Synopsis The futuristic hardboiled noir that Lauren Beukes calls “sharp as a paper-cut” about a garbage man turned kill-for-hire. Spademan used to be a garbage man. That was before the dirty bomb hit Times Square, before his wife was killed, and before the city became a blown-out shell of its former self.
Now he’s a hitman.
In a near-future New York City split between those who are wealthy enough to “tap in” to a sophisticated virtual reality, and those who are left to fend for themselves in the ravaged streets, Spademan chose the streets. When his latest client hires him to kill the daughter of a powerful evangelist, he must navigate between these two worlds—the wasteland reality and the slick fantasy—to finish his job, clear his conscience, and make sure he’s not the one who winds up in the ground.
Shovel Ready by Adam SternberghMy rating: 4 of 5 starsShovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh is a 2014 Crown Publishing release. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
This Dystopian / Post Apocalyptic novel came at along just the right time for me. I have not read this type of book is such a long time it was an interesting change of pace.
A garbageman loses his wife in terrorist attack, sees New York dry up and become like a ghost town, then turns to the life of being a hitman. When he is hired by a powerful television evangelist to not only find his daughter, but to kill her, it's just another job for Spademan. He doesn't ask questions, but he does have lines he will not cross. He's an equal opportunity killer with no qualms about killing men or women but will not kill children, giving him at some small modicum of integrity. He navigates through the dangerous New York streets searching for his target, but when he locates her things get complicated right away.
When I saw this book was listed as a science fiction crime drama with work Noir thrown in the mix, I couldn't help but wonder how that was going to work. Yet, strangely it does.
The story conveyed the starkness of the city of New York after most people had moved away. If you had funds you could slip into a virtual reality and avoid dealing with the aftermath of the terrorist attack which consisted of two dirty bombs, but most had to confront life on the streets in an all too bleak reality.
The irony of the tale will not be lost you, as Spademan become immersed in the world of Grace Chastity otherwise known as Perephone. Atmospheric, gritty, dark and at times humorous, there is indeed a heavy noir theme in the air accentuated by the sparse dialog. What was real, what was the truth? The reality or the virtual? Spademan must fight a battle in both realms.
I thought this book was well done and imaginative with quirky characters, which I always enjoy in a book. It was a little depressing, but I loved the crime element that mixed in with the science fiction element to give the book a unique spin and should, as a result, appeal to a broader audience. It is hard to picture New York being abandoned and left to crumble and die, but I could see this happening in the future when people would perhaps rather just get out of dodge, since apparently New York is a favorite terrorist target.
There were some gaps where the reader is not fully informed about the motives behind some of the characters' actions and these holes were never filled with an explanation leaving us to wonder about how a character had developed into the person we are currently becoming acquainted with. It's not all that hard to figure out where the plot is taking us, but it didn't really matter because it was all about the twist and turns and drama that would lead up to the climax. I was fascinated by the book and it's mix of elements you don't find in novels too often. If you like dystopia , mystery, crime drama , with a strong science fiction and noir tone, then you should check this one out. 4 stars for this one.
Adam Sternbergh is a contributing editor for New York magazine and Vulture. Formerly culture editor of The New York Times Magazine, his writing has appeared in GQ and the Times of London and on This American Life. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his family. Near Enemy is his second novel.
www.adamsternbergh.com; @sternbergh
