Anthem
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- Create Date：2022-01-09 08:21:38
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Noah Hawley
- ISBN：B093ZQCS29
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Summary
In the visionary new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Before the Fall， something has been happening to young people all over the world—and a devastated population bands together to discover the cause。
Suddenly and without precedent or explanation， something awful has been happening to teenagers across the globe， forcing parents to face a lonely future without their children。 At the site of each loss， there lies a cryptic message， A11， which may be the clue to solving the crisis。
Judge Margot Nadir is surprised and honored to find herself the next Supreme Court nominee from a President who has reached across the aisle to nominate her。 Just as the President is about to announce his decision， her daughter inexplicably vanishes。 Judge Nadir fears her daughter has become a victim of the global crisis。 Margot and her husband， Remy， find themselves confronting every parent's worst nightmare， just as the whole world begins to scrutinize every choice they've ever made， are making， or may make in a future， which seems all the more uncertain with every passing second。
At the end of the road lies an enemy with seemingly unlimited resources who is waging a secret war against the very notion of childhood—and the future itself。
Suddenly and without precedent or explanation， something awful has been happening to teenagers across the globe， forcing parents to face a lonely future without their children。 At the site of each loss， there lies a cryptic message， A11， which may be the clue to solving the crisis。
Judge Margot Nadir is surprised and honored to find herself the next Supreme Court nominee from a President who has reached across the aisle to nominate her。 Just as the President is about to announce his decision， her daughter inexplicably vanishes。 Judge Nadir fears her daughter has become a victim of the global crisis。 Margot and her husband， Remy， find themselves confronting every parent's worst nightmare， just as the whole world begins to scrutinize every choice they've ever made， are making， or may make in a future， which seems all the more uncertain with every passing second。
At the end of the road lies an enemy with seemingly unlimited resources who is waging a secret war against the very notion of childhood—and the future itself。
Reviews
Patricia Baker
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think this book is too close to the current environment of the American life。 reality is replaced by lies。 a big money guy has a problem with getting is preteenage sexual fix。 drugs are fixers。 is the answer suicide or taking part in an organized army of leftover children/adults。 enjoyed the writing。 while I had trouble with the story line， able to finish the book based on writing skill。 not sure of the true purpose/message from reading this book。 perhaps we will be better people in the future。
David
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This starts off as a fascinating tale riding the edge of recent fact and dystopian near-future。 It will not appeal to some due to its unrelenting viewpoint。 I was okay with that。 The main characters are damaged children， but they are redeemed in the story。 My difficulties lie with the last third of the book。 It feels like the author has written himself into a corner， so gives up。 One could make the case that the ending is supposed to be that "the future is undecided， and up to you" but that unde This starts off as a fascinating tale riding the edge of recent fact and dystopian near-future。 It will not appeal to some due to its unrelenting viewpoint。 I was okay with that。 The main characters are damaged children， but they are redeemed in the story。 My difficulties lie with the last third of the book。 It feels like the author has written himself into a corner， so gives up。 One could make the case that the ending is supposed to be that "the future is undecided， and up to you" but that undermines the story as fiction。 For me， it just fails at the end。 。。。more
Amber
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This might be one of the worst books I’ve ever read。 This felt like something a teenage boy would write to try to be edgy。 It covers a vast array of incredibly serious topics with no nuance or ultimate message。 Like someone really wanted an excuse to write a 400 pages of slurs and get away with it because it’s “satire”。 I’m not convinced that this was written by a human and not by an AI program that was fed conservative news media and 4chan text。 Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy。 I This might be one of the worst books I’ve ever read。 This felt like something a teenage boy would write to try to be edgy。 It covers a vast array of incredibly serious topics with no nuance or ultimate message。 Like someone really wanted an excuse to write a 400 pages of slurs and get away with it because it’s “satire”。 I’m not convinced that this was written by a human and not by an AI program that was fed conservative news media and 4chan text。 Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy。 I’m really glad I didn’t spend my money on this。 。。。more
Krissy （books_and_biceps9155）
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Welp！ I’ve read 7 books so far in 2022 and 3 out of the 7 have basically been un-rate-able。 Not sure if that is amazing or confusing but it’s where we are at！ I am giving this a 4 because it really deserves it own rating system due to topic and since it isn't really my usual genre。Heavy-that’s the best way to describe this。 Now I am not saying it isn’t good， it is brilliant but boy is it heavy。 This is going to be extremely polarizing。 If you check out Goodreads the rating are all over the freak Welp！ I’ve read 7 books so far in 2022 and 3 out of the 7 have basically been un-rate-able。 Not sure if that is amazing or confusing but it’s where we are at！ I am giving this a 4 because it really deserves it own rating system due to topic and since it isn't really my usual genre。Heavy-that’s the best way to describe this。 Now I am not saying it isn’t good， it is brilliant but boy is it heavy。 This is going to be extremely polarizing。 If you check out Goodreads the rating are all over the freaking place and I can see why。 I am literally at a loss for words。 This book is deeply disturbing and terrifying。 I am almost intimidated to review it quite frankly， but Ill try。 A post-apocalyptic tale of life in the future or what it could become。 It’s chillingly close to what’s going on right now。 Young adults all over the globe killing themselves in unity under the guise of A11？ Horrifying！ When explained in fiction， through fact， I can see how this could happen。 The reasoning behind it hits deep and close to home。 Hawley does a wonderful job of explaining the political divide in the US。 He is mostly unbiased in his attempt as well which is hard to do especially now。 He gives plenty of facts （some I was literally shocked by and googled） about our climate situation。 The book is a bit lengthy and has some very vivid characters which helps it go by quickly。 The chapters are a bit on the long side so it makes it hard to stop， pick up and read again。 It also slows in the middle but it starts back up and again-you are absorbed in the journey。 This isn’t going to be for everyone。 It’s hard， traumatizing and freaking scary。 It is full of important information and my hats off to Hawley for the incredible work and making something complex simple which I believe is the definition of genius…。。 。。。more
Gillian Glover
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This has to be one of the boldest， strangest books I've ever read。 Here's a quick run down of some of the things touched on in this book: depression， suicide， opioid-addiction， gun-violence， racism， the environmental crisis， sexual violence against minors， sex-trafficking， eating disorders， COVID-19， the corrupt 1%， religion， the rapture， immigration， and war。If that sounds like a lot of shit to be in one book， that's because it is。 I don't think there is one modern American issue that Hawley le This has to be one of the boldest， strangest books I've ever read。 Here's a quick run down of some of the things touched on in this book: depression， suicide， opioid-addiction， gun-violence， racism， the environmental crisis， sexual violence against minors， sex-trafficking， eating disorders， COVID-19， the corrupt 1%， religion， the rapture， immigration， and war。If that sounds like a lot of shit to be in one book， that's because it is。 I don't think there is one modern American issue that Hawley left out。 In my opinion， he does this extremely well， which is insane because any book with this many topics should be absolute chaos。 I guess this one is chaos， but in a good way。The only big issue I had with this book is the amount of characters。 I think some of them could have been combined or removed to make the narrative less confusing。 Overall though， I really enjoyed this book。Also， I read this on the one year anniversary of the capitol riot， which I found both fitting and kind of spooky considering how this book ends。 。。。more
Bill
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I "read" this book as an Audible book。 I got it because I enjoyed the last couple of books I've read by Noah Hawley， and I also love the TV shows he has written。I finished it over the course of a couple of days， aided by the fact that having COVID cleared my schedule for almost all other activity。 Hawley has taken all the biggest conflagrations of our time and stirred them into a single raging storm of a story （which includes actual conflagrations， among other disastrous occurrences） that is har I "read" this book as an Audible book。 I got it because I enjoyed the last couple of books I've read by Noah Hawley， and I also love the TV shows he has written。I finished it over the course of a couple of days， aided by the fact that having COVID cleared my schedule for almost all other activity。 Hawley has taken all the biggest conflagrations of our time and stirred them into a single raging storm of a story （which includes actual conflagrations， among other disastrous occurrences） that is hard to put down。 。。。more
Ethan
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"Proof is irrelevant。 Reality has become a personal choice， denial of reality a weapon。"The past couple of years has been difficult。 I don't think you could talk to anyone who would disagree。 First， there is the global pandemic， a health crisis that has stollen the lives of far too many people。 It continues to ravage us in new forms， even as I write this。 With COVID has come a host of other problems。 People have lost their jobs， lost their loved ones， lost their sanity as they quarantine from th "Proof is irrelevant。 Reality has become a personal choice， denial of reality a weapon。"The past couple of years has been difficult。 I don't think you could talk to anyone who would disagree。 First， there is the global pandemic， a health crisis that has stollen the lives of far too many people。 It continues to ravage us in new forms， even as I write this。 With COVID has come a host of other problems。 People have lost their jobs， lost their loved ones， lost their sanity as they quarantine from the rest of society。 And here's the thing， the pandemic isn't the only thing that's made the last few years troubling。 Climate change has reached a point of being undeniable。 Storms and fires are billed as "100-year weather events" even as they seem to happen every few weeks。 We are at the point of not choosing how to stop climate change （most scientists agree that it is far too late for that） but how we will mitigate the impact of it。 And then there's politics。 For better or worse， the 2016 US Presidential Election and the events that have followed seem to have forever changed the way politics happens in our county。 People are more divided than ever。 Simply put， things have not been easy。 Noah Hawley， an author well known as executive producer， writer， and showrunner of the hit TV series Fargo as well as for his bestselling 2016 novel Before The Fall， has lived through this reality just like the rest of us。 His latest novel Anthem is set in a world that closely mirrors the bleak times that we have all been facing。 Be warned， this is a dark work that doesn't shy away from some tough subjects。 Suicide， sexual assault， and violence line the pages of this story， reflecting the grim state of the world。 There were several times where the real world and Hawley's fiction were too similar for me to stomach， forcing me to pause and take some moments away from the book。 Still， he presents a powerful and poignant narrative that forces the reader to reflect on the state of the world we share， thrilling us and moving us along the way。 If you can get past the initial shock of it all， the book is well worth exploring further。 "The adults are lost。 We， their children， are starting over。"The children of the world are committing mass suicide。 The adults are at a loss for what to do about it。 Why is this happening？ It could be that spending the last few years only interacting with the computer screen in front of them instead of with real people has taken the ultimate toll on them。 Perhaps it is the realization that the world that older generations are leaving to them is in worse shape than what they inherited。 Whatever the reasons， youth suicide has become an epidemic。 For young Simon Oliver， suicide has been all he can think about recently。 Not because he has thought of the act himself， but because he was the unlucky soul to discover his older sister's body。 Since that day， Simon has been in the Float Anxiety Abatement Center。 He's mostly unaware of just how bad things have gotten outside。 Simon's internal turmoil is about to collide with the strife of the outside world in a way that he could never have imagined。 In the treatment center， Simon meets Louise， a young woman who has a troubled past of her own。 She tells of her time in the clutches of The Wizard， an extremely wealthy， Jeffery Epstein-type man who rapes young girls to fulfill his own twisted desires。 Simon and Louise encounter another young man， The Prophet， who claims that God speaks through him， encouraging him to break out of the center， establish a utopia， and rescue the country。 No small task for a group of troubled youth， especially given the state of the rest of the world。 America is on the brink of collapse。 Fires rage across the lands and in the souls of those who inhabit them。 Through these everyday kids， we see this epic tale unfold before us。 "The apocalypse， it turns out， is easy。 There is no confusion， no uncertainty about the stakes。 The world is in chaos。 You must survive。 End of story。"It is difficult to put into words what Noah Hawley's newest novel is。 Anthem is epic in scope， thrilling at times， and difficult to grasp at others。 The work holds a lens up to the world we are living in， making it impossible to discern where reality ends and fiction begins。 Hawley is constantly shifting perspectives to various characters， showing flashbacks and present moments， all in an attempt to fully capture the world he is portraying。 He even breaks down the fourth wall several times， inserting the perspective of 'the author' into the grand narrative he tells。 Despite the large scale and complexity of this story， I never felt that the book buckled under the sheer weight of itself。 Hawley is a master at a character study。 He takes his time to ground each character， even the villains。 This helped keep me connected to the story at each moment。 I'll be interested to see what other readers ultimately make of Anthem。 I'm guessing you'll either really love it， or won't be able to get through it。 For many， the closeness of this plot to our present lives may be too close for comfort。 Like most great works though， Anthem attempts to capture a time and place， chronicling our present history through some of the most imaginative fiction I've ever read。 For me， that makes it a fantastic read。 。。。more
Rohn Strong
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Honestly， I’m not sure how to feel。 I loved this book （most of it） and it’s changed my view of the world a bit…which I think is the point。This book is required reading， in my opinion。
Lezley
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Goodreads
Elyse Walters
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“Anthem” by Noah Hawley…。。（a one of a kind author/ director who fascinates me）…。has written such a surreal anti-inspirational chilling-contemporary dystopian thriller…。where in part — it’s our teenagers who are at the center of fighting the world’s biggest fight……This。。。。 。。。。 book is another one of those RARE — OH MY —novels …。。where the reader who finishes it might react as I did…。（besides feeling as if just hit over the head in bleakness）…。ME THINKING > “I can ‘completely’ understand every ra “Anthem” by Noah Hawley…。。（a one of a kind author/ director who fascinates me）…。has written such a surreal anti-inspirational chilling-contemporary dystopian thriller…。where in part — it’s our teenagers who are at the center of fighting the world’s biggest fight……This。。。。 。。。。 book is another one of those RARE — OH MY —novels …。。where the reader who finishes it might react as I did…。（besides feeling as if just hit over the head in bleakness）…。ME THINKING > “I can ‘completely’ understand every rating given to it。 I could see justifications for 5， 4， 3， 2， or 1 star ratings。 Let me back up。Today is January 6， 2022 …。a date tattooed in our brains…。the first anniversary of United States Capitol riot。Current headline news ……as I reach for my phone …。。5:33am Pacific Time…。[after reading “Anthem” through the night]…。“On the eve the Capitol riot anniversary， January 6 investigation faces a pivotal 。 。 。 ““A Year Later， Jan 6 Becomes Just Another Wedge in a Divided Nation”“Opinion/ The impact of January 6 Is Still Rippling Throughout the World”“CBS News poll: A year after January 6， violence still seeing through US democracy。 。 。 ““One year after January 6， signs of a nation deeper in peril”THERE ARE MORE HEADLINES……。all trying to make sense of Jan。 6， 2021。There will be more throughout the day。 President Biden will speak…。So…。on this National Day of Mourning…。。2021/2022…。I finished ANTHEM…Believe me…。I debated my own rating。 But knowing I could easily give it 2 stars （because it’s not a book I’d go out of my way to recommend）…。or 5 stars for the authors （ probably pure heart in examining one of the hardest things to do: OUR CURRENT LIVES）…。I’m giving it 3 stars……right down the middle。 （The hardest rating to explain…。。to interpret its full meaning from one reader to another…。。I’ll try to explain - while sharing a few things ……[my experience along with sample excerpts as to give other readers a taste of what to expect should anyone else be curious to read it — regardless of ratings。 NOTE - SEMI- SPOILERS will follow…。。First…it must be said…。this book GRABS your attention right away。 As to how long that ‘oh my’ …。’can’t-put-the-book-down’ feeling lasts could begin to wean for some readers …。。starting as soon as 20%…。I mean…。after awhile …。how much devastating gruesomeness thought can one person take in one sitting？ Point is…。this ‘can’t-put-down’ book is laborious—and at times fatiguing to read。 It’s open to paradoxical feelings and thoughts。“Imagine a kid， hearing that the oceans are dying， that the bees are dying， reading about the opioid epidemic， seeing these political battles and reading about sexual predation。 The sense that the world you’re growing up into is being destroyed before your eyes， and what’s going to be there for you？ What must that be like， and what can you do？”Here are those excerpts I said I’d include （spoilers？ — actually only slightly —as they are only the tip of the iceberg…。“This book contains math。 Not calculus trigonometry— no dense columns of equations—but numbers arranged in order， divided or multiplied， added or subtracted”…。。The idea of fairness exists nowhere else in the animal kingdom。 The dinosaurs went extinct， and none of them said boo phooey。 “Imminent danger they understand。 Morality is beyond them”。 “Be fruitful and multiply， God told Moses”。 “Divide and conquer， said the generals”。 “You do the math”。 “Now， your author understands that math is not the why readers read novels。 He asks your indulgence and your patience and promises that there is more to the story than numbers。 There is drama。 There is catharsis。 Everywhere you look in this book， you will find people people people in need。 People who want what you want—to feel safe， to be loved， to do unto others as they would have others do unto them。 Each of their deaths is an act of subtraction。 “This is their story。 And if you don’t like it， your author encourages you to put the book down and shout—“ “Boo phooey”。 “The Summer our children began to kill themselves was the hottest in history”……“What skills must our children master to survive in a world where reality itself is polarized？ Had this impossible struggle driven them mad？” “Each child is precious， unique， but once the phenomenon became widespread， their deaths became a statistic。 We begin to think of our children as a collective。 To talk about them as a ‘generation’， desperate for some kind of lightning-strike insight。 They ‘were’ less connected， we told ourselves， to each other， to us， while conversely being more connected to the constant flow of misinformation that had become our society。 Today’s teenagers were having sex later。 They were going out less， spending less time with your friends—less physical time—while stink connected to them electronically close to twenty-four hours a day。 What does this say lingering vestige of the pandemic， or had some kind of deep fear of their fellow man settled in their bones， robbing them of the desire to touch？ Was that the problem， a chronic sense of dislocation， a fatal remove， or something more immediate， a hidden trigger we couldn’t see？ Returned to our priests for answers， to our rabbis and imams， to statisticsns and social scientists。 They told us that rates of depression and anxiety disorders had been on the rise for years。 Why were they just noticing now？” “In the end all that mattered was that we were their parents。 It was our job to keep them safe， to make them happy， to keep them alive”。 “With a virus， you could inoculate。 You could isolate。 You could watch for physical symptoms。 But this—this was something heretofore unseen in human existence”。 “An act of human surrender”。 “Look around， you have a population of adolescence， who in any other decade would be f…ing their brains out， but instead， we’re on TikTok”。 Half Earth 🌎 “First of all， your author would like to apologize for the world he has created。 He knows it is ridiculous。 The fact that the world he lives in is also ridiculous is no excuse。 The author’s job is to make sense of the senseless。 To create coherence from incoherence。 But if the author‘s job is also to reflect reality as he perceives it onto the page， then what is he meant to do when the world he lives in loses all sense？ “Reality has become a personal choice， denial of reality a weapon”。 “The lie is violence。 You are its victim。 Your injuries are psychological， emotional。 Your condition is called ‘anxiety’”。 “Reality itself appears to break down。 And with it the mental health of your author and his neighbors”。 “In summation， your author， would like to apologize for the world he has created。 He knows it’s ridiculous。 He is simply doing his best to re-create reality as he has experienced it”。 “Boo phooey”。 “On August 19， millions of Americans woke up to the sound of an Amber Alert on their phones。 They reached for their devices， groggy， studying the blue cloud。 They saw the familiar triangle， telling them a child was missing， but instead of a name， the text read your son， your daughter， your nephew， your niece， and the description of the suspects vehicle simply read ‘pray for their souls’”。 “Terrified， people took to the streets。 Stabbings increased， clashes between police and protesters， but the assemblies had become confusing。 Often the protesters’ signs were blank。 When journalists pointed this out， men and women with angry eyes seemed puzzled。 They studyied the clear white space where they’re outrage had once been written。 They had forgotten to pen their grievances， or had the scope of their outrage exceeded the space available？ Around the country men in Hawaiian shirts started showing up at rallies with more guns than they could carry， patriots strapped with six， seven， eight pistols， a stack of rifles weighing down their arms of slung over their backs， like a burden they been forced to carry as penance”。 Simon says:“Where are my friends？”“His father pauses， thinking”。 “See， I think that’s what made you so anxious。 Nobody tells you the truth。 Everyone says what they think you want to hear， or they say what they want， but not the real person they want it。 That’s the problem with society。 You can’t believe anybody。 Nothing makes sense， so let me tell you the truth。 This Earth was a gift to us from the Lord。 He commanded us to use it。 He filled the ground with oil for us to burn and filled the sea with fish for us to eat。 Every animal living is alive because we allow it to be alive， and if we choose to hunt it to extension， that is our choice。 This planet has seen ice ages， and molten eras as long before we showed up， and it’ll see them again long after we’re gone。 We don’t have to be afraid， because we are doing what we were created to do。 To enrich ourselves。 And if that heats up the atmosphere and sours the seas， so be it。 Do you hear me？ We are the dominant species on Earth， which means we get to dominate the Earth。 End of story”。 “That’s—awful”。 My final thoughts…。America…。。as in “Anthem” …。。is a divided nation …。。Fake news， controversial topics， political polarization…。。etc。I applaud Noah Hawley for digging deep into our problems…。I believe wholeheartedly…。his aim was to add awareness…。and open vital discussions about our political divisions， climate change， insurrection， and explore what it means to be young in a collapsing world。 My personal thoughts…。Radical and compelling messages are awaken…。Instead of the Buddha awakening us within about love， power， and beauty …。Noah Hawley awakens us ‘to look’ — ‘to deeply think’…。about our emerging world…。 …。。from the pandemic…from climate change…from worldwide division… civil rights and protests， personal computers， mobile phones，…。real stuff of science fiction …。Much of the world’s population …。 do not see substantial improvements…。。Noah Hawley gave us a book to process our thoughts and feelings…。。 …。even giving us the a teaser experience of the Star-Spangled Banner song 🎶…。。to proudly reflect…。 “O say can you see， by the dawn’s early light？” 🎶 I’m glad I read it …。That said…。I seriously worry about our children。 This is not a ‘happy-go-lucky’ book in any shape or form…。but I also believe it’s rooted in humanity。 。。。more
Kristi
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Rtc bouncing between a 4 and 5！ Letting it sit for a bit 🤷🏼♀️
Bam cooks the books ;-）
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Noah Hawley takes what's been happening in our world and creates a dystopian novel of what could happen next in the near future。 God， I hope he's wrong。 Very dark and disturbing but gets high points from me for creativity and laying it all out there。 I received an arc of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Noah Hawley takes what's been happening in our world and creates a dystopian novel of what could happen next in the near future。 God， I hope he's wrong。 Very dark and disturbing but gets high points from me for creativity and laying it all out there。 I received an arc of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Joseph William
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It's a DNF for me， sadly。 I really wanted to like it and it started out great but I decided to stop at page 148。 Very interesting themes that might have worked very well as a non-fiction essay， but as fiction it fell flat for me and I could not connect with the characters at all。 It's a DNF for me， sadly。 I really wanted to like it and it started out great but I decided to stop at page 148。 Very interesting themes that might have worked very well as a non-fiction essay， but as fiction it fell flat for me and I could not connect with the characters at all。 。。。more
Susan
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This was a difficult book to read。 Set a few years after the COVID pandemic we are still in， the author does not sugar coat the political and social climate and how views towards how to fight the virus divided the nation。 At points throughout the book it almost felt like this whole thing was a farcical comedy and we were being made fun of， regardless of which side of the controversies we fall on。 Did I mention it was a heavy read？ It was long and disturbing。 However， every time a character state This was a difficult book to read。 Set a few years after the COVID pandemic we are still in， the author does not sugar coat the political and social climate and how views towards how to fight the virus divided the nation。 At points throughout the book it almost felt like this whole thing was a farcical comedy and we were being made fun of， regardless of which side of the controversies we fall on。 Did I mention it was a heavy read？ It was long and disturbing。 However， every time a character stated "we are on a mission from God" it was a mental break as I couldn't help but think of the Blues Brothers。 Somehow I doubt that was the author's intention。 Finally， I think the pretentious use of math throughout the book to drive home points that were already quite well made and the author's frequent breaking of the fourth wall got to be a bit much for me。 This all coalesced in the epilogue where it went a bit too far and felt straight up preachy。 So， while I might recommend this book， it might not be the right book for many right now。Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Tracie Gutknecht
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I'm still vacillating on my rating， but it's Publication Day for this novel， so wanted to get a few words down today。This book is a meaty look at everything contemporary。 It reminded me quite a bit of The Stand and The Matrix。 Hawley even brings up the comparisons in the story。 There are also so many topics/issues tackled here - guns， politics， immigration and much more。 Hawley even writes a few pages half-way through as himself， apologizing for this world he has created。 It was quite odd。The st I'm still vacillating on my rating， but it's Publication Day for this novel， so wanted to get a few words down today。This book is a meaty look at everything contemporary。 It reminded me quite a bit of The Stand and The Matrix。 Hawley even brings up the comparisons in the story。 There are also so many topics/issues tackled here - guns， politics， immigration and much more。 Hawley even writes a few pages half-way through as himself， apologizing for this world he has created。 It was quite odd。The story centers around some teenagers， Simon， Louise and the Prophet， who are basically on a quest to save one girl and ultimately humanity。 The girl is being held by The Wizard （think Jeffrey Epstein）。 Along the way they encounter clowns who they end up fighting and killing。 It's like a native people's vision quest after they take peyote。This book disturbed me， made me think and question beliefs， which is always good。 I think Hawley falls into his own trap at times， though。 He says there is no such thing as politics anymore and he has very creative names and definitions for the two major parties。 He calls them Cooks and Drinkers most often。 This was very apt， but some of his antagonistic viewpoints seem to be derived from some of the same issues he is denigrating - getting information from national news channels， for example。There is a lot of set-up for a book like this and as such it was pretty slow paced。 At times， it felt like a slog。 I'm still undecided about whether the end was worth the effort。Thank you to the publisher and Swampfox Books for my ARC of this novel。 。。。more
Mary Lins
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I’m not the right reader for， “Anthem”， the new novel by Noah Hawley。 Perhaps I’ve aged out of the post-apocalyptic genre that asserts a bleak and hopeless future， pits good against evil， and send its characters off on a Quest。 There is a lot of “The Stand”， by Steven King， in “Anthem”…and while I loved that kind of novel in my youth – a clarion call for the next generation to be better humans – now， after living more than half a life， I find the angsty， woke， catastrophizing to be divisive rath I’m not the right reader for， “Anthem”， the new novel by Noah Hawley。 Perhaps I’ve aged out of the post-apocalyptic genre that asserts a bleak and hopeless future， pits good against evil， and send its characters off on a Quest。 There is a lot of “The Stand”， by Steven King， in “Anthem”…and while I loved that kind of novel in my youth – a clarion call for the next generation to be better humans – now， after living more than half a life， I find the angsty， woke， catastrophizing to be divisive rather than unifying。 I get it， if this story is too depressing and dire for you – then “Ok Boomer” you’re the problem！ As I said， this novel isn’t for me。That’s not to say that Hawley isn’t a terrific writer and storyteller （the TV series， “Fargo”， is a masterpiece） and that other readers won’t find this speculative “not a fairy tale” captivating， thought-provoking， and “true”。 In “Anthem”， Hawley has set up a world just a few years after the Covid 19 pandemic， where teenagers across the globe have suddenly， and without warning， turned to suicide， as if they have caught hopelessness as a virus。 Parents are frantic – of course！ Nothing seems to work against this insidious “trend”。 What has caused this and what can end it？The characters， especially teens Simon and Louise， are fascinating and realistically drawn， and many scenes in the novel are cinema-graphic， Hawley is a stunning screenwriter too， of course， so I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the novel becomes a TV series; I would definitely watch it。 。。。more
Lulu Schmieta
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One of my goals for 2022 was to read better books。 We're not doing too hot on that one so far。 :/I guess the good thing about reading the worst book of the year on the SECOND day of the year is that it an only go up from here。Some questions for authors before their book is printed: - Did you create an outline？ If not， your plot won't make sense。- Can people other that you understand what's happening？ Because at no point in the book did I understand what was happening。- Are you a character in you One of my goals for 2022 was to read better books。 We're not doing too hot on that one so far。 :/I guess the good thing about reading the worst book of the year on the SECOND day of the year is that it an only go up from here。Some questions for authors before their book is printed: - Did you create an outline？ If not， your plot won't make sense。- Can people other that you understand what's happening？ Because at no point in the book did I understand what was happening。- Are you a character in your own NOVEL？ If so， please remove yourself。- Are you forcing your reader to trudge thought 400+ pages of the convoluted story for absolutely zero payoff because there's no real ending？ Please take your reader out of their misery and give them SOMETHING for their time。- Are you bringing up many complex ideas and debates？ If so， awesome！ Quick follow up:- Are your ideas nuanced？ At all？ Are you adding literally ANYTHING to the conversation？ Because just grazing the surface of these debates is doing nothing。If you're looking for a book to hate read this would be a good one。 。。。more
Katie
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In Anthem， Simon Oliver escapes the Float Anxiety Abatement Center in a suburb of Chicago where he is trying to recover from his sister’s tragic passing。 He joins a woman named Louise and a man called The Prophet to begin a quest to save a woman imprisoned in a tower by someone known as The Wizard。Now， if you are confused by this synopsis， so was I。 I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this book。 It reads like scrolling social media on the hunt for pop culture references with the storyline In Anthem， Simon Oliver escapes the Float Anxiety Abatement Center in a suburb of Chicago where he is trying to recover from his sister’s tragic passing。 He joins a woman named Louise and a man called The Prophet to begin a quest to save a woman imprisoned in a tower by someone known as The Wizard。Now， if you are confused by this synopsis， so was I。 I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this book。 It reads like scrolling social media on the hunt for pop culture references with the storyline woven in between。 Things are haphazardly written and it's hard to follow along with what's happening。 Half the time I couldn't figure out whether or not something was really occurring or if it was a hypothetical situation。 Also， if you're already depressed by the current state of the world， don't pick this one。 It's deeply depressing and has a bleak view on the world。Thank you so much to Grand Central Publishing for the advance reading copy！ 。。。more
Mr。
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Reading Noah Hawley for the first time。 Hugely talented writer based on this thought provoking epic of post-Covid living。 His characters are real people that you might know。 The choices they make while disturbing make you wonder where this culture on Earth is heading。The reader is drawn in immediately to the overall premise though some might find it disturbing。 But this piece of art is attempting to wake us up to a new reality。 Make us sense some of the desperation felt by a younger generation。 Reading Noah Hawley for the first time。 Hugely talented writer based on this thought provoking epic of post-Covid living。 His characters are real people that you might know。 The choices they make while disturbing make you wonder where this culture on Earth is heading。The reader is drawn in immediately to the overall premise though some might find it disturbing。 But this piece of art is attempting to wake us up to a new reality。 Make us sense some of the desperation felt by a younger generation。 We will all be changed by living through a pandemic。 Not all of us can see the social and cultural consequences as movingly as Hawley。Recommended for those who really enjoy literature as a means to reflect a mirror on ourselves， our nation， culture and world。 。。。more
Suzanne
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I was so eager to read a new book by author Noah Hawley that I didn’t wait to find out what it was about。 I had read two previous books and loved them。 ANTHEM is not a book I would have chosen if I had waited and read reviews before picking it up。 It makes me， as a reader， ask myself all sorts of questions about what I （might） owe a well-liked author in his quest to sort through serious issues about “the fate of the world as we know it。” Often I am more than willing to accompany an author on jus I was so eager to read a new book by author Noah Hawley that I didn’t wait to find out what it was about。 I had read two previous books and loved them。 ANTHEM is not a book I would have chosen if I had waited and read reviews before picking it up。 It makes me， as a reader， ask myself all sorts of questions about what I （might） owe a well-liked author in his quest to sort through serious issues about “the fate of the world as we know it。” Often I am more than willing to accompany an author on just exactly that kind of quest because I gain so much from it。That did not happen here， I am so sorry to say。 At least for me。 Other reviewers did experience great things while reading it。 I appear to be a minority opinion。 There’s just too much going on and all of it is scattershot。I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Christine
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The newest novel by Noah Hawley is a near-future dystopian novel which hits very close （maybe a little too close） to home。 Also， it touches on ALL the hot button issues: suicide， politics， global warming， top 1%， Trump， covid， January 6th， gun control， the opiate pandemic， etc。 At times， I was riveted and flipping the pages very quickly。 At other times， I needed to slow down and put down the book because it was intense to read and digest。 I’ve given an initial rating of 4*， although it is subjec The newest novel by Noah Hawley is a near-future dystopian novel which hits very close （maybe a little too close） to home。 Also， it touches on ALL the hot button issues: suicide， politics， global warming， top 1%， Trump， covid， January 6th， gun control， the opiate pandemic， etc。 At times， I was riveted and flipping the pages very quickly。 At other times， I needed to slow down and put down the book because it was intense to read and digest。 I’ve given an initial rating of 4*， although it is subject to change， since I just finished the book this morning and there is a lot to “unpack”。 What I do know is that this book has definitely made me think and will stay with me for a long time。 Personally， I feel like after reading Anthem as my first book of 2022， I can conquer any book this year！ I feel confident that everyone will be talking about this novel once it is released on Tuesday， January 4th。 Read it so that you can take part in the discussion。 Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for an early review copy！ 。。。more
Rebecca
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Hawley’s novel takes place in present-day America where a suicide epidemic has replaced COVID as the nation’s biggest health concern。 Tens of thousands of teens are killing themselves each day around the country and no one can figure out why。 Meanwhile， a small group of teens representing various walks of life join together to rescue one of their own who has been kidnapped and is being held prisoner by a mega rich man called “The Wizard。” As they set off on their quest， America implodes into vio Hawley’s novel takes place in present-day America where a suicide epidemic has replaced COVID as the nation’s biggest health concern。 Tens of thousands of teens are killing themselves each day around the country and no one can figure out why。 Meanwhile， a small group of teens representing various walks of life join together to rescue one of their own who has been kidnapped and is being held prisoner by a mega rich man called “The Wizard。” As they set off on their quest， America implodes into violence and anarchy as a result of subjective reality and bipartisan politics。 In addition to a civil war， consequences of climate change ravage the planet in the form of extreme weather events。 Holy。 Freaking。 Cow。 This book completely blew my mind！ Like Ebenezer Scrooge， I feel equally enlightened and traumatized by what the Ghost of America’s Future showed me。 I was sucked in immediately by the suicide epidemic mystery and then the plot suddenly morphed into an epic quest with magical elements。 Half the time I felt like I was watching the news and the rest of the time I felt like I was reading an apocalyptic version of The Lord of the Rings。 Despite it being a terrifying glimpse at where America could be headed， it was also a not-so-subtle reminder that we are all in this together and have the power to change our future。 Read it！ 。。。more
Elle
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Well this sounds interesting *Thanks to Grand Central for a finished copy！
Meredith
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Disturbing， Dark， and Depressing 4。5 stars “The adults are lost。 We， their children， are starting over。”Anthem is an ambitious， dark， and dramatic novel about a spiraling post-Covid America。 A suicide epidemic has infiltrated American teens， and the country is on the verge of a civil war。 The apocalypse has begun， and it is up to three teenagers to save it all。 Simon， Louise， and a 15-year-old boy known as “the Prophet” have all been institutionalized for various reasons。 The three bust out on Disturbing， Dark， and Depressing 4。5 stars “The adults are lost。 We， their children， are starting over。”Anthem is an ambitious， dark， and dramatic novel about a spiraling post-Covid America。 A suicide epidemic has infiltrated American teens， and the country is on the verge of a civil war。 The apocalypse has begun， and it is up to three teenagers to save it all。 Simon， Louise， and a 15-year-old boy known as “the Prophet” have all been institutionalized for various reasons。 The three bust out on a quest to start a utopia and save America。 There are multiple narrators， storylines， and timelines， including the voice of "the author" to add personal commentary。 Anthem is a social commentary on America and explores the themes of climate change， social media， the big pharma/opioid epidemic， politics， culture wars， and racism， to name a few。 This is an all too real， depressing read， grounded in reality。 If you are not a fan of politics， don’t read this。 The author， aka， the narrator， tries to stay neutral， but it is clear where his beliefs lie。 A cast of eccentric characters， including a Trump-like God-King; The Wizard; a Jeffrey Epstein-like character; an almost Supreme Court justice， an Opioid-magnate， and Q'anon followers pervade the pages。This is a complicated and complex read。 I can’t say I enjoyed it， and I almost gave up on it several times as I needed to escape the realities of the America that Hawley portrays。 It’s a little too real， and in that sense， horrifying。I would not want to read this again。 However， it got under my skin， the characters， especially Simon and Louise， are easy to root for， and in the end， they offered a ray of hope in the darkness ahead。 I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lilibet Bombshell
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When I finished reading this book （which I tabbed more than I have ever tabbed any other book that wasn’t used for college in my entire life）， I messaged my best friend in a flurry of praise and said this: “A lot Vonnegut， a little Pahalnuik， some Gabriel Garcia Marquez， some cool 4th wall breaking from the author put to great use。 It's magical realism + dark satire + scathing sociopolitical commentary。”And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the masterpiece that is Noah Hawley’s When I finished reading this book （which I tabbed more than I have ever tabbed any other book that wasn’t used for college in my entire life）， I messaged my best friend in a flurry of praise and said this: “A lot Vonnegut， a little Pahalnuik， some Gabriel Garcia Marquez， some cool 4th wall breaking from the author put to great use。 It's magical realism + dark satire + scathing sociopolitical commentary。”And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the masterpiece that is Noah Hawley’s “Anthem”。 I’m not even sure there is a manner in which I could describe what this book is， what this book means， how this book affected me， how much I want to shove it in people’s faces and beg them to read it。 How I want to tell them， “This is a book about a group of teenagers， but I wouldn’t put it in the hands of teenagers unless they asked， because who really needs to read it are people over the age of 35。 As a matter of fact， I think this should be required reading for anyone old enough to run for President”。 “Anthem” is a scathing indictment of the adults of America。 And it’s a very virulent entreaty for the readers of this book to listen to it and to take it seriously， even if its wit and whip-sharp humor come on a barbed tongue。 Everything about this book is quintessentially American， but it’s been turned dark and cheap like America has been turned dark and cheap in the eyes of the book’s main characters。 To this book’s main characters， the adults of America are the problem， and the youth are the solution。 It’s an opinion I happen to share in real life， but in this book there is the open civil war between the right and the left （or， as Hawley puts it， the party of truth versus the party of truth）， and the much more subversive civil war， which is the old against the young。 The youth is wasted on the young？ Don’t tell Noah Hawley that。 This book is not a happy book。 This book is tragic。 This book is dark。 This book is terrifying in some ways and exultant in others。 This book is as profound as it is humble。 I’ve never read anything like it before and I don’t know if I will again。 But I know I will never be able to read it again for the first time… I will never be able to recapture that feeling。 And that feeling of reading a perfect book is something all readers long for。 I cannot recommend this book enough。 。。。more
Michelle
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Yikes。 DNF at only 25 pages。 This is the most overly pretentious writing I’ve come across in a long time。 No desire to read this right now。
Ashley Durkee Hester
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I loved Hawley’s book， Before the Fall。 So when I saw that he had a new novel coming out that was kind of a dystopian critique of America， I was excited。 The jacket description of this book is bananas， but it begins as a compelling， insightful critique of America and how divided we’ve become。 But then it devolves into a bit of a mess。 I think I get what Hawley was trying to do。 He’s attempting to satirize the current state of America。 But I think his point and his narrative get bogged down by th I loved Hawley’s book， Before the Fall。 So when I saw that he had a new novel coming out that was kind of a dystopian critique of America， I was excited。 The jacket description of this book is bananas， but it begins as a compelling， insightful critique of America and how divided we’ve become。 But then it devolves into a bit of a mess。 I think I get what Hawley was trying to do。 He’s attempting to satirize the current state of America。 But I think his point and his narrative get bogged down by the fact that he’s trying to do too much。 There’s no issue that isn’t included。 We get everything: the political divide， climate change， opioid epidemic， social media， COVID， the Me Too movement， Q-Anon， gun violence， the war in Afghanistan， and more。 There’s even a Jeffrey Epstein type character。 To his credit， Hawley acknowledges within the text that the world he created is “ridiculous，” but his points still come across as heavy-handed。 It isn’t helped by the dialogue， which is often clunky。 There are too many metaphors; people don’t talk like this。 Somewhere in here， though， is a good story。 I was invested throughout and anxious to see where it was going。 Unfortunately， the problem， to quote from the book: “Simon sighs。 It’s all so vague。”2。5 starsCW: suicide， opiate addiction/overdose， pandemic， cutting， institutionalization， racism， pedophiles， school shooting， rape， child sex abuse， child abuse， eating disorders， murder， graphic violence， immigration detention centers （and probably so many more - if you can think of it， this book probably touches on it）。 。。。more
Stuart Jennings
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Now here is a provocative and interesting read。。。And Noah Hawley can sure write a story。。。Imaginative， surreal and damn prophetic， this bookwill keep you up many nights。。。Highly Recommended！
Stacy40pages
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Anthem by Noah Hawley。 Thanks to @goodreads @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for the gifted Arc and e-Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️An epidemic of suicides is occurring among America’s youth。 When three kids escape the Float Anxiety Abatement Center， they have a mission to stop The Wizard。 Wow， this is a heavy read， but important too。 The author definitely has a unique style and I am looking forward to reading more of his books。 This is a lengthy read。 It did slow down for me towards the middle but then picked up Anthem by Noah Hawley。 Thanks to @goodreads @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for the gifted Arc and e-Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️An epidemic of suicides is occurring among America’s youth。 When three kids escape the Float Anxiety Abatement Center， they have a mission to stop The Wizard。 Wow， this is a heavy read， but important too。 The author definitely has a unique style and I am looking forward to reading more of his books。 This is a lengthy read。 It did slow down for me towards the middle but then picked up again。 This is one you really want to take your time with and absorb the meaning behind the writing。 “We choose a reality， you see， just as we choose our god。 And the man who believes in ghosts and demons can no more accept Stephen Hawking’s empire of reason than Stephen Hawking could retire to the land of werewolves。”Anthem comes out 1/4。 。。。more
John McKenna
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The novel is thought-provoking， controversial， compelling and dystopian， beginning with its opening sentence: “The summer our children began to kill themselves was the hottest on record。” And that’s just the first of many thoughts that will make you sit up and take notice。 You’ll find yourself thinking， “What’s this guy about？ Where’s he going with this？” It’s only one of many times you’ll say that while you read。 Believe me 。 。 。 you will。Young people in their teens begin killing themselves in The novel is thought-provoking， controversial， compelling and dystopian， beginning with its opening sentence: “The summer our children began to kill themselves was the hottest on record。” And that’s just the first of many thoughts that will make you sit up and take notice。 You’ll find yourself thinking， “What’s this guy about？ Where’s he going with this？” It’s only one of many times you’ll say that while you read。 Believe me 。 。 。 you will。Young people in their teens begin killing themselves in greater and greater numbers all across the world， while adults and parents are beside themselves trying to figure out why。 Is it the pandemic？ Isolation？ Why are they writing A11 on or next to their bodies？ As the mystery of the suicides grows， we’re introduced to Simon Oliver， a privileged fifteen-year-old who found his older sister’s body after she killed herself by overdosing on the pharmaceuticals that their epically rich father manufactures。 It’s the first of a boatload of ironies and social commentaries to come。 Depressed， Simon is sent to a rehab facility outside Chicago called The Float Anxiety Abatement Center where he meets another inmate who calls himself The Prophet。 He tells Oliver that they’re going to start a new utopia， one run exclusively by teenagers， because adults have made a disaster of planet earth; they’ve abused， lied to and taken advantage of the younger generations 。 。 。 as well as making a complete mess of society in general and civilization as a whole with their endless wars。 Without much of a plan， Oliver and The Prophet escape from the Float facility， promptly hooking up with a motley bunch of outcasts， renegades， and outlaws， followed by much fleeing， fighting， and setbacks that lead to peril and a few disasters， all mixed in with observations like this: “How do you make people behave in ways they know are immoral？” Answer: “You undermine the idea of morality itself。” If you’re ready to be intellectually challenged， provoked and made to think， read this book。 You’ll learn a lot， squirm a little and disagree with some of the authors premises， but enjoy it throughout。 One thing is for certain 。 。 。 you won’t be able to put this one down！！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Anthem
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Anthem&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Anthem&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0