"The Election" initially started out as a difficult read for me to get into.  The book is set in Australia and the author writes with a distinct Australian flair which takes a little getting used to especially as I did not have my Aussie to English dictionary available for some of the lingo.  Crikey!  It also did not help that in the opening chapter I was almost immediately thrust into a tragic and shockingly gruesome World War II scene which transpired on the Kokoda Track in 1942.  I presumed this was an integral piece of information for later in the story but I hoped that there would not be too much more of the same throughout.  However, once I started reading the subsequent chapters the tone changed and I was able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the book.

"The Election" focuses on Australia becoming a republic and the consequent campaigning and election of its first president.  One of the book's main characters, Michael Takada, is Australian-born but his father is full-blooded Japanese.  These are turbulent times for Michael Takada and his family as well as anyone of Japanese decent within the country because of racial discrimination from a fanatical right-wing organization as well as a white supremacist terrorist group.  While I know the story is fictional I am aware that racial discrimination is not and quite often the book took a very realistic turn because of this.

In summary, "The Election" is a well written story and the author, Darryl Greer, does an excellent job of making the characters come to life for the reader.  He walks us through the complete election process which begins with an "idea" of who the candidates should be and ends with Australia successfully voting in its very first president.  The ending has a rather unexpected twist which definitely leaves an opening for a sequel should the author feel compelled to write one.  Lastly, Greer is descriptive without becoming verbose or boring and I feel "The Election" will definitely hold the attention of anyone who reads it.  All in all a great book; an interesting read and I highly recommend it.

Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads

Politics are in no way a clean game.  "The Election" tells the story of the race for Australia's first president.  Michael Takada, a half-Japanese man and his opponent David Shawcross meet for the first shot at the presidency, and the race is far from civil as radical groups target Takada, fueled by Shawcross's racist views.  A story of politics and race, "The Election" is a fascinating and exciting read from start to finish.

Carl Logan for Midwest Book Review

The Election is based on the premiss that a president must be elected to rule a new Australian democracy.  The candidates come from each State and voting for statewide candidates is narrowed down to the sole candidate in each State.  Each begins a rigorous campaign to become president.

The leading Queensland candidate is Australian-born Michael Takada whose father is Japanese.  His strong leadership and speaking skills stem from his being a lawyer in partnership in his Gold Coast firm, a position his Australian wife assures him will be left behind when he becomes president and she the first lady.

His rival is the Western Australian candidate David Shawcross an equally talented speaker with roots in the union movement who harbours racial prejudices.

A group of right wing extremists hampers Michael Takada's campaign with a series of attacks.  Duncan Fox was the orchestrator of the most lethal attacks undertaken by his group of thugs in the National Association for Zero Immigration (N.A.Z.I.).  

The story is not a political tale so much as a human story of deep emotions.  An old man who survived the Kakoda Track is now sought out by an enthusiastic journalist seeking the whole story of Michael Takada's grandfather's background.  Could the news that Michael's grandfather was a Japanese soldier who perpetrated war crimes there in 1942 jeopardise his election hopes?

Darryl has created a unique and challenging story that draws the reader into the drama of each situation.  In our current election climate the campaign, intense travels around the country, hand-shaking, baby kissing and speech making, it rings very true.

As a fellow Gold Coast writer and our legal eagle, Darryl displays a sharp perception of detail, relating human drama and possible political maneuvers that make this book difficult to put down and haunting in its real life situations.  I would encourage members to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase this book at our next meeting.

Jill Smith for Gold Coast Writers' Association