This is not so much a novel as a series of takes on the same situation that demonstrate different perspectives on racial inclusivity and 'woke' culture. Some novels invite you in to the story in a way that makes the reader a guest in the living rooms of the characters but, to me, this book feels more like watching from afar, and although we meet the same people in different sections, there is no one person to particularly root for or empathise with.
The core story is a serious assault on a man called Pegasus who had been running a collective group of squatter occupying an empty farm during the time of the pandemic. Pegasus was struck over the head with something that appeared to be a gold bullion bar after telling Jake, who was a member of the group, that he was no longer welcome on the farm.
The farm is owned by a wealthy banker who bought it with the intention of providing himself with a survivalist refuge in the event of a national emergency. He also owned the gold bar and he provides a start contrast to the penniless squatters who want a self-sufficient lifestyle living off the land.
A young female journalist tracks down the perpetrator and writes the whole thing up as a long-read exposé that was intended to be the making of her career, but things do not work out as she imagined, and her piece raises more questions than answers.
I wouldn't say I loved this book, but it does raise some interesting questions about the conflicting perspectives held within our society, and how popular opinion can be heavily influenced by journalists who write confrontational pieces that have had the truth adjusted to suit their own aims. What is billed as 'just common sense' by some people can be quite offensive to others.
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