Publisher Description
As the twenty-first century enters its second decade, foreign wars, the lingering recession, and a caustic political environment are taking their toll on Americans. But the party hasn't ended for Aidan Cole and his friends, a band of savvy, if cynical, New York journalists and bloggers who thrive at the intersection of media and celebrity. At wine-sodden dinner parties or in dimly lit downtown bars, their frenetic talk—of scoops and page views, sexual adventures, and trendy restaurants—continues unabated. Then, without warning, the specter of terrorism reenters their lives. A bomb rips through the deserted floor of a midtown office tower. Middle Eastern terrorists are immediately suspected. But four days later, with no arrests and a city on edge, an anonymous e-mail arrives in Aidan's in-box. Attached is the photograph of an attractive, young white woman, along with a chilling message: "This is Paige Roderick. She's the one responsible."
So begins an extraordinary journey into the dark soul of modern America—from a back-to-the-land community in the Smoky Mountains to a Weather Underground–like bomb factory in Vermont; from Fishers Island, isolated getaway of the wealthy elite, to the hip lofts of Manhattan's Meatpacking District. American Subversive is David Goodwillie's sharp and penetrating take on the paranoia of our times—and its real, untold dangers. In examining the connection between our collective apathy and the roots of insurrection, Goodwillie has crafted an intoxicating story of two young Americans grasping for a foothold in a culture—and a country—that's crumbling around them.
With this debut novel, Goodwillie announces himself as a major new voice in American fiction. Expertly written, relentlessly suspenseful, and bitingly funny, American Subversive is both an unnervingly realistic tale of domestic terrorism and a perfectly observed portrait of Manhattan in the digital age.
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"A disappointed idealist turned terrorist, and a New York blogger on her tracks. A gripping read that jumps back and forth in time, suggesting that not all Americans are willing to settle for rich, fat and happy. A Kenyon College graduate, the author worked as a private investigator and as dot com and Sotheby's worker, building up experiences that ground the book in reality."
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Clay (4 out of 5 stars)
About David Goodwillie
David Goodwillie writes about books for the New York Times and the Daily Beast, and his fiction and nonfiction have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, including New York, Popular Science, Men’s Health, Black Book, the New York Observer, and the New York Post. His novel American Subversive was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2010. He is also the author of the memoir Seemed like a Good Idea at the Time, for which he was named one of the “Best New Writers of 2006” by members of the PEN American Center. Goodwillie has played professional baseball, worked as a private investigator, and been an expert at Sotheby’s auction house. A graduate of Kenyon College, he lives in New York City.
About the Narrators
Tavia Gilbert is an acclaimed narrator of more than four hundred full-cast and multivoice audiobooks for virtually every publisher in the industry. Named the 2018 Voice of Choice by Booklist magazine, she is also winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has earned numerous Earphones Awards, a Voice Arts Award, and a Listen-Up Award. Audible.com has named her a Genre-Defining Narrator: Master of Memoir. In addition to voice acting, she is an accomplished producer, singer, and theater actor. She is also a producer, singer, photographer, and a writer, as well as the cofounder of a feminist publishing company, Animal Mineral.
David Drummond has made his living as an actor for over twenty-five years, appearing on stages large and small throughout the country and in Seattle, Washington, his hometown. He has narrated over thirty audiobooks, in genres ranging from current political commentary to historical nonfiction, fantasy, military, thrillers, and humor. He received an AudioFile Earphones Award for his first audiobook, Love ’Em or Lose ’Em: Getting Good People to Stay. When not narrating, he keeps busy writing plays and stories for children.