Heather’s Bookshelf: The Firing of Doctor Democracy
Author: Dustin Lawson
Released: Was received as ARC- Released 10/10/20
Genre: Historical Fiction YA
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”
-Attributed to Thomas Jefferson
“The Firing of Doctor Democracy” introduces you to Abby, a high school senior on a class trip to Washington D.C. Abby and her friend Alice find themselves on an impromptu midnight tour of the capital with the mysterious, yet knowledgeable, Doctor Democracy.
Abby is smart, driven, and super cynical. She loves history and government, but finds herself taken aback by the frustrations of modern politics. After hearing the news of a government shutdown possibly ruining their senior trip, Alice convinces Abby to venture to the lobby of their hotel for a little adventure. It is there that they meet three new friends (Thomas, Ellen, and Ted) and Doctor Democracy. The “Doctor” is an enigma as he appears homeless and speaks of things that seem impossible, but also appears extremely knowledgeable about U.S. politics and history. The newfound friends decide to take the “Doctor” up on his offer to tour D.C. and end up learning a lot about U.S. history and politics along the way.
The book is setup in three main sections: meeting the main characters, the tour with Doctor Democracy, and the Appendix. I really enjoyed the first section. The main characters were relatable, likeable and had good chemistry. I also enjoyed the overall premise and the thought that went into incorporating past history with current politics. However, while I found the second section interesting and the main analogy well done, I found portions of this section to be drawn out and often redundant. The third section is essentially the second section in a much more compressed and outlined form.
*Disclaimer: the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the book belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to myself as the book reviewer/blogger.*
Overall, I felt like this book couldn’t figure out what it wanted to be. Certain portions felt like a YA historical fiction and I enjoyed that premise and found the format interesting. I really enjoyed the incorporation of the historical quotes, the references to the founding fathers, and the descriptions of how the bipartisan system developed. I also enjoyed the analogy to the human body- it reminded me of schoolhouse rock- in the greatest way. The main character of Abby was relatable and her inner dialogue about her previous relationship and present crush were endearing. However, the other portions of the book felt honestly like a text book with a study outline to match.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
An interesting premise with endearing characters that, unfortunately, just didn’t quite keep my attention. In the end, I felt more like I was taking an online history class and less like I was on an adventure based in history.
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