A review by quinndm
Anthem by Noah Hawley

4.0

This is not just a book, it is an experience and an experience I won’t soon forget. The story is heavy, it is scary, and it is traumatic because it is all real and all very relatable. From the start, the author talks to the reader, preparing us for what we are about to experience (and he makes a few more appearances to explain certain points or elaborate on specific decisions); not only does that help “soften” the sharp edge of this story, but it intentionally breaks that suspension of disbelief and reminds the reader to step back to comprehend what had just unfolded and to question our own involvement and complicity with everything happening around us. We aren’t just readers anymore; we are accomplices, and, as such, we, too, need to make choices once we finish that last page.
This book is about a writer trying to understand life today and trying to comprehend the life he is leaving for his child. And I got to join that journey.