Hey, it’s me, Blake Hamner, and I want to be honest with you for a change. I faced some pretty dark times working as a spin doctor for Our Leader. But now, seeing all the great reviews for my new dystopian satire memoir Utopia PR, I’m starting to think it may have been worth all the stress, shame and humiliation. Horrible, horrible humiliation.
In any case, just wanted to share some of the words that brought a smile to my face in recent days.
“In a tale that’s reminiscent of political farces such as the HBO TV series Veep, Bender employs a smooth, amusing, and straightforward prose style that’s briskly paced … Its tone is irreverent, and readers looking for a quick chuckle will likely enjoy Bender’s winking comedy, which is punctuated with genuinely sweet, sincere moments.”
Kirkus Reviews
I know, I know — You’re probably asking either, “Who’s Bender?” or “Isn’t Bender a robot from Futurama? What does that delightful curmudgeon have to do with this?”
The review is referring to my ghost writer Adam Bender, who for some reason has been getting much of the credit for my book. I don’t want to get into legalese, so for now I’d ask you to please read Bender as Hamner. The n is silent, by the way.
“A dystopian novel laced with intrigue, science fiction, romance and humor … I recommend this book to fans of dystopia who would appreciate a comedic writing style and the underlying themes of marital challenges, finding your purpose, diversity and manipulation through social media.”
Reedsy Discovery
Honestly, who doesn’t love those underlying themes? Sounds like I really hit all my marks!
Here’s one blogger’s take:
“My expectations for Bender’s novel were relatively low; I thought I would laugh at some situations, and that would be it. I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting and was surprised by how much I could relate to Blake’s work ethic dilemmas.”
Mab’s Musing
I love this one because “under promise and over deliver” is PR 101! I am a little sorry to have kept Mab up all night reading, though. Here’s another blogger:
“I enjoyed Utopia PR and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys satire dressed up in a designer suit cut from the cheap polyester-blend fabric of modern reality.”
Spoiler Rotten Reviews
Yes! Yes! That’s exactly what I was going for!
Now then, here’s some excerpts from my favorite Goodreads reviews!
“The novel is written in a casual style which allows the humor to be amplified to level that had me laughing out loud more than I have laughed reading a book as far as I can remember.”
Neema / Goodreads
So, while I take a little issue with Neema unable to contain his laughter at my life, it is a five-star review. I won’t make too big an issue of it.
“At a time when it may feel like the world has gone to hell in a handcart the exuberant mockery in this speculative political landscape is a gift.”
Wendy / Goodreads
Know what you mean, Wendy. I know what you mean.
“I do love me a drop of bonkers in a book and this offering definitely has that – and then some! It’s also very clever and well executed, starring some of the weirdest but slightly compelling characters I have met in time.”
Kath / Goodreads
“Deeply weird, but overall enjoyable.”
Grace / Goodreads
Weird, I’m starting to see a theme here…
Keep the great reviews for Utopia PR coming! If you’ve read my book, please let me know your thoughts on Goodreads, LibraryThing, your blog or wherever you bought the book. Feel free to send me a link or tweet it at @Utopia_PR, and I’ll try to feature it right here on my blog!
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