Code Name: Atlas

Okay, I want to first start out by saying I really wanted to like this book for completely selfish reasons. I was on Goodreads when I get a message from the author about a review of a book I had done on there saying that we should be friends and that we seemed to have similar taste in books. WOW! I of course said yes, why I'm honored. Oh by the way I see you have a book! Let me buy that. I'm sure it'll be great. So I went into the book invested in liking it.
Oi. Me and my big mouth. It's not a terrible book. It's just not a great book. The story itself is a little schizophrenic. There is an alien war that you only barely hear about at the end as the set up for the sequel, there is the dystopian world  wracked in war that the hero (who had served in the Iraq war but is only 18 several years later which would somehow be a big deal to the people following him if they knew?)

There is a lot of good in the book. He has built his world, that much is clear. The author knows where he is going. But the characterization is weak. His wife is always angry at him for leading these people, but then cheats on him with another man that is also leading people, and he never seems to get upset about any of this. There are two main characters who have nearly identical names. That's not confusing at all. And the story seems to jump at the last minute from the battle over the city which we have read about for a hundred pages to this new conflict in space. after the main character has been killed and resurrected.

I wish I could give this book more than 3 noodles. I really do.