Eric Dezenhall

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. This was my first time reading this author. I was intrigued by the blurb. I quickly found myself engrossed in the story. I like Fuse a lot. I think he was an interesting character who was very believable. I also liked his wife, Joey, and Samantha. I like that the majority of female characters were flawed but strong, smart, likable women. You don’t always get that in a book like this. I liked the way the author wrote the other guys who were a part of the Callous Sophisticates. I like how he showed various sides of his characters. It made them interesting and believable. I’m talking a lot about the characters because I feel this is a character driven book. I am impressed by how much I thought about the characters as I was turning pages. The story moves along quickly, (or maybe I was just so engrossed in the plot). I felt like there was more layers to the plot than I was expecting, which is always a good thing. It was interesting to get the behind the scenes look at journalism and the changes it is going through. Social media and the metoo movement were a part of the story. I thought both those had good intentions that were highjacked. Social media, in my opinion, has become a place where you can make other people’s lives hell and not necessarily be held accountable for it. It is easy to go from stating your opinion to becoming a bully with a wolfpack ready and willing to take down anyone who doesn’t agree to think, believe and act in ways that agree with them. The metoo movement caught me in the beginning. It had the good intention of giving voice to sexual assault survivors and letting them know they aren’t alone. I thought it was powerful until it wasn’t. It unfortunately, in my opinion, became a way to take down men and put them in their place, (wherever they thought it should be). I hate that but I try to stay hopeful that the original intention will return. I did like that the author did not chose to tell you how to feel about either social media or the metoo movement. I think his list of choices for sexual assault survivors was spot on. They are often still the ones being judged. Going to the police is often just setting yourself up to be assaulted over and over. Even going to the hospital is traumatic as, in my opinion, the exam and gathering of evidence, no matter how kind, respectful and gentle the medical staff is, feels like the assault is endless. Then you have the questioning by police and lawyers that can be brutal and can leave you feeling like you are the guilty party. The other route of revenge is not always possible, (which leaves just being silent and trying to move on), but made for satisfying reading. Seeing Pacho taken down made me want to cheer. I had fantasies of a faceless someone else going through the public humiliation and emotional/mental pain that Pacho was subject to. It made me wish I had an Uncle Fuse. I think that the author was very sensitive in his handling of sexual assault, (no graphic blow by blow accounting of what happened). I appreciated so much how Fuse was with Samantha. He kept it real but was gentle. I think this book would make a good book club read as there is so much to think about and examine. I appreciate the Q&A with the author and the discussion questions that are after the story. I am planning to journal my feelings and answers to those questions this week. I would recommend this book to my reading friends.… (mais)

This is a tale of revenge, but reads like a heist movie, or a long con. It involves a convoluted plan with many pieces that all need to fall in the right places. It’s frightening how easy it is for the media to completely ruin someone’s life. The book was exciting and I especially liked the first half when things were in the planning stage. The last half I felt there was too much introspection on the part of the main character, The Fuse, that took away from the revenge plot. The book was well written and enjoyable.

I received a free copy from Library Thing Early Reviewers and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.… (mais)