About:
Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Ace Atkins is a nostalgic thriller, a mash up of espionage and 1980s nostalgia. Mr. Atkins is an award-winning, best-selling author, known for his southern noir novels.
- 368 pages
- Publisher : William Morrow
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0063293447
My rating for Everybody Wants to Rule the World – 5
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More books by Ace Atkins*
Thoughts:
I have read many books by Mr. Atkins and frankly enjoyed them all. This one is a departure from his usual stories, but it’s still immensely enjoyable.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Ace Atkins is an espionage caper taking place in 1985, as the title implies. I enjoyed the snappy dialog and the references to my youth’s pop-culture. I am only two years older than Peter, the protagonist, so the nostalgia worked for me without fail.
The novel moves quickly, but I felt there were a few too many subplots which, for me, were a bit difficult to keep track of. The book moves smoothly from Peter’s story, which was reminiscent of The Goonies or Red Dawn, to the gritty FBI investigation, also a 1980s trope a la To Live and Die in LA.
Like every good movie, or book, done during the era, the novel requires a drop (or more) of disbelief, but the ending is satisfying and doesn’t leave any loose ends. However, the dissing of Robert Ludlum, one of my favorite authors, is only forgiven due to the propping up of lan Fleming.
The plot is a bit cluttered, the story chaotic – but damn it’s a fun read, full with humor and great characters. The narratives collide in a chaotic mix of Cold War paranoia and 80s pop culture.
Synopsis:
Peter Bennett, a 14-year-old high-school student in Atlanta is convinced his mother’s new boyfriend is a Russian spy. Due to recent events, he is sure he’s interested in her because of her work at Scientific Atlanta, a defense contractor working on Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), nicknamed the Star Wars program.
The adults in Peter’s life think he’s imagining things, but Peter finds his favorite author Dennis “Hotch” Hotchner, and his best friend an ex-NFL player turned drag queen named Jackie Demure. Along for the ride is Sylvia Weaver, a young FBI agent investing the occurrences at Scientific Atlanta.
My rating for Everybody Wants to Rule the World – 4
Buy Everybody Wants to Rule the World from Amazon.com*
More books by Ace Atkins*
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free.
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