Video Book Review – Trust Exercise by Susan Choi

Critics seemed to love Trust Exercise. I didn’t.

It was supremely frustrating when the story shifted halfway through and followed Karen, making it seem that the entire first half of the story was a waste of time.

But as I talk through my thoughts in my booktube review, I think Trust Exercise made more of an impact on me than I realized. The themes of people abusing their power and having a hard time distinguishing between truth and fiction were carried out in the very act of reading the book.

But, still. Reading it was not a pleasure for me.

Here are some links for further reading:

Vulture has a much more thoughtful review of Trust Exercise, offering this insight:

“…every fact comes couched in clear bubble wrap: refracted, cushioned, cramped. Choi always wants me — and perhaps you, too — to know that there is no such thing as a single truth.” 

Vuture.com

Trust Exercise won the 2019 National Book Award for fiction. Read more about it on the National Book Award’s website. 

I’m a huge fan of The Morning News’ annual Tournament of Books and was thus compelled to read the book when it made the 2020 Tournament of Books shortlist. Spoiler alert: it won the first two rounds of the brackets, but lost to Optic Nerve by Maria Gainza in the semifinals.

For crying out loud, it was one of President Obama’s favorite books of 2019. I do wonder sometimes if famous people actually read the books on their “favorite” lists or if a handler tells them which were most critically lauded (too cynical?).

If you have better taste than I and wish to read it, here’s where you can shop the book. (not a sponsored post, but as an affiliate, I could earn a few pennies if you click the link elbow. Thank ya kindly!)