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Parts Per Million
When John Nelson abandoned his government job to join a scrappy band of activists, he didn't realize trying to save the world would be so hard. His ideals remain strong, but his optimism is wearing thin. His fellow activists-computer hacker Jen Owens and Vietnam vet Irving Fetzer-still think he's a square. And their radio show can't compete with the corporate media.Parts per Million, Julia Stoops's socially conscious, fast-paced debut novel, is set in Portland, Oregon, in 2002. As the trio dives into anti-war protests and investigates fraud at an elite university, Nelson falls in love with an unlikely houseguest, Deirdre, a photographer from Ireland-and a recovering addict. Fetzer recognizes her condition but keeps it secret, setting off a page-turning chain of events that threatens to destroy the activists' friendship even as they're trying to hold the world together, one radio show at a time.
- GenresFiction
367 pages, Paperback
Published April 10, 2018
4 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 21, 2018
The little-known history of West Coast, Left Coast eco-activism in the early Aughts bursts to life in this timely and important book, full of finely drawn characters and outrageous intrigues. Eco-fiction at its finest, Parts Per Million is one of the origin stories of the resistance, and a primer for the fight to come.
January 22, 2019
It's one thing to read historical accounts of Leftist social movements in the United States. It's quite another to be embedded, as a reader, into the day-to-day operations of a small band of committed environmental activists. The story and characters in Parts Per Million are imagined, though vivid and realistic. Each short chapter is told from the point of view of one of the characters, cycling through the cast repeatedly, creating intimacy and closeness between a reader and these various characters/narrators. In addition to being an important, timely, and useful contribution to socially engaged literature, i's a page-turner!
May 21, 2018
I love this book so much, I want to face it out in my bookcase like they do in stores. There are many reasons why I love it so:
It's from Forest Avenue Press
It's activist fiction
It taught me history I didn't already know
It is set in Portland and described so well, I can smell it and feel the air on my skin
The characters are wonderfully wrought and wonderfully thrown together
I'm on the Jen bandwagon, she's my favorite character
But let's not forget all the other rich characters, Fetzer, Nelson, Sylvia, Frankie, Deirdre, Kate, Nancy, and so on. I love Harry Lane University, a fictitious school that could totally exist there.
This book begins the way all the best stories do, with Two Worlds Collide. Our three rogue environmental reporters who make up Omnia Mundi return from a gig filming a wild horse release to find that their associate has brought home a stray human, Deirdre from Ireland. It becomes clear that Deirdre is drug-involved, and as she dries out and her true personality emerges, she makes a place for herself within the group. The characters play off one another to form conflicts and alliances, culminating in a big activist moment and a tragedy. One theme that emerged is, how well do any of us know each other, and how much does that matter? (The answer is, as in life or any good story, "that depends.")
This rich story taught me about Portland's activist history and what was really going on in the early 00s when I was still riding high on my Clinton-era income increase and didn't think Bush could fark things up in the Middle East worst than they already were. I rode it all out in a self-absorbed bubble, the WTO protest (I was just north of Seattle), the beginning of the war (or the continuation of what started with Desert Storm, depending on how you look at it), and had no idea that Portland was already a hotbed of activism. The 2016 protests were the first I knew of it.
I think this book was so appealing to me because it's kind of my fantasy life--living with a dedicated bunch of activists in a common house, in a way that's true to their convictions. Their '85 Toronado tricked out to be a high-tech mobile support vehicle, their basement lair, their duplex where they rented one half and squatted in the other... it's a world you could get lost in and not want to leave.
It's from Forest Avenue Press
It's activist fiction
It taught me history I didn't already know
It is set in Portland and described so well, I can smell it and feel the air on my skin
The characters are wonderfully wrought and wonderfully thrown together
I'm on the Jen bandwagon, she's my favorite character
But let's not forget all the other rich characters, Fetzer, Nelson, Sylvia, Frankie, Deirdre, Kate, Nancy, and so on. I love Harry Lane University, a fictitious school that could totally exist there.
This book begins the way all the best stories do, with Two Worlds Collide. Our three rogue environmental reporters who make up Omnia Mundi return from a gig filming a wild horse release to find that their associate has brought home a stray human, Deirdre from Ireland. It becomes clear that Deirdre is drug-involved, and as she dries out and her true personality emerges, she makes a place for herself within the group. The characters play off one another to form conflicts and alliances, culminating in a big activist moment and a tragedy. One theme that emerged is, how well do any of us know each other, and how much does that matter? (The answer is, as in life or any good story, "that depends.")
This rich story taught me about Portland's activist history and what was really going on in the early 00s when I was still riding high on my Clinton-era income increase and didn't think Bush could fark things up in the Middle East worst than they already were. I rode it all out in a self-absorbed bubble, the WTO protest (I was just north of Seattle), the beginning of the war (or the continuation of what started with Desert Storm, depending on how you look at it), and had no idea that Portland was already a hotbed of activism. The 2016 protests were the first I knew of it.
I think this book was so appealing to me because it's kind of my fantasy life--living with a dedicated bunch of activists in a common house, in a way that's true to their convictions. Their '85 Toronado tricked out to be a high-tech mobile support vehicle, their basement lair, their duplex where they rented one half and squatted in the other... it's a world you could get lost in and not want to leave.
June 13, 2018
Parts per Million by Julia Stoops is the story of three political activists living in Portland, Oregon, who have immersed themselves in a culture of activism and fierce resistance. When an outsider suddenly comes to stay the household dynamics change considerably and as the story progresses and we learn more about global issues, recent American history and social justice the activists are forced to examine their own moral and emotional conflicts and each one's individual journey. Julia Stoops is a beautiful writer gifted at creating natural, riveting dialogue, witty lines and magnetic characters. In Parts per Million all three major characters are unique and likable; realistically flawed and endearing with admirable qualities. I enjoyed all of the novel's characters and missed them once I had finished this page-turner. Having the novel set in Portland, Oregon where I currently live, is an added bonus. This important book is timely, relevant and insightful. Once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down!
October 26, 2018
This was a book club read for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was hard to put down and I think I finished it in about 5 days, which is very unusual for me. I live in Portland, Oregon and the story is set in Portland so that had major appeal for me. It took place in the early 2000's and is about 3 environmental/political activists who live and work together. The author tells the story through the eyes of each of these 3 main characters, and from each of their individual perspectives. It was a very creative format to understand how each of them processed the events that took place. I felt like I was living in the story myself. It was truly a riveting tale. I had to use a great deal of self control to keep from skipping ahead to see what was going to happen in the end. My book club also had the good fortune of having the author come to our discussion of the book, since she lives in Portland. It was extraordinary learning about the book's evolution from the initial notes to the final manuscript. I highly recommend this book.
September 18, 2018
It took a while for me to like the characters or to care what happened to them. I can't mark the place where that changed, but it did. And what started slowly became fast paced and adventurous, then calmed down to reflection. A nice arc of action.
The major and most minor characters are well developed. There are chapters told by two characters (Jen and Fetzer) in first person, and some told in third person focused on Nelson. At first I wondered why. Also why Diedre, who was also an important character) didn't get to tell any part. I later figured that to get inside Nelson's head would have been distracting since there was a portion where he was totally focused on love rather than on the group's projects. And Diedre.
The title led me to expect more on the environment, but the book was mostly about demonstrations against the second Iraq war. Yet the various characters would note connections between war and environment. And it did seem more important near the end. I suppose having environmental allusion in the title underlined those relatively few mentions of the larger issue. But I'm not sure it was the best title.
The last sections take us 5-8 years beyond the end of the action of the book. I always resent that kind of wrapping up. I prefer hints but a certain openness at the end.
The major and most minor characters are well developed. There are chapters told by two characters (Jen and Fetzer) in first person, and some told in third person focused on Nelson. At first I wondered why. Also why Diedre, who was also an important character) didn't get to tell any part. I later figured that to get inside Nelson's head would have been distracting since there was a portion where he was totally focused on love rather than on the group's projects. And Diedre.
The title led me to expect more on the environment, but the book was mostly about demonstrations against the second Iraq war. Yet the various characters would note connections between war and environment. And it did seem more important near the end. I suppose having environmental allusion in the title underlined those relatively few mentions of the larger issue. But I'm not sure it was the best title.
The last sections take us 5-8 years beyond the end of the action of the book. I always resent that kind of wrapping up. I prefer hints but a certain openness at the end.
June 19, 2018
The characters in this book are written so well! Julia skillfully *showed* me who the characters are, rather then *telling* me who they are. The story itself kept me turning the pages, and where I thought the book was going was not where it ended up! The people and the story felt very real. I was taken back to the early 2000s, and remembering what was going on in the world at that time... And I wondered more than a few times, "Wait, what? Did this ACTUALLY happen?" What happens in the book is quite plausible. (Sidebar: As a person who works in software, I LOVE how accurately Julia wrote out the parts of the story about computers!) One of my favorite things about the book is how the story is told - in a series of short chapters that alternate between the three main characters. It was my first time reading a story told this way, and I loved it!
December 31, 2019
Well what a great read this one was, to finish off my reading for 2019, I thoroughly enjoyed Parts per Million. The main characters felt very alive and real to me (and a well done shout out to the illustratrator who, I think, does a spot on job). Purely coincidental, but in parallel, I also happened to be reading NZ Geographic article on the aim for NZ to be predator free by 2050 (of Rats, Possums, Stoats etc), which in large started with might have been termed activists (from passionate radicals, oddballs, and dreamers) but this has really caught on in communities through education and the realisation that taking no action is in itself an action. Now also Govt supported and partially funded. Mainstream. Inaction would have irrevocably wiped out NZ's biodiversity. So read Julia's book because it makes you think, but also you will have some chuckles and perhaps a few tears.
January 30, 2018
A group of three anarchist-leaning progressives operate an organization that documents civil disobedience and digs up dirt on corrupt citizens and government subterfuge. Set in a 2002-era ramshackle house in SE Portland, their operation is steeped in secrecy and constant fear of exposure. When a vagrant woman is inserted into the house, Jen, Fetzler, and Nelson have wildly different reactions to her, and the house degrades into disarray.
Heavy on themes of political awareness and involvement, the meaning of friendship and family, the necessity of art, the unbearable funk of loneliness, the risks we are willing to take for our beliefs, and the very essence of Portlandness, Parts Per Million is a smart slice of modern life.
Heavy on themes of political awareness and involvement, the meaning of friendship and family, the necessity of art, the unbearable funk of loneliness, the risks we are willing to take for our beliefs, and the very essence of Portlandness, Parts Per Million is a smart slice of modern life.
February 21, 2018
So incredibly good - I ignored all housework and other obligations till this was done. Reminded me a lot of The Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist, but more cohesive. This had the perfect amount of activism - I never felt like it was too much, or over my head, or unbelievable. At no time did I roll my eyes at Fetzer, Jen, Nelson, or their compadres. Love Fetzer!
Like the characters, I had a difficult relationship with Deirdre. Wished we would have found out a little more about her - an AHA moment maybe. Though that is a very small quibble in an otherwise excellent book.
Like the characters, I had a difficult relationship with Deirdre. Wished we would have found out a little more about her - an AHA moment maybe. Though that is a very small quibble in an otherwise excellent book.
May 21, 2018
"Parts per Million" is powerful novel that conveys the joy, terror, and pain of being a committed anti-war and environmental activist in the post-9/11 era. The novel brings together activism, art, sex, and technology in a dramatic, kaleidoscopic tapestry that holds up a mirror to our dangerous, scary time, allowing us to see and feel our reality in a new way. This is an important story that needs to be told, and bravo to Julia Stoops for telling it in such a moving, deeply human way (not to mention well-researched)!
July 24, 2018
Great book for providing an inside view of activists and their struggles, the choices and tensions, the varying internal battles about strategy, practice, and ultimately, the sense of futility and cynicism that can occur in the face of too many defeats. Stoops does a fine job of defining characters, primarily through dialogue, while relying of shifting points of view. Overall an engaging and suspenseful read.
August 4, 2018
very portland 2002 story- fiction, but i wonder about much of it. story of '90s radical environmental activists turned media wing to same to friends and formal media org on the left.
any of you who have been in portland for a while will enjoy the very descriptive pieces.
those who are marching in the streets today, will remember many have come before them and sadly issues remain.
any of you who have been in portland for a while will enjoy the very descriptive pieces.
those who are marching in the streets today, will remember many have come before them and sadly issues remain.
August 8, 2020
I really enjoyed this book! I picked it up at Powell's Book Store in Portland, which is where the story takes place. It is different than other books I read but very relevant to our times. It is about a group of activists who become frustrated with the challenge to make a difference. And yet, they don't give up. Interesting characters and we get a piece of the story from all of them.
March 9, 2018
This is an insightful and suspenseful novel about high-stakes activism and troubled love. But it goes deeper than that, offering a thoughtful exploration of all that collective activism can, and should, be. For my full review of the book, see http://smallpresspicks.com/parts-per-....
October 12, 2018
An engaging read set during social and eco-resistance of early 2000s in Portland and told through the lens of the three main characters. Insight into the hidden world of activists, one I know little about. Smart, well-written, lots of layers. Passionate characters you won't forget.
November 18, 2020
Did not love. Wanted to; following a group of radical environmental activists into anti war protests should be gripping. For me the multiple narrators all spoke with one voice and that voice was unconvincing.
June 6, 2018
Just finished Parts per Million. It’s amazingly well crafted and the points hit home far too relevantly... which is to say, I loved it! Thank you, Julia, for putting it out into the world!
May 16, 2022
Dnf. Meandering writing style.
April 29, 2018
Parts per Million is a complex and moving story told from the point of view of three of the characters: Nelson, Fetzer, & Jen, all part of a group of activists undertaking various missions to protest the actions leading the country to war. Alongside this story are the personal relationships and stories of each of the characters, most particularly Nelson who has made the transition from a traditional life to a life that is more politically driven. Into this mix comes a woman, bringing some troubles as well as deepening the connections these characters have to themselves and in some ways to each other. This is a smart and compelling story, Julia Stoops has a way with language and scene that will draw you in, and she knows her story so the actions of this group are equally as compelling.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews