Stuart Archer Cohen’s new novel is, to say the least, polarizing. His world view and philosophical outlook inform both the message and the tone of the book. So, needless to say, some readers are not going to be pleased with what they find between the covers. But, if you can put your firm and unwavering convictions aside and allow this tale of dictatorship and dissent to speak to you, you might actually enjoy the ride.

One way in which the book will not change some minds is through the hyper-realistic settings and events. When writing a cautionary tale about modern-day events and politics, most authors will either keep the narrative grounded firmly in the real world. Some, however, will make their point by taking real events and situations and exaggerating them to an almost absurd degree. The latter, while sometimes distracting, does not necessarily discredit the message within. 1984, A Brave New World, and Atlas Shrugged are just some examples of philosophical theses successfully encapsulated in a science-fiction or fantasy shell. The Army of the Republic may seem farfetched in some spots, and may occasionally overreach in others. But those perturbed by this might be better off reading a Clancy or Grisham paperback. Deep (and sometimes radical) beliefs occasionally need to be shouted from soap boxes bigger than the real world can currently afford us.

Cohen may not be successful in converting the unconvinced with his spectacular tale of ruthless corporate oligarchs, Blackwater reminiscent death squads, and radical underground movements. But he makes his argument loud, clear, and most importantly, highly entertaining. ( )

awesome read. was chillingly not very far-fetched at all. Another book for those of you who sleep too well at night ( )

Stuart Archer Cohen delivers a modern-day update of Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here. The Army of the Republic is a leftist militant group who have recently escalated their violent revolt against the corporatist, right-wing government, all the way to murdering CEOs. Clearly, whether or not you like this book will depend on your politics.

The characters don't get developed fully, instead presenting themselves as stock oligarchs, stereotypical anarchists and conflicted family members. The writing style is more of a thriller, though one with left-leaning political viewpoints scattered throughout. The book will definitely get your blood boiling, no matter which side of the political spectrum you reside on. I found myself growing angry at the situations as I read.

Cohen makes an interesting decision to tell the story in multiple first person point of view, alternating between a militant leader in the title revolutionary group, his love interest who is in the inner circle of a peaceful protest group and the CEO of a water privatization company who, in a bid to save his multi-billion dollar corporation from the onslaught of the militants, becomes ensnared with a government-backed group of mercenary death squads. The next civil war is on. ( )

Starts out as a fast-paced thriller that delivers some unexpected moments, but unfortunately the energy of the opening is not sustained over the last two-thirds of the novel. There's simply too much emphasis on the political theory; the story and characters lose focus as the book progresses, seeming to be driven by the requirements of the message, rather than allowing the message to emanate from the situations or characters. As a result, the novel never quite reaches whatever it is exactly that its striving for. The writing never coalesces around the story; rather than becoming more than the sum of its narrative parts, the book ends up feeling like something a little less than what it might have been.

The author deserves some credit for reaching for something new, for trying to deliver a fictional vision of present political realities (and recent past) extrapolated into a not-too-distant future in a style that is vaguely reminiscent of William Gibson's work. But the writing isn't good enough to carry the story, the story isn't good enough to stand on its own, and the political ideas (obviously the main motivation for the book)--already shallow and half-baked enough at the time of publication--now seem dated and even more naive in a post-Bush, Obama as President world. As another LT reviewer wrote (I paraphrase here): the hippies are going to save us? Really? ( )

Very difficult book to read. I never really identified with the characters. ( )