Would You Read This Book?

American Carnage - A new novel by Chris Lemme

Six unnamed characters unknown to each other tell six different parts of the story of the resistance against the Trump administration. The resistance against its immigrant deportation policies. The resistance to the subsequent chaos and meltdown in our cities following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents. Identified by their motivation and actions in the resistance, the Idealist, the Agitator, the Pragmatist, the Organizer, the Leader, and the Assassin, each represents and embodies that part of the amorphous movement to which they all belong. Each character tells their story during one of six consecutive days leading up to the massive country-wide protests on the 4^th of July 2026. Protests that will define the history of the United States and the history of our lives for decades to come. A political thriller of immediate relevance, American Carnage is at once provocative, thought provoking, and exactly the kind of novel the current administration wishes would die in the shadows.

The Idealist

She knew that any evil in the world could be overcome if they just fought hard enough. In that summer of Covid, 2020, days after that cop knelt on George Floyd's neck until he died, she joined her friends and nursing classmates at Temple in Philadelphia. They marched in the streets, thousands strong, yelling, chanting, and feeling like they were making a difference.

The Agitator

He had a lot to be angry about. There was the usual teenage angst turned outward as hostility toward anything that smacked of authority or anyone trying to tell him what to do. Then there was his drug addicted mother who lost custody when he was eight, because she was too strung out on heroin to feed him or make sure he went to school. So he lived with his dad, who had left years earlier, and reacted to the sudden responsibility of raising a young kid like a venereal disease; hoping that if he just ignored it, maybe it would go away.

The Pragmatist

He knew that life was never as easy as they said it should be. The examples were abundant. Like the time he and his white friend were pulled over that night after that rockin' high school party. They had both been drinking and smoking weed. But because it was his car and the cops found the roach in the ashtray, he was the one who spent the night in jail when his friend went home with his parents. His dad wanted to beat him when they got home the next morning after posting bail. But what was the point? His son already knew the deck was stacked against him. So he learned how to get by. How to stay less conspicuous.

The Organizer

Nothing happened without hard work. And hard work was wasted if it wasn't targeted in useful directions. And only someone like him, who saw the big picture, could direct the troops to fight the necessary battles that would win the war. But he knew they were watching his every move. So he had to be clever. Deceitful. Misdirecting. Provide false security to the enemy. Hide his intentions. And strike decisively when it mattered most.

The Leader

Power is money. Everyone knows that. But real power is manipulation, on both sides of the political divide. Not delusion, but practical persuasion, a little arm twisting, and when necessary, outright threats. And none of that is successful if those on the receiving end don't believe you have the balls to follow through. That's why the most important power play is to come out swinging. Crush your opponents early so all future takers remember and pause for a second while deciding if they may be next.

The Assassin

He knew that perfection only came with the dedication of repetition. He hated the term 'practice'. Every shot sent downrange was calculated and deliberate. Whether the object pierced by his bullet was a piece of paper or someone's head was immaterial. He hated politics. The only thing that mattered to him was money. The highest bidder dictated the terms. And the target. His only rule was no kids. Otherwise, anyone could end up downrange of his scope and rifle.

"The American carnage stops right here, right now. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America first. America first."

Donald J. Trump

2017 Inaugural Address