How else could the story end but with a bullet?
Wow. This is one of those books that is going to stay with me for a long time.
I received an advance copy of Thoughts and Prayers from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. This is Robert Miner's debut novel, but you would never know it from the writing. In my opinion, he writes with the confidence and skill of someone who has been doing this for years. The subject is one that Americans have very strong opinions about: our obsession with guns.
On one side is Monica, a billionaire who buys a gun manufacturer, takes care of the employees, and then shuts the company down. Bye-bye. On the other is Brittany, the ruthless owner of a gun manufacturing company who is determined to become president of the United States and is willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Caught between them is Clyde, whose middle-school daughter was murdered in a school shooting with a gun manufactured by Brittany's company.
What makes this story so compelling is that these aren't just fictional issues. We all have opinions about guns, gun ownership, gun violence, and what should be done about them. Miner takes those very real divisions and brings them to a head through three very different characters.
I liked Monica. She isn't perfect, and she makes mistakes, but she's trying to use her considerable power and resources to make a difference. I also felt tremendously sorry for Clyde. As a parent, there is something almost unbearable about the idea of losing your child, and Miner doesn't shy away from that grief.
Brittany, on the other hand, was a character I loved to hate. She seemed to have very little empathy for anyone who stood between her and her goal, and her hunger for power was deeply disturbing. Patrick didn't fare much better with me. He was less frightening than Brittany and more frustrating. He knew he didn't agree with what she was doing, but continually went along with it anyway.
The characters are exceptionally well written. Miner doesn't give us easy heroes or villains, and he doesn't provide a neat solution to the problem. Instead, he explores what happens when everyone is convinced they are right and nobody is willing to compromise. And perhaps that's the point. How do we solve a problem when we're unwilling to listen to anyone on the other side?
Even the title is perfect. Thoughts and prayers has become a familiar response after someone is killed by gun violence. But what good are thoughts and prayers if nothing changes afterward? The title carries a lot of weight by the time you reach the end of the book.
I also appreciated the pacing. The chapters are relatively short, the story moves quickly, and although the narrative shifts between several points of view, there aren't so many characters that it becomes confusing.
My only real criticism is that Monica's sexual relationship with her attorney didn't feel necessary to the story. Their lifelong friendship already established how close they were, and I didn't think the relationship added much beyond that.
This is a difficult subject, and Thoughts and Prayers doesn't pretend there are easy answers. Instead, Robert Miner forces us to look at the issue from multiple perspectives and think about what our inability, or even our unwillingness, to compromise is costing us.
I loved this book. More importantly, I'm still thinking about it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to seeing more by Robert Miner in the future!
