- Jen Silverman’s writing makes you feel as though you are reading a nonfiction narrative. Their characters and the world they inhabit feel so real and the prose flows so smoothly.
- This book is slower-paced than what I normally read, and still I couldn’t help but be drawn in to the dual narrative stories of Minnow in the present day and her father in 1968.
- Reading a book starring activists that is half set at the campus protests of 1968 is quite something right now. This book raises many questions we have seen repeated since then and right now - what style of action will make the most impact? Can you live with yourself if you don’t protest? How much are you willing to sacrifice for your cause?

When Minnow finds herself in the middle of a public scandal because of her role in helping one of her students with a controversial decision, her life begins to unravel. Seeking a clean slate, she accepts a teaching position in Paris. There she meets Charles—a young activist with a powerful French family. Minnow finds herself pulled into more and more dangerous protests, and things finally reach a tipping point that she is unaware mirrors a tragedy from her family’s past.

Decades earlier, Keen is pursuing his PhD at Harvard and praying he won’t be drafted for the Vietnam War. He falls in love with Olya, a radical activist who persuades him to join her cause. He could never predict the consequences that would follow him afterward.
The novel jumps back and forth in time between modern France and the student movements of the late sixties. It’s a story about the cost for standing up for what you believe in and a warning to make sure that you’re standing up for your own beliefs instead of adopting someone else’s. It’s about how infatuation can blind us and how our choices shape us. It’s about legacy, creating change, and the way history repeats itself.

Reading this just as the campus protests were beginning around the country felt surreal and ominous. I can’t imagine a more timely book for people to read right now.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What does it mean to be revolutionary? What does it take to enact true change? These questions are at the heart of Silverman's latest as we get two stories across generations from Harvard to Paris. A father and daughter find they have more in common - their revolutionary spirit - than they realize and the truth slowly comes out during a fraught time in France's history in 2018.

Minnow, a young activist, finds herself in the center of controversy when she helps a student of hers make a difficult decision. Finding herself under ridicule and scrutiny, she flees to Paris, where she falls for a radical activist. The two begin an intense affair against the background of major societal and political upheaval that becomes more dangerous as Minnie gets more involved with Charles and his friends. Meanwhile, flashing back to 1968, another group of young Harvard activists , including keen and firey olya, are protesting Vietnam. Tensions begin to mount and keen and olya are faced with difficult and life-altering decisions that still have consequences in the present day.

This book reminded me of the nix-in a good way. The alternating timelines and political upheaval are similar, as are the strained parent/child relationship that drives the heart of the narrative. The prose is easy and it’s a compulsively readable book, even if there are some heavy social and political themes. The Paris setting is also evoked well and it becomes a character at times. A recommended read for literary fiction readers, lovers of political fiction, and family drama.

Thanks to the publisher for providing this arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an interesting read with two separate timelines to follow. I truly enjoyed the amount of political/social commentary. As a sociologist, I really appreciate when authors can pull it off well! the writing in this book was astounding, but I had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters and their stories felt underwhelming. I am unsure if that had to do more with or the writing. The characters and the jarring ending were big draw backs for me and led me to rating this book lower than I anticipated.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book 💗

After being fired from her job at an American university, Minnow flees to Paris, where she takes up a job covering for another professor. As she struggles with coming to terms with the life she left behind, the 2018 protests are in full swing. People and violence swirl around her, and she is caught up in a passionate affair with Charles, a much younger colleague and political activist.

It is 1968, and young student Keen is head over heels in love with a young activist protesting the university’s relationship with ROTC on campus. Keen is swept away into the group’s political movements, until a demonstration goes incredibly wrong.

Review:
This was an all-around great book; from the dual-story structure to the characters to the poetic writing, I was hooked. There’s Going to Be Trouble switches between Minnow’s perspective to her father's, alternating between 2018 and 1968 seamlessly, without losing momentum in the story. This is an impressive and ambitious novel, one that Silverman pulls off. Silverman is a playwright, and you can tell from their development of action and characters.

But what I resonated most with is the overarching message of the intersection of politics and personal lives. There’s Going to Be Trouble displays how our personal relationships impact our political activism through the father-daughter relationships. The novel humanizes these massive protests and movements on a much smaller and more personal scale.

Silverman highlights how much of our political views and actions are inspired by the relationships we create with others. Politics is personal, and both Minnow and her father are sucked into major protests due to their infatuation with colleagues.

I would not say this is an all-encompassing book about all protests, as it only takes place during the 2018 French revolts and the 1960s student protests, so in that regard it is limiting to the story that it tells. But I loved how Silverman focuses on how politics and relationships intertwine: how political idealism and optimism turn into disillusion and the real-world implications of political acts.

I read the description for this book, and the tagline is “one choice can change your life,” which makes this seem like a thriller book. Don’t let the advertising fool you, this is a phenomenal book that is just so much more than “making a choice.” Rather, it is an exploration of two politically charged movements in time, and how a combination of our personal choices and relationships impact large-scale political movements.

There’s Going to Be Trouble will be published on April 9th, 2024.

RATING: 3.5/5

There’s Going to be Trouble is a historical fiction with a dual timeline focused on two main characters - Minerva ‘Minnow’ (2018-19) and her father, Christopher ‘Keen’ (1968-69). The story follows these characters as they discover their own beliefs on activism, revolution, and love in both America and Paris.

The main characters were well-fleshed, smart, and independent thinkers. I loved the way the author is able to have the reader question their own beliefs and understandings of the world and political protesting through her inquisitive writing style. The author is a screenwriter and playwright as well, and it is evident in the way the novel flows. This was a big plus for the story, because it was cinematic in style and palpable, even with heavy topics of violence, war, and abortion. I could see this being an incredible movie one day!

I took my time with this, pondered and had conversations with friends and family thanks to this topical read, and ended up adding all of the authors published work to my TBR thanks to it. Thank you for writing and sharing this incredible work with me and allowing me to enter a world I would never had discovered otherwise!

This was a book for a different audience. I thought I was getting something from the perspective of women that expressly felt with the issues of women and politics. This was not what I was expecting,. It was OK for what it was. It just wasn't what I was offered.

This is a dual timeline story taking place alternately in 1968 and in 2018. There's really nothing wrong with this book but I don't think I'm the right reader for it. There was a little too much politicism, if that's the right word, for my personal liking and the characters didn't speak to me at all. Although there were bits and pieces of the story that I enjoyed, I'll probably remember very little of it in a few weeks ... or maybe a few hours. And the chapters are soooo long! If you're interested in reading this historical novel, check out some of the more positive reviews.

My thanks to Penguin Random House Canada via Netgalley for the invitation to read an advance copy of this novel. I'm sorry I didn't enjoy it more. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: April 9, 2024

“𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨?”

Minerva “Minnow” Hunter accidentally stumbles into a protest while in Paris, where she teaches at a university. Swept up in a sea of protestors known as gilets jaines (yellow vests), what she knows about them is vague at best or from television. Minerva understands only that they are mad at Macron about the fuel tax. She catches sight of fellow teacher Charles Vernier, charismatic, handsome, aristocratic, and beloved by his students, a man who has barely noticed her before, likely because she is quiet, swallowed up in the background. But here, he recognizes her, surprised by her presence, and finds himself drawn to her curiosity, enlightening Minnow about what the people are fighting against, the control and suffering; that it goes far deeper than passing politics and silly signs. His intense anger and passion illuminate her, but it is his attention she hungers for. Her father wouldn’t approve, she has spent her life measuring herself against her father Christopher’s character, values. A steady man and chemistry professor who raised her by himself, he has already been disappointed by the trouble she created at her last teaching job. Against her better judgement, she was engaged in helping a troubled student that slowly became threatening, overstepping her place according to the rules. For once, she wants to be her own guide, to vanquish her father’s voice in her head, to not be a parrot of his beliefs, his mirror. Right now, they are not in contact, and it is her chance to assert herself in her own life. She is oblivious to the fact that she is not the trailblazer in the family, for another has found himself involved radical acts.

It is 1968, Keen spends his days in a chemistry lab, with a two-year deferment from the Vietnam war, he is free to attain his PhD at Harvard. A life of science is all he cares about, until he falls in love with Olya, a beautiful activist who invites him to readings and teach-ins against the war. Keen doesn’t yet know about the involvement she has in protests. It isn’t long before she is exerting an influence on him, making him see the reality of what is happening on campus and the horrors of war, forcing him outside the basement. He is no longer viewing life through his perspective and dreams alone, now his mind is clouded by her vision, her fight. He finds himself enlisted in something as dangerous as the war itself, an act that will forever change the trajectory of his life.

Minerva has never understood her father’s fears, his exaggerated anger about parts of history, only that his views shaped her universe. She doesn’t know much of her parents love, the reason for her mother’s absence from their lives nor the shame and guilt that haunts her father’s days but fate has a way of coming full circle.

This novel is clever, and as much as Minerva pulled me in, it was Charles whose choices stunned me. It is a novel about the weight of politics, whether you are fighting or indifferent, but also about the sway of love, passion, and parenthood. How can you sink into the status quo when a fire is driving you to be the change? Some are anchors, others are fire, but no one can avoid the world as it is transforming.

Publication Date: April 9, 2024

Random House

There's going to be trouble, indeed. Minerva (Minnow) is offered a teaching job in Paris after a scandal left her jobless and ignored by her own father. There, she meets Charles, a young teacher who is very active in protests against the French government and Minnow ends up tangled in both, the guy and the protests. The story is narrated by another POV, Minnow's father, Christopher (Keen) during the 60's. He describes how he met Minnow's mother, who was also very active during the student's protests in Harvard during those years.

I liked how the activism is pictured in both timelines and perspectives, in how at the beginning neither Minnow or Keen were involved but ended up joining them because they fell for people who were passionate about each cause. It's admirable how there are actual people who fight, sometimes risking their lives and freedom, to stand out against entities who want to impose unethical actions to advance their own interests.

this is my second read by jen silverman (my first was we play ourselves) and i think i just have to say she might not be an author for me.

her writing is stunning, but in both novels i've read i've struggled with wanting to pick up the novel and read.

i liked the premise of there's going to be trouble and the dual timelines. the chapters, however, were LONG and i found myself skimming.

i think a lot of people might like this and jen silverman is a talented writer, however i'm not sure her work is for me. thank you to net galley and the publisher for the eARC!

[3.5 stars] This is a solid book that delivers what it promises. We follow dual timelines and narrators (a father in 1968 and his daughter in 2018) as they become increasingly caught up in activism and protests. Their stories have a lot of parallels and despite the geographic and personal differences between their narratives, the underlying parallels are interesting to see. While neither protagonist is strictly moral or ethical, their convictions take them to extremes that get further complicated by budding romances.

This is a propulsive and interesting read that does a good job alternating between timelines while maintaining suspense in both. I don't think it sets out to be shocking or full of twists, but its delivery does feel a bit formulaic. The romances are in some ways a detriment to both Minnow and Keen as characters; it's hard to disentangle their values and beliefs from the romance, which is intentional but does leave them feeling a tad hollow when the romances themselves are a bit flat. I also felt the ending to be abrupt; it wasn't necessarily bad, but I felt it deserved more given how intricate the story leading up to it was.

Overall, if you're interested in activism and politics - this is certainly a solid read. It doesn't focus on a single political issue specifically but encompasses the exploitation of the working class and how those in power leverage systemic injustice.

THERE’S GOING TO BE TROUBLE by Jen Silverman ~to be published April 9, 2024

Thanks so much to @randomhouse for the advance gifted copy.

Silverman asks us, under what circumstances is radical political protest permissible, or even necessary? And how far is too far in the fight for revolutionary change?

I blindly chose this book for the cover, and I stayed for the story! This is a timely read given our current political climate, and an ambitious one. Through dual timelines (1960’s Cambridge and near-present day Paris), our two protagonists follow their lovers deeper and deeper into the world of radical political protest. As they grapple with whether or not the ends justify the means of their oftentimes dangerous and high stakes behavior, the reader is led to ask the same question – does there come a time when incremental change is simply not enough?

Literary yet still a breeze to read. The ending felt rushed. Some of the deeper conversations gave me Birnham Wood vibes!

Watching people get pulled into politics when they don't want to be has been omnipresent for the last decade and Silverman puts a story on the page that will resonate with most. I loved this.

Minnow tries to live the quiet, intellectual and apolitical life her single father laid out for her while not knowing of his past of Vietnam-era protests and the secret consequences of his actions. However, Minnow is a result of his affair with one of the community organizers who brought him into the protests, ends up having that same revolutionary spirit in her as well and when she lands a professorship in Paris, falls for a Frenchman caught up in the Yellow vest movement. The novel is told in dual POVs and time periods showing the parallel lives of both Minnow and her father and the similarities in the choices they end up making.

I thought the premise of this novel was really interesting, the parallel life concept worked great, and the last third had me really engaged, but the majority of the novel fell sort of flat for me. The story was just a bit too slow to keep as engaged as I would have thought given the subject matter and I think it was because I just couldn’t connect with these characters.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC to review

Two parallel narratives examine two individuals who, seemingly because of lust, become activists. In the contemporary tale set in 2018 France, Minerva “Minnow” Hunter has taken a teaching position at a university in Paris because the job “had presented itself at the moment in which her American life dissolved.” Minnow is quiet and still and these traits had become worse since “the Sewell incident,” an event at her previous job which led to her termination and which unspools slowly in the first third of the novel. In Paris, Minnow meets Charles Venier, an attractive fellow teacher, an aristocrat, who “exuded cool.” Minnow falls in love with the reckless and unpredictable Charles as he becomes engaged in the Yellow Vest revolution against income inequality. When Minnow sees the damage wrought by the rubber bullets that the police use improperly to quell the protesters, she uncharacteristically speaks out.

Minnow’s story is juxtaposed by that of Keen, a Harvard graduate student studying organic chemistry in 1968. Keen falls in love with Olya, a free spirit who lives in a dilapidated Victorian house with seven other students who are members of the countercultural movement. Keen first meets Olya when she protested Keen’s advisor who had purportedly been involved in research that may have resulted in the nuclear bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When a recruiter from Dow Chemical arrives on campus, Keen rashly grabs a bullhorn and questions the recruiter about science and, specifically, the chemical composition of napalm. Keen becomes an accidental activist, earning the respect of Olya and her friends when Keen dubs the recruiter “a used care salesman for deadly weapons.”

It does not take much imagination to connect the dots between the parallel narratives. The twin stories of how Minnow and Keen both became mired in the societal upheavals of their times — Macron’s elitist policies in the case of Minnow and Viet Nam and the civil rights movement in the case of Keen — failed to maintain my interest despite exceptional writing and themes that resonant. Thank you Random House and Net Galley for this novel that explores social responsibility, personal sacrifice, and generational secrets.

Major thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts:

Who are your friends? What do they stand for? What do the6. Noose to believe in?How do they believe in it? Is there thought in action or action thought? Which comes first? Who comes first?

Told in dual time framework, you realize where protest belongs when compared to the individual vs collectivism. And with very real characters, you get a better sense of who you are and where you stand, especially in turbulent times like now. What is performative? What does it mean to be in the mean streets? Has violence changed? Or is how we see violence changed?

Silverman has created a timely text that though is hard to get along with at first, you end up thinking of the characters outside of the narrative and you watch the news and you think, what the hell am I supposed to be doing? For whose sake? And what about my own sake? And for which others?

Not one to be missed.

This is a dual timeline novel that explores current day (2018) and 1968. In both timelines, Silverman explores what happens when seemingly apolitical individuals become involved in radical movements. Minnow (a fitting name) become the representative of a political scandal. She escapes to Paris where she meets a young teacher who is a member of the anti-Macron grassroots movement, again, placing her inadvertently close to politics. At the same time, we are transported to the late sixties where a graduate student named Keen is studying chemistry at Harvard and falls for Olya, an ardent protestor of the Vietnam War. Two different timelines dissect, explore and shine a light on what it means to be political and shines a light on people who think they can “sit this one out.” An interesting look at what it means to be both a national and global citizen during these fraught times. Thank you to Random House and to Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

Out April 9, 2024* There’s Going To Be Trouble by Jen Silverman (they/them) 4.25/5 ✨

If you are interested in the question of ‘How do you balance family expectations with your values and what you think is right or ethical?’ I think you will enjoy There’s Going To Be Trouble.

This will be a book that will stick with me and makes me want to learn more about actes of the gilets jaunes in France as I knew about them but I felt like I really didn’t know what had been happening.
I found Minnow to be interesting and believable, but didn’t really enjoy the dual pov with her Dad, at least until the last few chapters. While I didn’t enjoy Keen, the characters were incredibly well written and authentic.

There is quite a bit of French in this book, but because I read this as an ebook, I was able to use the translate function which made it easy enough. This was definitely a me problem though and should not have you be put off by it.

You definitely should read the content warnings as there is a lot of heavy themes. I’ve done my best to note them, but I’m sure I missed a few!

Thank you so much to Random House @atrandombooks for the advance readers copy! I really enjoyed this one.