Review of One Thing I Know

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Nonso Samuelson
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Review of One Thing I Know

Post by Nonso Samuelson »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "One Thing I Know" by Paul Bowering.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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America is at war—a political war that has given rise to different tensions, as portrayed in this little book. The core message of One Thing I Know is as clear as day: the presidential election of November 3, 2020, was rigged. But beyond that, it shines the light on the broader ways America is divided politically by touching on serious issues, such as big media and tech, censorship, political loyalty, election fraud, cultural and individual values, etc. This book will be a classic in time, mainly because it is presented as a graphic story/poem. A fair warning, though: this book might upset you if your political views are left-leaning.

This book was a fun read for me because of the subject matter. But beyond that, I like that Paul Bowering decided to present his writing in picture book style, perhaps in hopes of dampening the tension his words may cause. This book is proof that American politics is a hot-button topic worldwide; Paul keeps an eye on the country's political landscape from Canada, and I do the same from Nigeria. American politics is undoubtedly one of the easiest conversation starters.

Speaking of the illustrations—I'm guessing they were done by Carson Bowering, the other name on the book's cover—each drawing was rich in detail and direct in its message. The book cover was one of my favorites: it pictured the blue and red donkey and elephant and hand-held signs of some States that played a crucial part in the election process. Another image showed an electronic voting machine, with a message on its screen asking a voter if he really wanted to vote for Trump—the two answer buttons for the question both said 'NO' on them. The images cut to the heart of the issue as directly as any words Paul could have used in his writing.

Speaking of writing, the author chose to write this book in poetry format. His rhyme schemes were beautiful and presented in a playful font. While Paul made sure this book's visuals were relaxed and fun, his words were direct and uncompromising: he highlighted the human errors in Antrim that were swept under the rug, the tinkering with voting machines, the delay in counting votes, dishonest counters, the sudden swing to the let's advantage, and more. He also pointed the finger at the likes of Don Lemon, Chris Cuomo, Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, and YouTube. He alleged that these CEOs and media personalities used their money and platforms to snuff out any Republican-leaning political dissent online and aid the Democratic agenda.

This book is a short read—about 45 pages, each with approximately four lines—but its words are designed to cause a considerable stir in political debates and discussions for years to come. There was nothing to dislike about this book. The poetry format, the self-explanatory illustrations, and the directness of the message were perfectly executed. I also found only one grammatical problem, which means the book was professionally well edited. I rate it a perfect 4 out of 4 stars and recommend it to lovers of American politics who are right-leaning or can keep an open mind about political matters.

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One Thing I Know
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Lucy Vera
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Post by Lucy Vera »

I would love to read this. It appears to be highly educative.
Nwadinso Okoro
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Post by Nwadinso Okoro »

This graphic novel seems to be highly educative. American politics is indeed one of the easiest conversation starters. Thanks for your review.
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Rav_sid
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Post by Rav_sid »

The mystery of the 2020 General Elections is a book of grown ups who have moved on to face the more serious issues of life. Thank you for your review.
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