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A review by cynsfictionaddiction
Strike Me Down by Mindy Mejia
4.0
I had previously read Mindy Mejia’s novels Everything You Want Me To Be and Leave No Trace, and have become a fast fan. Strike Me Down was a fast, action-packed read centered between two energetic industries: fitness and litigation.
The main character and a forensic accountant, Nora is contacted by Gregg who happens to be her ex. Gregg suspects his wife, famed Logan Russo, for fraud and embezzlement. Gregg is the branding genius behind the scenes, while Logan is the face of the brand and icon in her industry. Nora also happens to be a huge fan and follower of Logan’s (though I wonder if the interest isn’t connected to Gregg in a way as well). While investigating the couple’s multimillion-dollar franchise, Nora is torn between the two sides, while juggling the conflicting interest of representing her company on the case.
Strike Me Down, which I actually read ahead of its release in April 2020, was a perfect antidote to the times with its focus on female empowerment. The female characters are all working (and succeeding) in a stereotypically male-driven industry. I loved reading about the high-intensity fitness space; it was crazier and more nuanced behind the scenes than I would have expected, but still entirely plausible.
The underlying themes of trust, loyalty and competition transcended the novel and became a lesson in itself for people everywhere – especially women shattering glass ceilings. As humans, we depend on interaction and relationships, but that’s also particularly key when climbing a corporate ladder. Strike Me Down brought up a great question: how much does one person owe another for aiding their climb to the top? In an ideal world, we’d all help each other to succeed because it’s the right thing to do and another woman’s success is our own, but we don’t live in an ideal world and this is a topic consistently at the forefront of the headlines (and my Instagram feed) over the past few years and it’s a conversation I hope we all continue as a community.
Between the action-packed drama and the strong women making their own way, I loved this novel and totally recommend the fast-paced book.
The main character and a forensic accountant, Nora is contacted by Gregg who happens to be her ex. Gregg suspects his wife, famed Logan Russo, for fraud and embezzlement. Gregg is the branding genius behind the scenes, while Logan is the face of the brand and icon in her industry. Nora also happens to be a huge fan and follower of Logan’s (though I wonder if the interest isn’t connected to Gregg in a way as well). While investigating the couple’s multimillion-dollar franchise, Nora is torn between the two sides, while juggling the conflicting interest of representing her company on the case.
Strike Me Down, which I actually read ahead of its release in April 2020, was a perfect antidote to the times with its focus on female empowerment. The female characters are all working (and succeeding) in a stereotypically male-driven industry. I loved reading about the high-intensity fitness space; it was crazier and more nuanced behind the scenes than I would have expected, but still entirely plausible.
The underlying themes of trust, loyalty and competition transcended the novel and became a lesson in itself for people everywhere – especially women shattering glass ceilings. As humans, we depend on interaction and relationships, but that’s also particularly key when climbing a corporate ladder. Strike Me Down brought up a great question: how much does one person owe another for aiding their climb to the top? In an ideal world, we’d all help each other to succeed because it’s the right thing to do and another woman’s success is our own, but we don’t live in an ideal world and this is a topic consistently at the forefront of the headlines (and my Instagram feed) over the past few years and it’s a conversation I hope we all continue as a community.
Between the action-packed drama and the strong women making their own way, I loved this novel and totally recommend the fast-paced book.