When I was approached to be part of the blog tour for Alon Shalev’s novel, The Accidental Activist, it didn’t sound like the kind of novel we normally review but the concept and the quote below from the bio I was sent convinced me to take part.
“Alon Shalev has been a political activist since his early teens and believes that fiction can help create a better world. Shalev strives through his writing to highlight social and political injustice and to inspire action for change. A consistent theme that runs through Shalev’s novels is his characters’ capacity to become empowered to help create a better and more just world. “
The Accidental Activist is loosely based on the famous McDonalds libel case that rocked England in the 1990’s but this is not some dry legal tome. In addition to being about a court case, it is very much a story about relationships, the Internet, and how computer nerds can change the world. Yay!
So why aren’t we hosting the giveaway we planned? When we posted a giveaway, we hadn’t read the novel. Our readers range from age 13 to age 90. We aren’t prudes or censors but our policy is to not host giveaways for novels containing really graphic sex scenes so we had to pull the giveaway on this one.
This is an excellent courtroom drama a la Grisham. If you like underdog stories and/or legal battles, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy The Accidental Activist.
“’The truth, Your Honor, is that I got involved because of a woman, the defendant.’
‘She…persuaded you to get involved in her cause?’
‘No sir. I simply fancied her and was looking to spend time with her.’
‘Love is a noble cause, young man.’ The judge smiled at me indulgently.
I nodded but, being under oath and speaking to a judge, I felt an overriding need to be completely honest. ‘At the time I was pursuing less noble intentions, Your Honor.’”
It’s London in the early 1990’s and Matt is part of the Dream Team, as his boss, Mr. Rees, likes to call them. Mr. Rees is not known for his sense of humor but he’s managed to pull together a team of computer programmers who are a synergistic marvel to behold. They love being known as the Dream Team and have adopted that moniker wholeheartedly. They feel like there isn’t much they can’t do as the best of the best.
When Matt saw Suzie at a party he attended with his mates, he fell for her immediately and couldn’t believe it when she asked him to give her a lift home. And the rest, as they say, is history. Matt was a goner. He loved watching her speak passionately in the park during demonstrations about some oil related environmental cause, the rain forests and multinational corporations. He even went with her to a meeting of her group, despite the chilly reception he received. He knew he would do anything to win her but had no idea that the universe would hold him to that.
“’Careful,’ his mate warned, grabbing his friend’s arm. ‘Suzie warned us he’s got viruses and won’t hesitate to use them.’”
None of them could know that the environmental leaflets Suzie’s group handed out in the park would lead to a multi-national corporation suing them for libel in the London court, or that London’s libel laws were so antiquated they made it virtually impossible to win against a corporation. Matt’s first clue that something was horribly wrong came when Suzie and Luke, the other leader in the group, were arrested.
What Matt and the Dream Team do best, while using that still relatively unknown space called the Internet, is what will end up making all the difference. How they do it, and what’s involved in this phenomenally complex and sinister court case, makes for riveting reading. At the heart of it all, literally and figuratively, is the relationship between Matt and Suzie; however, the court case is also a main character in this captivating story of determination and perseverance despite overwhelming odds. How far would you go to stand up for the person you loved?
This was another novel I could not put down once I started reading it. Matt, Suzie, and all of their friends were people I could totally relate to. I wanted to slap that multi-national corporation silly and I wanted to take a red pen to the UK’s libel laws. Ack! There’s even a curmudgeonly Oxford law professor you’ll fall in love with. I also found it both fascinating and horrifying that this is based on a real court case. Yep, this one’s a keeper for sure!
The Accidental Activist was published in late 2010, so it should be available at your favorite bookseller below:
I’d love to get your comments on The Accidental Activist, Alon Shalev, and/or this review!
If you like this review, please “like” it, +1 it, and share it with your friends!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I couldn’t help but root for Matt and Suzie.
I felt the same way. It’s always wonderful when characters like them are people you feel like you’d really enjoy getting to know!
Thank you for the kind review. The whole coming of age of the Internet as a tool for social change is an amazing journey that perhaps began with the McSpotlight website. To think how the Arab Spring was facilitated through the use of social media only 12-15 years after the McDonalds libel case has made many of us not-so Accidental Activists.
Best Wishes,
Alon
{ 1 trackback }