Review of Madam Vice President

[Jaituni Sanghavi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Madam Vice President" by Julian Mann.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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I did not know I enjoyed reading political thrillers until I read the book "Madam Vice President" by Julian Mann. This is the story of a woman named Victoria Pierce, formerly known as Vera Ochman, who unanticipatedly becomes Vice President of the United States.

The book begins in July of 1980, in a small Brooklyn home, with a rather sad event wherein we can see Ben, Vera’s father, asking her if a broken heart could kill a man. This question arises from the fact that Vera's mom, Elizabeth, has just expired, leaving Vera and Ben devastated. This question opens a surge of emotions in Ben, but Vera, though grieving for her mom, knows not to immerse herself in her father's extreme sadness. Ben is lost in his grief and is drunk and crying. He evidently hasn’t taken it well. However, what does Vera do? Vera is sad too, and to cope with her grief, Vera joins a dangerous biker gang.

Unfortunately, later, things take a dramatic turn when the gang gets into a shootout with the FBI and Vera is framed for the death of an undercover agent. To save herself, she becomes a witness for the FBI, and the gang is arrested. In exchange, the FBI gives her a new identity, and she starts a new life as Victoria Pierce.

The story then jumps to 2008, where we can see how Victoria has joined the army and has become a highly successful marine, ultimately rising to the rank of ‘Brigadier General.’ Along the way, she meets Senator Sam Eagan, and a secret romantic relationship is formed between them. When Sam runs for president, Victoria becomes his running mate. But, as we know, Victoria is actually Vera, and she has a history that should not come out at any cost. But the fact is that her past does come out, and the person behind it is a journalist named Grace Brandon, who is investigating Victoria thoroughly. Just as Victoria becomes acting president, Grace uncovers the truth about her past. Now the questions here are: will Victoria be able to survive the scandal? What happens next? Read the book to find out!

Honestly, what I really liked about "Madam Vice President" is how it explores the possibility of a woman becoming Vice President of the United States. I liked the way Victoria faced her challenges with courage. Yes, there are some faults in her character, like a lack of honesty and integrity, but I believe they made her human. I do not promote them, but I do not dislike them either.

Moreover, the writing style of the author is smooth and has a nice flow to it, making the reading experience pleasurable. The way the relationship between Victoria and her advisor, Tom Pearsall, is portrayed is also well done. The twists and turns included in “Madam Vice President” are also interesting, and they kept me hooked, which is a good thing when it comes to thrillers. Thus, considering all the above-mentioned points, I would rate “Madam Vice President” 4 out of 5 stars. The reason for taking away one star is the presence of typographical errors in the book. Apart from that, there is nothing to dislike about the book as a whole.

Overall, “Madam Vice President” unexpectedly proved to be a thrilling and interesting read for me, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy reading good political thrillers with a lot of twists and turns.

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Madam Vice President
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