Free arc from netgalley but available for free on all digital platforms according to the letter from the editor.

Between a 4.5 and a 5. I am not sure why I didn't feel it was a solid 5 but I think some of the essays
did lose me a very little bit. The entire premise is to find ways to resist and survive a trump administration. Through personal essays from contributors, Lori Perkins is able to put together this book of essays. Her hope is to make this an omnibus of resistance stories. Each author had something important to say. From living each day to the fullest, to going out and marching against the current government, there are many ways to resist. I liked that this book included, a comic, poems, personal essays and researched essays from many people with many backgrounds.

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I would highly recommend this collection of essays to anyone who is in need of some hope, perspective, or encouragement at this point in history. It felt like exactly what I needed to read right now. The essays are all of manageable length and high quality. They are written by a wide variety of authors. You will not regret investing your time in this read.

Note: Before the ARC goes to final print, I would recommend in the essay where the author describes not capitalising 'trump', 'maga', etc, that this preference is made consistent in the editing process in-text, as I think this would lend more weight to the author's words.

Thank you for offering me the opportunity to ARC this text in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book! The opportunity landed at a time when I really needed it - and I'm not even American. I think we all need a strong reminder of what resistance can look like and the role that we all need to play in our communities as we want things to change for the better. I love that the book is free - so readers can be inspired and educated in new ways that foster acts of resistance and acts of community.
Thanks you to Riverdale Avenue Books and Net Galley and Lori Perkins for the opportunity to read this ARC. Keep up the good fight!

Thanks to NetGalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What we need in the United States right now is a plan to take our country back from the lawless, fascist regime that took over on January 20, 2025. This book, written and compiled in just six weeks, affirms the horror and disbelief a great portion of our country has felt. However, it’s not only a confirmation that many are feeling the same things we are. It’s a handbook on what you can do to resist.

Today, protests will be occurring all over the country, and I hope at U.S. embassies all over the world. In a time when one feels helpless, organizing and letting your voice be heard is important. Writing and calling your elected officials is important, especially if they are on board with the systematic dismantling of our democracy.

The publisher mentioned that this book will be updated as more essays and calls of action are submitted. This book is currently FREE on Kindle.

While the world falls apart around me and there feels like there is so little I can do, the value this book adds is that it makes me feel less alone. Not EVERYONE is in the fascist, right-wing political cult of American politics right now.

The essays were very hit or miss for me, and because they are so varied, I imagine this would be the case for anyone who picks up this book. At best, an essay provided a new insight or left me with the takeaway of "you are not alone," "don't give up/keep fighting," or "call your representative." These messages are very important and very powerful right now. However, I would have loved essays with more action items. It's great to get validation that I'm not alone. But I know that. I know I have community. And I know I need to call my representatives. But what ELSE can I do? What are some resources? How can I get involved in mutual aid?

We CAN make a difference. But we need a plan. This book feels like the first step. I wish it also had the second step, but you have to start somewhere!

(I bumped this review up from a 3.5 to 4 stars based on the fact that this book is free on digital platforms. Yay accessibility! )

I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting when I signed up for this ARC (2025’s version of the Anarchist’s Cookbook?) but what I got was a collection of heavy, honest, hopeful essays that make me feel like I’m not alone.

Do I wish there were a COUPLE of ideas beyond ‘call your representatives’? Maybe a recipe or two? Sure. But knowing the US isn’t entirely made up of cult members stuffed into a lit dumpster, was a good feeling.

Resist.
Repeat.
Resist.

This is a book of essays responding to our present political situation in the US. The entries are written by people with a variety of backgrounds, including attorneys, teachers, writers, artists, poets, mothers, fathers. They all have been affected in some way by what is happening right now.

Mostly prose, there is some poetry, all providing ways in our lives that we can feel we are doing something to address our concerns. Some of the essays miss a bit, others are right on, some heartbreaking, others uplifting….but they are all worthwhile reads.

Whether you feel helpless, hopeless, enraged, indifferent, there is something here to help with those feelings and what individuals can do to effect positive change.

Available as a free download to all by the publisher (Riverdale Ave Books), I have recommended this quick read to all my friends.