I picked up this book because Slate ran a short piece by James Parker comparing the novel's protagonist Frances “Frankie” Fitzgibbons to Sarah Palin. Of course Parker overstates his case (as he freely admits) but I'm kind of glad he did, because his review intrigued me, and I immediately ordered the book from Powells, and quickly read it.

I loved the tight time frame that allowed the action to unfold like in a Greek tragedy, and Kennedy's characters were deftly drawn. Fitzgibbons is a character study in modern life and her rise to power is as thought provoking as it is entertaining and horrifying all at once. Are we supposed to hate her? Would we hate her any more - or any less - if she were a man? The book at times reminded me of The Wave by Todd Strasser, how easily someone could gather power on the force of their personality, and how eager people are to follow a strong leader.

This is lit no doubt, but I think it would be accessible to many people. I actually thought that this book was quite cinematic. I can see why Parker thought this was relevant to current politics - a good read for this election season.