Review of Madam Vice President

[Ram Sahni]

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

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

A twist to what you’d expect from a Washington thriller is created by Julian Mann’s political thriller. The president's scandals and the intrigues of officials at the White House are enough to fill the halls of Congress by that much. However, the story of "Madam Vice President" is still about the soft allure of reinvention and the costs you pay for the sake of putting behind your past.

Vera Ochman, who has had to always be tough to withstand all life throws at her, is the chameleon-like main character. The dullness of her surroundings vanishes as she grows, she changes, and she pursues ascending the political stairway with great perseverance and maybe even a bit of ruthlessness. However, for all the effort she puts into reinventing herself, the message she doesn't get is that reinvention isn't for eradicating the past. It's about putting up a new metaphorical skyscraper on shifting sand.

Mann's writing is not just incisive and relentless; it captures perfectly Vera's drive to remain one step ahead of all her enemies. The supporting cast is a group of people representing D.C. archetypes: the tough, seasoned reporter, the next-to-power professional, and the corrupt government official. They all have their roles, but Vera remains the top star, with her cold, calculating intelligence at once captivating and terrifying.

Overall, the biggest declaration is not the "gotcha" one, but the gradual flow out of Vera's wanted motives. We face doubt and hope that hers is not a simple goal of survival but a spark of grandiose ambition that lies in embryonic form, igniting equally powerfully. This emotionally charged situation provides the novel with more than just an adeptly crafted plot with a central character who reflects on the psychological effects of denying your origins. The rating of this book is 5 out of 5 stars with unexceptional editing, namely no errors and nothing unsatisfactory with this book.

"Madam Vice President" does the thriller political genre justice while lending a different spin. This is the power, you could say, but what is more significant is the burden of the past and the tense knowledge that your now-self could become your greatest enemy.

******
Madam Vice President
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon