Official Review: All The Dark We Will Not See

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bluemel4
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Official Review: All The Dark We Will Not See

Post by bluemel4 »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "All The Dark We Will Not See" by Michael Neff.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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All The Dark We Will Not See by Michael B. Neff is a densely packed political satire that captures the disillusionment and corruption of Reagan era politics. Neff uses his first-hand experience (working in Washington, D.C. during the Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations) to give readers a truly unique inside look into the changing political climate of the 1980s.

The storyline centers around a naive young man named Edison Eden, who considers himself a natural whistleblower and a seeker of justice. After failing to maintain employment in his home state of Wisconsin, he decides the perfect job for him is at The Office of Whistleblowers Counsel (OWC) in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, his faith in America and ideals are shaken once he is introduced to the politics within his office and Washington, D.C. area.

Neff does an excellent job showcasing the materialistic, narcissistic, and looks-over-substance vibe that ruled the 1980s. The reader is brought into this glittering plastic world and is shown its slimy underbelly. It is an uncomfortable read that highlights the gross misinterpretation of laws for the purpose of corruption, political gain, and corporate greed.

The writing style is part exquisitely written prose, fever dream, and includes a dose of realism to keep the storyline cohesive. The vocabulary used is expansive and a lot of the references felt more suited for insiders of the time period. The most interesting and captivating part of the novel is the way Neff uses point of view, which is alternated between second and third person. The use of second person allows the reader to be an extension of the character and obtain an odd sense of disassociation that was absolutely perfect for this novel. There are several other writing technique employed to keep the text feeling fresh. For example, poetry, journals, and letters all add to the depth and texture of this book.

The characters were all interesting with unusual and vivid descriptions that served to describe their personalities and physical appearance- adding some much needed comic relief. The overall tone is a feeling of a slow descent into insanity while desperately clinging to the moral and ethical sense of self. The chapter titles are broken into several parts summarizing what is to come.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I knew about the corruption during Reagan’s Presidency but this book was a whole different level of eye-opening. It is not a light read and it is upsetting, but it is one of those unusual reading experiences I would never want to give up. I recommend it to people that are curious about politics and those seeking an unusual reading experience.

******
All The Dark We Will Not See
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Post by Kourtney Bradley »

This sounds so interesting!
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Post by bluemel4 »

It's interesting and gets really dark.
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Post by Elaine5 »

At the risk of sounding a bit grim, I find the political underbelly fascinating and often enjoy dark stories. Sounds like a great read! Thanks for the review!
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Post by bookowlie »

Great, insightful review! I love your description that the book isn't a light read and is upsetting, but was still a wonderful reading experience. I almost selected this book and your review has made me wish I did. :)
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Post by CrescentMoon »

Wow this book sounds really good. It's interesting to see the behind-the-scenes look at how politics actually work. I definitely want to read this now. Great review!
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Post by Thimble »

Great review. This books sounds really interesting, but I don't think it's for me. I don't really enjoy heavily political or upsetting books.
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Post by zero_macabre »

Thimble wrote:Great review. This books sounds really interesting, but I don't think it's for me. I don't really enjoy heavily political or upsetting books.
Same... I'm not really into books about politics. Good job on the review though! :)
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Post by bluemel4 »

Elaine5 wrote:At the risk of sounding a bit grim, I find the political underbelly fascinating and often enjoy dark stories. Sounds like a great read! Thanks for the review!
You will really enjoy this! @Elaine5 :D

-- Sat Sep 24, 2016 8:37 am --
bookowlie wrote:Great, insightful review! I love your description that the book isn't a light read and is upsetting, but was still a wonderful reading experience. I almost selected this book and your review has made me wish I did. :)
Thank you! @bookowlie It definitely was a challenging read from an emotional perspective. :D

-- Sat Sep 24, 2016 8:39 am --
CrescentMoon wrote:Wow this book sounds really good. It's interesting to see the behind-the-scenes look at how politics actually work. I definitely want to read this now. Great review!
@CrescentMoon it was fascinating to read about the inner workings of the political process. I hope you enjoy it!

-- Sat Sep 24, 2016 8:39 am --
Thimble wrote:Great review. This books sounds really interesting, but I don't think it's for me. I don't really enjoy heavily political or upsetting books.
@Thimble Thank you! I understand. :)

-- Sat Sep 24, 2016 8:40 am --
zero_macabre wrote:
Thimble wrote:Great review. This books sounds really interesting, but I don't think it's for me. I don't really enjoy heavily political or upsetting books.
Same... I'm not really into books about politics. Good job on the review though! :)
@zero_macabre Thank you! I understand not wanting to read something that will upset you.
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Post by TrishaAnn92 »

What a wonderful book review! Not really my cup of tea bit it sounds very intriguing!
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Post by bluemel4 »

TrishaAnn92 wrote:What a wonderful book review! Not really my cup of tea bit it sounds very intriguing!
Thank you! @TrishaAnn92
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Post by rosalyncaar »

I've got to stop reading so many reviews, I just find more to add to my "to read" list. That list is so long already!
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Post by bluemel4 »

rosalyncaar wrote:I've got to stop reading so many reviews, I just find more to add to my "to read" list. That list is so long already!
Lol! I'm glad you found mine. :D I hope you enjoy it.
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Post by Heidi M Simone »

Another wonderful review, bluemel4! I enjoyed reading it. :) I'm not sure if this a read for me, but it does sound like a unique and interesting one. Even with how dark this book seems, I'm glad the author was able to put in some comic relief.
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Post by Lauren M »

Great review! Not sure if I would like it or not. I might try a sample on Amazon and see.
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