The Oracle Year by Charles SouleMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
"The Oracle Year: A Novel", by Charles Soule, 2018
Charles Soule's debut novel, released in 2018, is witty and fast-paced about a man who wakes up one morning and can predict the future. Will Dando posts his predictions online as the Oracle to protect his identity. The revelations cause social unrest, geopolitical fighting, and chaos in general. All of which garnered some powerful enemies looking to control, or even kill, Will Dando.
The book, at times, read and felt like a series of comic book volumes, which I suppose I should not be so surprised given the author's previous body of work is in comics. The story got off the ground pretty quickly and, just as quickly, got mired with details of characters with no apparent function of how they would fit into the plotting. If you are patient enough to get past the halfway point, the payoff is worth it. All the players start fitting into roles that make sense for the plot.
About 1/3 through, I wanted to put the book down and mark it "DNF" (did not finish), but I'm glad I stuck it through the middle slump. I understand why this book is currently being adapted to a television series; it has all the hallmarks of what makes each chapter and cliffhanger episode. Quite similar to how Flash Forward by Sawyer was adapted to a television series. If there is another installment in this series, I will probably pick it up, and I would definitely tune in for the show as long as it doesn't get butchered like Flash Forward.
I give this book 3.25 stars out of 5.
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