This Book Includes An Abe Lincoln Flash Mob

Any book that includes a flash mob of Abe Lincoln impersonators and Marilyn Monroe clones has at least something going on that makes it worth taking a look at. It's a light and slightly bumpy ride, but I enjoyed it.

Here's the deal. Cloning has advanced to the point that any couple can order up their own Marilyn Monroe duplicate baby. Our heroine is one of these duplicates. After that mess with the Hitlers certain historical figures were made off-limits. Our hero, Abe Finkelstein, is an illegal, under-the-radar, Lincoln clone. The only one.

The plots and sub-plots practically write themselves. Norma has the burdens and benefits of being a perfect physical Monroe copy, but of course she's also a real person. What does this mean for free will, nature v. nurture and so on? Abe is trickier. It's hard to hide out when you're 6 foot 4 and your face is on all the money. And you shouldn't exist.

What gets the plot racing around is the fact that some deep government types suspect that our Abe may somehow have access, in the hidden recesses of his brain, to the actual memories and thoughts of the real original Abe. People with weird medical devices and guns start chasing Abe, Abe hooks up with Marilyn, and we start to race all over Orlando. Since Orlando, and more specifically Disneyland, is more or less the phony recreation of some ideal city that never was it becomes a semi-character in its own right.

While this is supposed to be a "big" antic screwball book, it was actually the smaller bits, set pieces, and throwaway lines that I enjoyed most. Abe as a high school history teacher trying to get his students motivated is ruefully funny. Abe visiting the opening of a new traveling Disneyfied display of the Emancipation Proclamation is actually pointed and rather penetrating. Norma's visit to a precious French restaurant that only serves dishes composed of cloned and recovered Dodo is witty and clever. A Disney character actor who hates to wear "the head" has a nice bit. And so on.

The actual running around to avoid the bad guys was pretty standard, (although a Segway chase had its moments). Sometimes the one-liners are a bit forced. Abe and Norma spend too much time on separate plot paths before meeting up. But, given the interesting set-up, the sympathetic characters, the fast pace and energy, and the fun bits sprinkled about, I was happy with this as a cheerful and amusing entertainment.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)