MYSTERY

Monarch

Soft Skull. Mar. 2022. 256p. ISBN 9781593767075. $26. SUSPENSE
COPY ISBN
DEBUT Jessica Clink is many things: a depressed college dropout, a loner, a former child beauty pageant participant, and a deactivated top-secret agent in a clandestine government program called Project MONARCH. Raised by unconventional and, often neglectful, parents, Jessica relied on her (former) babysitter Christine as well as her first love Veronica for any sense of normalcy. Working in her part-time job at a photo lab, Jessica develops an alarming set of photos—graphic images of a dead young girl. These photos change something in Jessica, and she starts to remember her time as a MONARCH agent. Returning home, Christine lets her know that her mother is dead and her father is missing. With the police looking for her, Jessica is forced to flee, embarking on a one-woman crusade to figure out the truth behind her life.
VERDICT Readers seeking a sci-fi action romp will be disappointed. Wuehle mixes folklore, philosophy, and the occult in this examination of memory, feminism, self, and identity. Gen X readers will appreciate the cultural milestones and infamous celebrities of the 1990s featured throughout. A circular narrative and slow plotting, however, will limit the appeal to the most adventurous literary readers. For larger fiction collections.
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?