G935 Book Review of Wild world by Peter S rush
Author: Peter S Rush
ISBN: 978-0-9990665-1-5
Publisher: Prior Manor Press
Type of book: 1970s, corruption, police, recreational drugs, relationships, cleaning up, guns, Vietnam War, government vs students, standing out, being alone
Year it was published: 2017
Summary:
Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the protest era of the early 1970s, WILD WORLD is a gripping novel of power, corruption, injustice, courage, and hope—and one tenacious young man whose determination to overturn the system holds unexpected consequences for his own life. In the spring of 1970, Steve Logan, like thousands of other college students across America, takes to the streets to protest authority and the Vietnam War. Fueled by a strong sense of moral justice, he wants to make the world better—a belief his girlfriend Roxy, a medical student, passionately shares. Weeks before his graduation from Brown University, Steve’s life is upended when National Guard troops kill four students at Kent State University. Then, he meets a reform-minded cop from New York City who convinces Steve that to change the system, he has to get involved.
Eager to make a difference, Steve decides to give up law school and join the Providence Police Department. While the rookie cop with an Ivy League degree knows that change is difficult, the reality of fighting the establishment soon overwhelms him. His education makes him an outsider, and his honesty makes him a threat to the corrupt cops who use the power of their badge to inflict brutality and extort. And the job is taking a toll at home. His college friends think he’s a traitor to the cause and even Roxy, the woman he loves, has begun to pull away. But Steve isn’t going to give up. Devising a dangerous plan to radically shake up the system, he begins to collect the evidence to take his enemies down . . . unless they take him out first.
Characters:
Main characters include Steve Logan who is best described as someone against the Vietnam War and who does recreational drugs but who desires to do more than just protest and who was inspired to become a police officer. There are also other characters such as Steve's girlfriend Roxy who seems to be trying to find her own path in life as well as Steve's co-workers who like the status quo and are not very fond of Steve and who also seem to hinder Steve.
Theme:
It's tough to be in two different worlds
Plot:
The story is in first person narrative from Steve Logan's point of view. I appreciated the story and watching how draining it was for Steve to be caught between two worlds; that of the one he wants to be part of, and the other of the one he doesn't want to be part of. I also was shocked at how desensitized I was to the fact that people on a campus were killed in college in 1970. I guess its a generation thing because campus killings occur way too often unfortunately for me to be shocked. A lot of details about the police in the story really surprised me, and I don't think I expected it to do it. At the same time, its sad to realize how little has changed since 1970.
Author Information:
(From the book)
Peter S Rush is a graduate of Brown University and has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University in Florida. He was a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, Peace Corps volunteer, and a police officer. He is currently CEO of a global management firm.
Opinion:
All I can say is that how different the world was in 1970s, but at the same time there seems to be something universal about the struggles of people in charge. The idea is there as well as the struggle the main character goes through when he is forced to see and to act for interests against his own, but I feel that the writing style needs to be worked on more because the whole story feels rushed in my opinion and I also wanted to understand the corruption in a bit more detail than was given. Other than that, a hidden gem.
This was given to me for an honest review
3 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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