Mixed feelings.

American War (2017) is the first novel by the Egyptian-Canadian journalist Omar El Akkad.

It’s BIG. A deeply fractured, dystopian version of America between the years 2074 and 2095.

The Second American Civil War erupts when the federal Northern government outlaws the use of fossil fuels due to catastrophic climate changes. A bloc of southern states (the “Free Southern State”) secedes to protect their oil-reliant economy.

The weakened, war-torn America is no longer a superpower. Instead, it has become a playground for foreign intervention, with dominant new global empires from North Africa and Asia meddling in its internal affairs.

All that was interesting.

What the book lacks, in my opinion, is coherent technological consistency. For some reason, people no longer use or have forgotten technology from 2026.

The plot centers on Sarat Chestnut, a lesbian over six feet tall. Fascinating.

But the rest of the people in the story did not interest me much. Not enough of a clear story line. Too rambling.

A brave attempt — but ultimately more flawed than successful.