Absolute Power, Week 4

Welcome to the final discussion of Absolute Power by David Baldacci. 

What did you think about the end of the book? Did everything wrap up in the way you wanted it to? Were you satisfied with the ending? 

I wasn't surprised at all that this section started with Jack and Jenn fighting over the fact that Jack was going to help Luther. I knew she wasn't going to be happy about Jack sticking his neck out. What did you think of the scene where Jack finally told Jenn all that he thought of her? I thought he was justified in telling her what he thought, but I thought he waited way too long to tell her his feelings. I feel like he wasn't honest with her throughout their entire relationship. I don't blame Jenn for being confused--I think Jack wasn't true about his thoughts and feelings the whole time they were together. I was surprised that Jenn's father ended up siding with Jack in the end. I thought for sure that he was going to come after Jack for all of the things Jack said about Jenn. 

Were you surprised that Luther was killed? I guess I wasn't since there had already been a plan in place to take him out. But, I think I was surprised that they were actually successful in killing him. I hoped that he would make it to the end of the book. I was just so shocked throughout this last section about how many people the president and his team were willing to kill. They just kept doing more and more shocking things to cover up their original crime. I couldn't believe how everyone became so unhinged. I also couldn't believe how President Richmond could be so duplicitous. It's very shocking that a person could be so personable and friendly in public but so angry and violent in private. And, he was able to lie so easily and convincingly. 

What did you think of Walter Sullivan? I thought it was interesting that he pieced together the fact that the president was the one behind his wife's murder, and I thought it was interesting that he believed he was powerful enough to be safe from the president and his men. I don't think Sullivan expected, at all, to be attacked and murdered. I think he thought he was one step ahead of everyone. I was really surprised when Burton showed up to kill Sullivan. Did you expect that Sullivan would be one of the victims of this crime spree? 

Did Sandy Lord's death surprise you the most? I think he and his girlfriend's deaths were the most surprising in the whole book. Their deaths really showed that there was no limit to what the Secret Service were willing to do to protect themselves and the president. 

What do you think of Jack at the end of the book? He was definitely brave at the end, and he did show more strength as the book progressed. Were you surprised how they were able to catch the president and his team at the end? Were you surprised that Jack ended up being instrumental in that process? 

Were you surprised that Burton killed himself at the end of the book? Were you also surprised that Richmond was sentenced to death during his trial? I thought that was a little unbelievable. I know he did horrible things, but I can't imagine a former president being sentenced to death. Maybe a life sentence in prison, but I can't really imagine him being sentenced to death. I thought the epilogue was a little forced--it was nice to find out all of the details about the characters, but it was just a big information dump in just a few pages. What did you think of that ending? 

Did you enjoy the book? Would you suggest it to other readers? Are you going to read any of Baldacci's other books? If you enjoyed this book and would like to read or watch similar items, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Want to hear more about how David Baldacci came up with the idea for this book? Check out this video in which he talks about the book and the movie. The most interesting thing about this video, for me, was his explanation of why he decided to have Luther witness the president's crime through a two-way mirror. After you watch the video clip, check out this interview Baldacci did where he explained about his publishing process for this book. It's so interesting how books can be sold and published so quickly!

Thanks for following along this month! I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know what you thought about the book. And, make sure to let me know if you've seen the movie version. Is it similar to the book at all? If you want to read with us next month, make sure to pick up a copy of Daisy Jones & the Six. I hope to hear from you in the comments!