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Max Barry: Jennifer Government (2004, Abacus) 4 stars

Review of 'Jennifer Government' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Another reviewer described this book as "diet Neal Stephenson with a twist of Christopher Moore or maybe Tom Robbins" and I have to agree that's pretty much spot on. Rather than Snow Crash's burbclaves, this world has all powerful corporations, and employees simply take their company name as a surname. Thus, when John Nike hires Hack Nike to assassinate some teens in order to drive up the demand for their latest $2500 shoe, Jennifer Government gets on the case and spends the rest of the book tracking down the man responsible, who coincidentally also happens to be her ex. It's a silly almost-noir style chase through a dystopian capitalist extreme, what the world might be like in the wildest dreams of libertarian pro-capitalist gun fanatics. Entertaining though not brilliantly written.