What you do get is a well-rounded read that summarizes how we got to our current political climate, but with some boring bits that read like a history textbook.

This book was...weird.

It was kinda interesting to read about Nguyen's experiences working for various media outlets covering politics (everything from Tucker Carlson to Vanity Fair). She constantly says how "shunned" she felt as a hardcore, lifelong conservative working at "mainstream" places like Vanity Fair, Politico, etc., BUT she never examines WHY that might be. Why is it that a lot of "mainstream" people find those views repugnant? Maybe there's something there you should look deeper at, and question why you chose to believe those things? Nope, no introspection there, just a "feel sorry for me as the outcast" surface-level look.

She also never really explains much about what drew her to the conservative movement as a very young person, aside from "people I know liked it" and that she followed her boyfriend to some right-wing "college." Great reasoning there.

But the real clincher here (and, honestly, in most books by Never Trump Republicans) is that she keeps saying how surprised and stunned she is when these people she's grown up idolizing and surrounding herself with turn out to be horrible, racist, MAGA trash. This makes me want to scream. Why did so many of us see it coming from miles away, years ago, but the people right in the thick of it are now acting so "shocked"? Selective ignorance or guilty covering-of-the-tracks behavior is my guess.

This book is readable in a "rubbernecking at an accident" sort of way, but if you're expecting deep-thinking answers or a real, honest look at someone's life path through this cesspool, you won't find it here.

This had some really shocking information, that I would not have thought about. It also really showed the insidious system of the conservative pipeline and how it gets more people to join.

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty interesting and unique memoir. I had no idea what to expect going into this one. I actually listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author, which enhanced the experience.

I found the author’s deep knowledge of the far right interesting, but not knowing as much about it, I was often confused by the people/news outlets/newspapers mentioned.

Overall, an interesting memoir

I will admit I am not MEGA at all, but I am one to try and educate myself and see how and why people do what they do or how they got somewhere. When I was emailed about ‘The MEGA Diaries’ I was very interested in hearing this side of the story and how someone was able to be that close to MEGA but get out.

Tina Nguyen does a great job of giving her backstory on how she got to where she was. This is important because this is how we get places in life and do the things we do. I found it interesting that while she was meeting these people and learning about what was going on she was questioning what was being said and what was being done. Tina seems like someone you know you won’t agree on things, but you could have a civil conversation with and learn and find out why she thinks the way she does.

As we are in another political year and the MEGA movement seems to be there still and still be strong this is an important book to read to get a glimpse of the inside of this movement that even the author thought would never happen in our country. This is a memoir and it takes me longer to read. I think because I am ensuring I take in everything said on that page. ‘The MEGA Diaries’ was a good read; the flow was very well done, and she explained things and painted the picture so you wouldn’t get lost. This is a three-and-a-half-star book and I think everyone should take the time to read this as like I said we are in a political year. ‘The MEGA Diaries’ is available wherever you get your books.

Unique perspective of someone who spent time ingrained in a political ideological system to which they no longer belong. Interesting as well to follow the development of Tina’s career and the relationships involved. Even though it was generally chronological, for some reason it felt hard to follow at times. Also there were a few too many speculations and not enough conclusions to be overly compelling to me.

This book follows this author's early career and what she witnessed as she moved through the media world. I found a lot of her experience to be particularly insightful, especially going into the next election and into the future of our country. It was somewhat surprising the level of planning that goes into the indoctrination of the ALT right and how long their long game is. I feel that there are definitely clear agendas and mouthpieces that are organized and set up to spread whatever message they want through their side of the media. It really made sense how people would believe this information as it was spoon fed to them from many different right sided sources. They are told repeatedly that they cannot trust the media when they are the ones controlling it. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

the Maga diaries was very revealing about all the Republican party is doing to shift the country. I appreciated the author's approach and sometime humor about it all. It was very interesting and scary at the same time!

Appropriately, I started this on the day of the 2024 New Hampshire presidential primary. The MAGA Diaries is a memoir about a Millennial journalist with a front row seat of the present day US Republican party and conservative news outlets. It's a tell all of sorts and gives so much color to the well oiled and well funded machine of conservative politics.

I found some things pretty eye-opening, but it makes so much sense. Republicans are playing the long game and investing in young people, while Democrats generally seem much more disorganized and young leftists so impatient.

I am solidly on the left, but somehow, I didn't find the memoir enraging like watching the news now is. Nguyen has such a fresh and unique perspective. She seems to see beyond both major political parties and the facade of both. The tone is funny and lighthearted while imparting some hard-hitting truths about the Republican party and news media.

I listened to the audiobook which is wonderfully narrated by the author. She has such a fun, pitch-perfect Millennial delivery.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This memoir, written by journalist Tina Nguyen, who spent much of her career working within conservative media, was fascinating. Through her experiences and viewpoint, she is able to paint a clearer picture of how the Conservative Party has morphed and gained the power we see today. As someone who truly found herself in the center of some pretty major events and running in circles with key players within the party, her account was incredibly eye-opening.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The title immediately attracted me. I am Canadian so I don't actually have a horse in the race of US politics, but I am endlessly interested in the politics in the US. The problem with this book is that it digresses in so many places. The author starts talking about a specific situation and ends up being all over the place. This was a huge turn off for me.

An honest and compelling memoir written by Tina Nguyen. She draws on her experiences at university in the world of right-wing student activism, leaving that movement around the same time she was building her career in journalism to tell the story of how the movement, now the MAGA movement, operates. She pulls back the curtain in a way that only someone with her life experiences could write about and exposes truths that everyone needs to pay attention to.

I found this to be a well-written and informative book. I felt like it was one of those things where you have to be familiar with the people mentioned in order to follow what was going on, which I struggled with at times. Overall, I found this to be an interesting read.

This was an interesting read because of its perspective. Nguyen tells the story of her journey through school into the working world and her contacts with influential right-wing characters. In the beginning, she was almost a true believer, and she was able to fit in with the MAGA crowd.
However, as she experienced more and more within that crowd, Nguyen realized that her values did not always align, and there was no room for people like her who disagreed about anything. Even though she obviously realizes what she is dealing with, Nguyen stays surprisingly patient with her MAGA contacts, such as when she is talking with a flummoxed Tucker Carlson who doesn't realize that people were listening during the hundreds of times he raved about replacement theory, a conspiracy theory that unites MAGA against minorities.
Honestly, I wanted more, and I wanted more judgment. But this is an important story because it tells the story of someone who worked inside MAGA groups and can speak honestly about it.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I sped through this - Nguyen's prose captivates from the beginning, and holds attention through the final chapters. The blend of observations with memoir helped to both understand Nguyen's own journey, as well as the forces that have shaped the far/alt/online right ecosystem. The chapter on the Convention of States was chilling and quite informative, and the epilogue with her conversation with Tucker Carlson helped shed perhaps the most light readers will get on the media personality that has defined the last few years of punditry.

'The MAGA Diaries' by Tina Nguyen offered me insight into the U.S. political landscape, a subject I've been eager to understand better.

Nguyen's narrative, reflecting a perspective from my generation, dives into the rise and intricate dynamics of the MAGA movement.

Her transformation from a politics-obsessed student into a critical observer of right-wing activism is both enlightening and sobering.

The book details her experiences with key conservative figures and her exploration of extreme facets of right-wing ideology.

Though some parts were slightly dry for me, as I'm not fully familiar with all the U.S. political players, the personal anecdotes and in-depth analysis kept me engaged.

Nguyen's account of how young Republicans are recruited and molded into influential figures is a crucial narrative for anyone trying to grasp the currents of American politics.

I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader copy of this thought-provoking book, which will be released on January 16, 2024.

I was excited when I read the blurb for this. I was curious to read insight from someone who saw the rise of the far right from the inside. Unfortunately I found this memoir too wordy for my liking. The author spends pages talking about superfluous information when we want to get to the good stuff.

This was really interesting. I've seen a lot about people in really hard right organizations and hate groups and not really anything about people in the more respectable right wing organizations so I learned a lot. The language was kind of awkward sometimes, especially in the beginning, but not in a way that took away from the book that much.

There is much food for thought within this book. It's both captivating and frightening, possibly depending upon one's political viewpoints. I have to admit upfront to being hesitant to read/review this as, quite frankly, so many politically based books are either stridently one side or the other or, well, tediously boring. This one is neither, thank goodness. Tina Nguyen does an excellent job cutting through the hoopla and stridency, laying out where we are in the world right now and, maybe more importantly, how we may have gotten to this point. Just as importantly, she reminds us that much of it happened because, well, we weren't really paying attention.

I won't even attempt to share specific points because, as she notes, part of the success of this movement is that it was coordinated, ie look at the big picture, events rarely taking place without rhyme nor reason or in solitude. It didn't happen overnight but, whoa, over years and even decades. Nguyen reveals her own path as she writes, noting how innocent yet intoxicating it was to be caught up in a movement -- Turning Points was the center of that universe at the time -- that seemed to care about you. One that helped you meet others of a like mind, network, and ultimately find your place in the grand scheme of things. Let's just say, Tucker Carlson played a big role in her story. She shares her own story of finding her way and growing, which I found fascinating. Even when she broke away, seeking journalistic positions outside the conservative core, she continued to cover it with an open, professional mind, one knowing more of the many ins and outs of the movement than even some of the nation's top journalists. She never condemns nor praises, simply sticking to the professional journalists' "these are the facts" aspect.

One point she makes that I will share is that the left, particularly the far left, is that they are impatient. They want results and they tend to want them NOW. She points out this in contrast to the long game the far right has and is playing. It's fascinating and a bit frightening to realize how easily we humans can and are being manipulated, Seriously, if you have even the remotest interest in politics or even beginning to figure out what is going on in our political and cultural wars nowadays, you should read this book. I went into it trepidation but found this one fascinating in an unsettling way. It's an eye-opener. Thank you #NetGalley and #OneSignalPublishers - #AtriaBooks for allowing me this sneak pee. I've always disliked politics but it's obviously time I/we start paying far more attention to even the little things, local on up.

An interesting eye opening look from Tina Nguyen, bringing us behind the scenes in the Maga world.From Trump himself to Tucker Carlson and all the young people thrilled to be involved. Really