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A review by murrderdith
Sweetness #9 by Stephan Eirik Clark
3.0
I heard about this novel from Eden Lepecki's interview on The Colbert Report and thought the premise had a lot of potential.
I've seen a few reviews that complain that the novel isn't serious or fact-driven as books like Fast Food Nation and they're right, it's not. It's also a novel, not a work of investigative journalism. I wouldn't discredit this book based on the misreading of a few cranky reviewers. If I did have a quibble, it would be that sometimes it felt as if the author was reaching for Vonnegut-level absurdity, but not quite making it.
Overall, this satire is worth the read. For a 336 page novel that spans a little over 30 years, the pacing never seemed too rushed (though there were moments the authors seemed to throw away that really deserved more time--the revelation that Sarin is trans comes to mind.) It's a fun, quick read that might also make you scan an ingredient list for red dye or re-thinking drinking another diet Coke.
I've seen a few reviews that complain that the novel isn't serious or fact-driven as books like Fast Food Nation and they're right, it's not. It's also a novel, not a work of investigative journalism. I wouldn't discredit this book based on the misreading of a few cranky reviewers. If I did have a quibble, it would be that sometimes it felt as if the author was reaching for Vonnegut-level absurdity, but not quite making it.
Overall, this satire is worth the read. For a 336 page novel that spans a little over 30 years, the pacing never seemed too rushed (though there were moments the authors seemed to throw away that really deserved more time--the revelation that Sarin is trans comes to mind.) It's a fun, quick read that might also make you scan an ingredient list for red dye or re-thinking drinking another diet Coke.