Book Review - The 500

The 500 by Matthew Quirk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

No one has an equal shot in life. Some kids have it particularly tough. When your dad loses his business and turns to the life of a con man to try to keep a roof over your family's head, only to wind up in prison when you're still young. When your older brother follows in his footsteps and winds up so heartless he's only interested in using his little brother for what he can get out of him. When your mom dies of cancer when you're still young, and you don't have insurance to get her proper care, and she still leaves behind such a mountain of hospital bills that it seems like you'll never be able to scale that mountain. When you're smart and determined enough to work your way through Harvard law as a bartender only to get rejected by potential employers because of your checkered past.

When you've got all of that hanging over your head, is it any wonder that when someone comes along and promises you the good life that you've always wanted, you'd jump at the chance? You wouldn't investigate too closely the job you'll be doing or the man you'll be working for, because the promises are so incredibly dear - the high class job that gets you respect, the home in the nice neighbourhood, the beautiful, intelligent, upper-class girlfriend, the chance to rebuild a relationship with your dad by getting him a wished-for parole after 16 years in prison. You wouldn't worry about what goes on behind the curtain, until it reaches that point where you just can't ignore it any more.

And when it gets to be too much for your newly minted morality and you cross that powerful boss of yours? You'd better get ready to fight, and run. You'd better be ready to not trust anyone in your life and you'd better be ready to lose everything you had, and more.

The 500 refers to the 500 most powerful people in Washington, D.C. - the men who wield the power that actually runs the country. The ones with the dirtiest secrets and the most to lose, who have the power to bury you if you cross them. This book takes you on a full-throttle action ride through navigating through those people, and trying to come out the other side alive.

Big recommend - a fast read and a fun, nicely-paced adventure to lose yourself in.

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