor plot points felt stilted to me and at times the time skips and pacing were unpleasant.
elesamarie's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book in about a day. I had picked it up out of a box of books the marines were donating to our loan shelf. I think I'm just not a born cynic. I know most people would call me naive but I choose to turn a blind eye to how unscrupulous people can be. Gonna bite me one day? Probably.
clockless's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book, but, right from the beginning, I found three fatal flaws that I just couldn't move past. One, the main character, though described as a Republican, doesn't really fit within the party on any level. He acknowledges that he is a social liberal, which isn't really a problem, but claims to be a fiscal conservative and strong on defense, when none of his actions show him to be the latter, and the only time he has a chance to prove the former, his actions explicitly show it to be untrue. By any reasonable estimate, he is not a Republican at all but a middle-of-the-road Democrat.
A second problem is that you never see the Democrats at all, which makes it even harder to see Corey as fitting within the Republican party as he is, by far, the most liberal politician in the book. Some sort of comparison with politicians further to the left (preferably as over-the-top as the Republican caricatures) would have made accepting Corey as a plausible Republican far easier.
The third is that I guessed the basics of the entire plot no more than fifty pages in (my only mistake was.
Overall, I was pretty disappointed.
A second problem is that you never see the Democrats at all, which makes it even harder to see Corey as fitting within the Republican party as he is, by far, the most liberal politician in the book. Some sort of comparison with politicians further to the left (preferably as over-the-top as the Republican caricatures) would have made accepting Corey as a plausible Republican far easier.
The third is that I guessed the basics of the entire plot no more than fifty pages in (my only mistake was
Spoiler
the party of the eventual winnerSpoiler
specifically, I figured something along the lines of Marotta getting the nomination, Corey running as an independent, and a black Democrat winning the race; I was wrong, but I really don't feel like I was too wrongOverall, I was pretty disappointed.