Jennifer Government

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

It’s the not-too-distant future and the ideals of a small government, capitalist society have gone to their most extreme. Corporations run mostly unchecked by a government that has little authority to enforce the laws. John Nike has just executed a marketing campaign to generate demand for a new line of shoes. The campaign centers around the murder of several customers, but “that’s just good business” according to John Nike, whose name, like all other characters, reflects the name of the place he works.

Agent Jennifer Government wants to bring John Nike to justice, but her reasons for doing so might go deeper than a simple respect for the law. She and John have something in common. Before she can chase John around the globe, though, Jennifer Government needs to secure funding. In this society law enforcement lacks public support and Jennifer has to ask the family of one of the murder victims to sell their home for money to put together an investigation. At such times it is difficult to like even the “good” characters in the story as they set aside morality to get ahead, but the reader can’t help but cheer them on because the bad guys are so much worse.

In many respects Jennifer Government fits well within the dystopian novel tradition of 1984 and Brave New World. The future is bleak, but bears enough resemblance to current society to make the story believable. Some readers may find the political overtones a bit heavy-handed, but it is those political views that set up Max Barry’s vision of the future and tie the story to our own present. It is how the characters weave themselves in and around the rules of this future that compels the reader along to the end. Just how far will John Nike go to get ahead in his company? Can Jennifer stop him, or is the law too weak to stand in the way of a large corporation? Check it out from the library to see for yourself.

My Two Cents

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Book Description: Jennifer Harris, years after being the tormented outsider on the playground, has reinvented herself into Jenna Vaughn, a popular girl with what seems to be the perfect life, but when a childhood friend re-enters her life, she is forced to confront the most traumatic event of her past and question who she really is.

My two cents: Zarr has a way in telling a rich, complex story in a very small amount of pages. Sweethearts is a story of two people: Jennifer aka Jenna and Cameron. Their relationship is hard to explain-more than sister & brother, lovers, friends. I would say they are kindred spirits. Jennifer and Cameron have been childhood friends. One day, Cameron doesn't go to school. Jennifer hears a rumor at school that Cameron has died in an accident, which her mother later confirms. Eight years later, Cameron reappears on Jennifer's birthday. What happened between those eight years? How will Jennifer and Cameron work it out? Interested? Request it for our library!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Book Description: In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called "graces", Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace of killing and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

My two cents: If you are a fan of Meyer's Twilight or Bray's Gemma Doyle Series, then this book is for you. Katsa is a kick butt heroine, who doesn't compromise herself because of what's expected of her in her society. The writing is very strong as well as the character development and themes. The romance was a nice bent to the story. I can't wait to read the next one.
Interested? Request it for our library!

Favorite Books Continued

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Juliet Ashton, an author, writes to her publisher expressing her desire to stop covering the aftermath of WWII, but Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams invites neighbors to write to Juliet with their stories, which puts her off at first but eventually helps her find inspiration for her next book, and her life. Interested?
Request it to our library!



Death Note Series (Vol. 1-12) by Tsugumi Ohba

Light Yagumi comes across a Death Note dropped by a Shinigami death god and vows to use this power to rid the world of evil; but when criminals start dropping dead, the great detective L is sent to track down the killer. Interested? Request it for our library!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors. Check it out from our library!