Sic Strap

by K. Kumar

The newly revised second edition is an improvement on the original story. Sic Strap is an allegory, political satire, drama, and comedy all mixed into one. Set in Michigan, Sic starts off as a young man destined for that American success. A college degree in hand, he sets off to Wall Street to make his mark on the world. Sic is given a business contact from his father and is assured of his own success. But nothing comes of this opportunity, and Sic is forced to return to Michigan and pick up the pieces. He starts off working fast food and then things slowly fall apart for him. Thrown in poverty and depression, Sic embraces what he sees as the tyranny of the world that has set him up for failure. And in a moment of desperation, Sic sets down this path that eventually leads into politics. Sic Strap is an absurd tale told in outrageous prose. If you like stories about politics and corruption, this is a story for you.

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2014

Reviews

[Casey Bartsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sic Strap was a strange beast. I loved the beginning, with all the naivete that morphs slowly (and believable) into understanding. I like reading of his choices, and how they affected him later. The beginning is expertly constructed.

The second half is a bit more convoluted to me. The character building seemed to stagnate, and settle into a comfortable pool. Still well written, but with a lesser point to be made.

Politics is key to this one. If you enjoy politics, then you will love the intrigue within. If you loath the political however, you may find this a trudge through a swamp best let alone.

[Gita Reddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sic Strap, a finance major fresh from college, is confident that he has a bright future. Even his professor has marked him out as someone who has great things waiting for him. Sadly, that doesn’t happen. Homeless, jobless, Strap takes up a mind-numbing job in a pizza joint. When he loses the job for no fault of his, his path crosses with that of an old friend who tells him that his merit and hard work will not get him a job and gives him some tips about what he should do instead. Strap follows the advice and his life takes a different turn. He uses his talent to rise (or is it fall) and becomes a politician.
Kumar narrates Strap’s journey with detachment. There is no empathy or sympathy with the protagonist. There is no internal monologue, no manifestation of his struggle, or even evidence that he struggles much in making his choices. Strap is a faceless character, one among many, living in a world he isn’t equipped to deal with. The story is about strength and weakness, right and wrong, and the blurring of lines when it comes to self-preservation.
Recommended.

[Scott Spotson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book was brilliantly written, as Sic Strap turns from an idealistic, ambitious, and principled young man to a disillusioned, hardened survivor who does all the right things but finds the "real world" harsh and unforgiving. I particularly liked this passage:

"A long line of massive edifices began absorbing the large influx of individuals starting a new day. Some of the people were adorned in clean suits and mystic ties, others hastily walked in from point to point. From the skies above it looked like an abattoir in action, the people herding their way into the buildings like cows lining up to get slaughtered."

There were some other passages that were brilliantly written, too many to list here, but if you love 1940's and 1950's style writing on the quiet suffering of eager businessmen anxious to prove their worth through work, humble yet yearning for that recognition of their manliness, achievement of goals set and adhered to, in the style of Death of a Salesman or The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, you'd love the first half of the book.

The first half of the book is troubling. Sic Strap educated himself and even excelled in a skill of great demand; that is, selecting stock through studying the fundamentals of business and industry. Yet, he's not rewarded for this skill that he has proved. This book shows how, to survive financially, he must work at menial jobs that don't even require business skills, and eventually, appeal only to people's emotions and act out a role that only says what people want to hear. If this is the morale of the story, it's disturbing, and is akin to a corrupt society such as South Africa was at one time, and Russia at another time, where "greasing the palms" was the only way to succeed.

However, the first half, while the expectations and rewards of society are repugnant, we can at least sympathize with Sic, because he's strived to achieve his goals the honest way, and was spurned at every single turn. It's when he becomes an audit partner that he starts to believe in the disingenuous way of live and perfects it. It's at that point he has made his choice and becomes an unsympathetic character, one where we understand where's he coming from, but feel he's gone too far beyond his basic values.

The second half of the book focuses on his career in politics. It was at this point that I felt I left the excellence of the writing in the first half of the book. It has a very different feel and theme than the first half. Also, it didn't seem to ring true, that politics works this way. I'm not talking about the shady affairs that plague politics--I'm sure these happen--but rather the path that Sic was able to blaze amidst the power structure of Michigan state politics. Businessmen who achieve top awards within a state are "a dime a dozen" so I wasn't sure how Sic became the leading contender. Especially when there are many, many others who achieve prominence by actually forming companies and employing thousands of staff, which Sic didn't.

I would have liked to see how this book ended if Sic didn't pursue politics at all. Maybe he's in a top-ranking position, and eventually heads a multinational firm, but then repents and starts treating the staff humanely because of his bitter experiences being discriminated against. Maybe he goes to trial for corruption and confesses in front of a national media and achieves some sympathy but he earns the adoration of millions of people who feel sorry for him and are heartened by his change of heart. I'm reminded of F. Ross Johnson of RJR Nabisco, who managed to become a folk hero despite his corruption and "golden parachute" from the giant firm. This was a character Sic could have become. An endearing scoundrel, who played the system and knew he was winking all along, but never stooped to the level of criminal behaviour.

Still, the mindset of "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" and how ambitious men really think, as referenced to the old age of captains of industry in an bygone era, was fascinating and really sounded sincere. I loved the first half.

[I.D. Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel follows the life of Sic Strap, a finance major attending the University of Michigan as he attempts to find a job, learns several life lessons, and eventually gains the stature he believes he deserves as a well-off accountant and then politician. I will do my best not to include any spoilers.
It is clear that the author knows the setting very well. They way that he describes the locations within Michigan make it obvious he has lived there. Likewise, it seems that the author has spent a great deal of time researching and considering the juxtaposition politicians often find themselves in--wanting to help but being tempted by the power that office holds. The author's word choice, particularly when it comes to the narrative are finely crafted, often to the point of brilliance, and I appreciated the opportunity to contemplate each phrase as it revealed itself on the page. However, when the characters spoke in a similar manner, I found it distracting as, though I work with well educated individuals, most of the time, we do not speak in the same manner that we write. In other words, the dialogue did not seem natural to me and I found it distracting throughout the story.
I did not find Sic to be a particularly likable character either. Though there are moments when you feel sorry for him or hope things work out for him, for the majority of the book I felt that he got what he deserved. Perhaps this was the author's plan all along.
Over-all, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy examining the motivation of leaders, political satire, or novels that delve deeply into the enigma of human choice, so long as one does not mind the shift in history that must occur in order to accept this as reality. I would be interested in reading more from this author because I feel Kumar has a gift for prose and word choice. I feel I have expanded my vocabulary from this read and that, in my opinion, was the best part of this book.

[James Sillwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Armed with a Finance Degree from Michigan State University, Sic Strap is bright and ambitious. This book follows his story as he attempts to find a job and describes his various experiences; working at Mack's burger joint, employment as an auditor and involvement in politics.
At the beginning, Sic is naive and idealistic, assuming his degree will open doors for him. Sent to New York by his pushy parents, his hopes are soon dashed and his personality starts to change. Returning to his home town of Livonia, Michigan, Sic is helped by his friend, Tengo. Several months later, Sic is helped by another old friend, Soren. This, however, is the end of his idealistic outlook as he constructs a false resume and later becomes involved in dodgy dealings with Rodney, an acquaintance he meets at a party.
Sic is corrupted by money and power. He has no sense of loyalty and doesn't care who he hurts on his way to the top. As a politician, he is at his most corrupt. He will say whatever he believes the Michigan electorate want to hear and support whoever he believes will further his career. Seduced by luxury and decadence he determines to get to the top of the political ladder. There is a underlying moral to this story: don't forget your past because it will come back to haunt you.
For a long time Sic's luck seems to hold out, but the day of reckoning is drawing ever nearer.
However, despite Sic's arrogance and selfishness, I couldn't help feeling some sympathy for him. Increasingly plagued by nightmares, he is sucked deeper into the world of politics and ultimately becomes a victim of his own success. A message for us all: you reap what you sow.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing style is very original and descriptive and there is much humour. The plot is clever, thought provoking and unpredictable.

[Ryan Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sic Strap by K. Kumar follows the main charcter, Sic, who has obtained a finance major and has ambitions of obtained a comfortable life which he believes is owed to him. Politics is Sic's overarching goal, and ultimately provides him with a path to fame and power. But of course, there are challenegs which are faced along the way, including flipping burgers while living at his parents place. Although Sic overcomes many humbling challenges, he doesn't necessarily come across as a man who has grown through his experiences. Perhaps he assumes life is unfair one too many times, rather than accepting that all of us face our own challenges.

The political satire and lessons in Sic Strap are thoughtful and well thought out. However, there were times were the writing was perhaps a bit terse, and the flow between sentences was jilted, which I found a bit annoying. The strongest point of the book, I believe, was that our own actions yield the circumstances of our life. It is up to each of us to form our own world, feeling sorry for yourself will get you no where, both in politics and in life. If that was the author's overarching goal, then he was successful in achieving it. Sic Strap is a decent read for those people looking for a political novel with a couple of life lessons.

[Florian Armas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sic Strap is more an allegory than a novel. An allegory with a powerful message, and many would find it uncomfortable, yet in many aspects it presents an accurate picture of our society.
The narration style is as original as the subject itself, it flows like a story where the dialog is pushed in the backend. The beginning has a touch of surreal with a man that acts as a doctor first, then as a banker, a minute later, before everything turns back in time. The readers will follow the ups and downs of a student turned unemployed after graduation, then fraudulently finding a job with a fake resume. A fraud that will change his life more than the job itself. One fraud brings the temptation of the next one, and the next one, up to the top of the predatory chain of politics. I have to recognize that some parts of the allegory were to “allegoric” for my understanding, mostly the “alien” part, but in the end that’s the beauty of a fable, to wrap the known in something that you can only guess at.

I received the book from the author.

[J.B. Trepagnier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting take on a idealistic young man who leaves college with a financial degree and thinks he has the world ahead of him. The world had other plans. His parents throw him a huge party and pay for an apartment for him in New York, both parents and son sure he will snatch up a stock market job on landing.

While I think Sic's twenties are meant to be in the past and not in the modern day, I see a lot of modern day in him. Sic grows more and more frustrated, not understanding why potential hiring managers are not seeing his potential. He gets rather pushy, even confronting one in the parking lot for not calling him in for an interview after waiting 2 weeks.

Sic eventually begins to break down. He takes a job with his friend Tengo flipping burgers. His job choices began to evolve, based on the people he associates himself with, leading him down a dark personal path and eventually into the field of politics. I saw a lot of what our current administration is in the man Sic became.

The book was well written aside from the dialogue. Some of the dialogue is indistinguishable between the different characters in the book. They sometimes appearing to be talking from the same brain or character, so it took me out of the story a little whenever someone spoke out loud in the novel

[Laura Koerber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel kind of reminded me of Dreiser. Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy are both books that follow the life of a struggling American and contrast the myth of the land of opportunity with the harsh realities and the moral and ethical compromises people make as they go through life. And like Dreiser, the ideas are substantive but the writing is sometimes repetitious. There's a distance between the reader and the main character. I did not find the story emotionally involving--that is, I never much cared about Sic. I kept reading because I saw the novel as a meditation on the contrast between the American Dream and reality and how that affected one person's choices. In other words I was interested in what the author had to say about American life, rather than interested in Sic Strap himself.

[Diana Febry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story follows the experiences of a young American man. Sic graduates college full of confidence and optimism for his future. He heads off to New York to find a man who once knew his father convinced he will offer him work. His trip proves unsuccessful and he returns home to continue his job search. Forced to lower his expectations his self-confidence falters and he quickly becomes disillusioned with life. The more life he experiences the more callous and cynical he becomes until he finally turns to politics.
The early character development is clear and drives the first section of the book.
An interesting storyline if a little disheartening.

[Marci Wishnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sic Strap is a very good book!

I chose this rating because it was a quick and enjoyable read. I like the fact that it was about a man who starts with nothing a d



It was a quick and an enjoyable read. I like the fact that it is about a man who starts with nothing and succeeds in the end.

[Zrinka Jelic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 actually.
I connected and even liked the young Sic as he struggled to find employment straight out of the college. His days working in fast food with his college diploma, his mother carelessly tossing him out while his father did nothing, his days living out of his car then with his friend, Tengo. One thing I couldn't help but wonder was, if Sic was so good at predicting stock markets, why couldn't he buy some and start playing the stock instead settling to work at the burger join? It wasn't until later, when he fabricated a resume and secured the job as a junior auditor, and got a raise, that he purchased the first stock. Still the plot was believable. Up to this point I considered giving 4 stars.
It is when he turned to politics that I find the things a bit of s a stretch of imagination. What are the chances of wining in the casino? The fact that his opponent gets shot and everyone who could sink him seem to meet a strange end. Everyone, except the journalist who could have him exposed, yet decides to stay quiet util Sic is just about to become a Vice President. Then this journalist yanks the carpet under his feet. At the height of Sic's career. And although all politicians have the "what's in it for me?" kind of attitude, I'm not at all convinced that he could manipulate a President of the USA to grant him a Vice Presidency and the President actually fires the current person in the position. In a way Sic at this point reminded me of Toronto's Mayor, Rob Ford, with his loud mouth and wide girth. The political intrigue didn't quite play out as intended.
There were some strange side stories within the book that I failed to see how they were connected to the plot, like right at the beginning where Sic imagines all different ways a crocodile could've eaten one of the guys from his class. The dreams he had after Michael Panther died were strange too and there were no explanation as to what they really represented, just a bunch of random dreams Sic had. Towards the end, there are a few errors but nothing much that distracted me from reading.
the book kept my interest all the way through even if it was drawn out.

[Engi Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I didn't particularly enjoy this book, readers who enjoy politics are sure to love it.
This is one of the few books I have read where the darker side of life is portrayed. It shows how certain bad choices lead us down long dark roads away from God. It is one of the few books that actually show that we can get away with bad things for a long time, but eventually running over other people to get our way will catch up to us.

I think that it is a good thing that Sic Strap's arrogance did not pan out for him. It is sad that he had to learn
the hard way. I like how this book shows that having a formal education and sometimes even
adequate experience are not necessarily enough to win the job one so desires. It shows how hard the job
market is. I like how this book shows that certain areas and states are more rushed, anti-social, and informal.
It also shows that if we can look just a little longer, and try just a little harder, there is hope even in the toughest of times.

Sic learns the important lesson that jobs don't come seeking us. We must seek employment, and not give up.
We cannot put an application in and then sit back in arrogance expecting a call and interview. We must be
steadfast and pray and continue seeking the jobs we have applied for until the positions are filled.

This book reminds me of the series of books Boundaries in Marriage, Boundaries for kids, and so on in that it shows that we can pity ourselves, but that pity isn't going to get us where we want to be. It teaches that
when things are not going as planned, we need to take a step back and re-evaluate our strategies. It is easy to blame our unhappy life on others, but more often than not, we brought our circumstances on ourselves without even realizing it.

Although political reads are not usually of interest to me, this book does have some good messages.

If you do not care for strong language beware, this book may not be for you. It seems to have fairly clean language until 2/3 of the way through.

[Jacqueline Boss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sic Strap is a story about a young man struggling to find a job in the stock exchange and having a terribly difficult time doing so despite appearing to be qualified, something many people can relate to. It is a social and political commentary. I'm not sure if it was intended, but I felt that the tone was goofy in the first handful of chapters, made so because of the author's writing style. It wasn't off putting- it was actually something I enjoyed about the story.

There were a tons of grammatical errors that were a little distracting, ranging from consistent misuse of prepositions to oddly constructed sentences. I also found it odd how often Sic Strap's name was used; his full name or first name were very often used where "he" would have been fine.

I give the author points for colorful language that I truly enjoyed reading, for example: "...he noticed a broken gum machine hemorrhaging gumballs and sour candies." "It did not make sense to walk around with bags full of heavy things." "After ten minutes or so, the same people were spitted out of the room and left the office, and the process recycled itself." "...the cold air seeped through the windows and doors until it forcefully penetrated the bare skin." I love the book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and though I'm not sure if it was the author's intent, Sic Strap had some very interesting and comedic moments language-wise, which reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide. There was a character in the story named Ford, so perhaps there is a connection there... though it's probably unlikely.

I give this book three stars, because I think it has potential if it is polished up a bit. Truly, if the author uses an editor, I think this could become a killer book. Even if I felt completely lost in the first few chapters, I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed going on Sic's journey with him (at least before his degeneration into corruption began) and liked the tone of the novel overall.

[Ted Farrar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of Sic Strap, by K. Kumar
Sic Strap leaves university in Livonia, Michigan with dreams of swiftly making his mark on the world. Egged on by his pushy and ambitious parents he sets out for New York to realise his ambition, only to face rejection, and he’s soon back in Livonia and forced to take menial work in a burger joint. Bit by bit he comes to reject his earlier optimism: people are not fundamentally good; the honest and hard working are overlooked, and dishonesty and greed pay. And so he creates a fictitious resume and re-invents himself, and is sucked into a world of greed and corruption... and rapid advancement. But he can’t keep all his skeletons hidden forever, and his sins eventually come back to haunt him.
Let me say two things immediately: the style and dialogue are strangely awkward and stilted – somehow formal in an alien way that convinces you the author’s first language is not English. Then you discover that the author was born and raised in the States, and you wonder ‘What the heck?’. I’m just pointing this out – this isn’t a criticism, rather than a puzzle that absorbed me throughout the story, although it can make the reading a little heavy-going at times. It would be a pleasing affectation if only Sic and his parents spoke this way, but unfortunately there is little differentiation between any of the characters. The second thing is, the book needs a good editing to iron out spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
I personally found myself drawn into Sic’s world and fully sympathetic with his plight. There are a few boring bits which don’t appear to move the story forward or provide any useful insights into the characters, but overall I found it an interesting read.
The author provided a free copy of ‘Sic Strap’ in return for an honest review.

[Winifred Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author describes this book as “an allegory, political satire, drama, and comedy all mixed into one,” and I guess it is that. But that makes it a very odd and cerebral book. I liked the social commentary, the exploration of corruption in both business and politics, but I found it hard to connect with the book the way I like to do.

In the first couple of scenes, the main character acts as if he’s helping some people, but he’s also telling bald-faced lies, so it seems unlikely he’s actually helping them at all. It made me think he was either a sociopath or delusional. Then the book jumps back about twenty years to when he’s just graduated from college, believing he has a bright future in finance in New York. Soon he’s flipping burgers instead and living back with his folks. Since a lot of college graduates are doing exactly that, this was probably the part of the book I liked best. Sic, the character, seemed most sympathetic then. But by the end of the book, his actions, as well as his constant ruminating about the unfairness of his life, had convinced me he was in fact both a sociopath and delusional, which made it hard for me to care what happened to him. And I wasn’t sure he was really being treated as badly as he describes since he also thinks God is killing people off to advance him financially. Plus I was distanced from the book by some of the diction. Sometimes the author’s word choices are very fresh and telling, but other times they don’t make sense, as if he was using a thesaurus to pick bigger than necessary words without really understanding the way so-called synonyms are often subtly different.

I was given a copy of this book to review, and in all, I felt it was an interesting, experimental effort that was sometimes off-putting but other times very perceptive, especially about how democracy “works.”

[J.H. Croix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sic Strap by K. Kumar is a political novel that follows the life of Sic Strap. We meet Sic when he is in college and attempting to find a job. There are some key points where Sic learns central life lessons that cause him to reflect. The setting is well-written, providing a rich background. The author does a nice job of outlining the challenging situations often faced by politicians (or so I imagine), in that they may start on the path of politics due to a desire to do good things, but are easily swayed by the influence of power.

The author’s writing style with regard to setting and vocabulary is excellent. However, the dialogue felt too similar – characters’ styles of speaking were not distinguishable from one to the other and that’s not realistic. Dialogue is so critical to creating a feel for characters that this affected my ability to get a clear sense of the characters and to care about them. While I was able to empathize with Sic, I had to work to do so. That may have been the author’s point, but it would have helped the story to more clearly witness character development.

Overall, this was a good story. The author’s descriptive prose is clearly the strength and carries the story.

[Damian Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Although I don’t normally read in this genre, I found this an interesting and thought-provoking book. The story follows the career of the title character, Sic Strap, and his transition from idealistic college graduate to self-serving politician. As a young man with a good education behind him, Sic tries to secure a job in finance, only to be rejected at every turn. Destitute and disillusioned after an ill-fated spell working at a fast food restaurant, he resorts to more underhand means and, through the collective misfortune of his rivals, is eventually rewarded with the success and power he so craves.

Sic is well portrayed as an unsympathetic and possibly unreliable narrator. His sense of entitlement and apathy towards others verges on sociopathic at times, and I often found myself hoping he’d get his comeuppance rather than rooting for him. I could really relate to the theme that academic achievement sometimes leaves one ill prepared for the realities of working life, and think it will resonate with other readers. This book would benefit from a good edit, however, as there are a few stylistic issues and repeated grammatical errors that began to niggle as the story progressed.

[Joannes Rhino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sic Strap is a story about a man trying to find a decent job after graduate. I get the moral lesson of the story, that's a good point. Another good point is how the author describes the location, which is so clear as if I was right there and seeing what the character saw. I don't like political stuff, and the result is when the story enters to this topic I found myself a bit sleepy and lost focus. But, that's not a downside. It's just me. As for the main character, I feel bad for him, really, and this is a good point which means that the author has done a great job in playing reader's emotion. The only downside that I noticed was the conversations a bit weird as normal people don't usually use that kind of words in normal situations. I think hiring a professional editor before have it published would be something that the author should consider because it needs finishing touch in several parts. Overall, I enjoyed my reading, and therefore 3 starts he deserves for this book.

[Dermot Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though ultimately Sic Strap may have regrets it was easy to understand the decisions that he made on his roller-coaster ride to making it in the world. Starting off as an idealistic young man he soon learns that to get ahead in the world you can't answer questions to your full honestly or you'll never get a good job. He discovers that in order to get ahead, actually to get off the employment line or a minimum wage job, literally flipping burgers, the world of work expects you to lie and in fact may even encourage it. Once the lies start, so does his trajectory as he goes straight to the top and probably could have made it to president had his conscience allowed. A morality/ cautionary tale that may act as a caution to all young folks starting out from college or school as they sign up on the job market and wish to have their dreams realized.

[Nikole Bloom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sic Strap is an interesting take on the world and politics. Sic graduates from college with a Finance degree and believes he is destined to become somebody great. He is armed with untenable optimism and a drive to succeed. However, when he is chewed up and spit out by the world Sic begins to question it all. He changes his ways and begins trying underhanded and deceitful ways of improving his position in life. These maneuvers work and take Sic on quite the adventure into politics where he wields enormous power.

There are a myriad of interesting characters that assist Sic throughout the story. For me, Sic was not particularly likable but finding out what would become of him kept me turning the pages. The language was a bit to formal in places but overall it was an easy read. Any reader is sure to find similarities between Sic and our ongoing perceptions of politicians.

[Susan Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well written story tells us about the journey that Sic Strap throughout his life. It begins after his graduation and his search to find a job and get on with his life. I found this to be a delightful story. It had a good mix of character development and plot.

Kumar describes his surroundings really well. I’ve never travelled to Michigan but I felt that I knew the feel and character of the places portrayed really well.

Sic Strap seems to be a bit goofy and there were time when I struggled to connect with him. I think that’s a good thing because it helped me challenge my own morals.

I think many people would enjoy this book. It has a gentle style to it that draws the reader in and works well in the context of the story.

[Fox Emerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Sic Strap is interesting and at times, fun to follow. The author's summary of the book is fairly accurate.

Sic Strap seems to go from strength to weakness and back again, as he clambers the political ladder towards success. With a constant reflection on his degree and lack of opportunities, Sic blames life for his misfortune. But then that is something he laments as later in life he discovers that it is this quality he dislikes in others.

The writing style was a little too formal for the story in parts and could have been been described better in layman's terms. Overall, it is a good read leaving you with plenty to think about. There's some strong political references to people who may or may not be real people.

[Doug Eggleston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sic Strap is a very promising finance graduate from Michigan State. He learns very quickly after graduating that life isn't always butterflies and unicorns (so to speak). The book really takes a darker path as Sic turns into a very deceitful person; so much different from the innocent student he used to be.

To add to what others have said about the locations described in the book, I currently live in Livonia and it was so exciting to read about all the same places and events that I've experienced in the area!

If you like dark political novels, you'll love this one. It takes a little while to get going, but it's well worth it as the book really takes off fast after that.