The Joshua Effect
I received a promotional copy through the First Reads program.Positive: Meronek does a decent job of keeping the plot together for 351 pages. It's not as easy as some readers believe it is. He made a smart decision in focusing on a small group of core characters. This makes the book easy to follow. I read it in a week, despite not being in love with it. So readability wasn't much of an issue.
Less Positive: I didn't like Strickland. Other characters weren't developed very well. It's a very talky novel, with dialogue and Strickland's thoughts overwhelming events. Meronek seems to have an axe to grind with the U.S. government, and he uses Strickland to grind it in a very preachy, condescending manner. The ending is an anti-climax.
