Matt McAvoy Book Review

Let’s get this clear, right off the bat: this book is outstanding.  Tremendous.  Simply the best book I’ve read in a very long time, without a hint of doubt.  Furthermore, while it is very rare for me to stoop to the cliched hyperbole that a book “should be read by everyone”, in this case, given its subject matter and current societal trend, not to mention the book’s sheer quality, it absolutely must be read by everyone, right now, before it’s too late – although, of course, most of us know that it probably already is.

If you read for fun or escapism from daily life, then be warned that Identity Crisis is definitely not the read for you; it is about as topical as it gets, and exceptionally depressing – not in terms of its mood or content, but rather by the fact that it is so vivid, so comprehensive in its minutiae and so absolutely accurate.  It is a devastating indictment of our times and the way society is going; the immeasurable self-harm being inflicted on a global scale by allowing a vocal, powerful and divisive far-left minority to dictate our direction socially as a species.  The worst thing about it, most terrifyingly of all, is that none of it is mere rhetoric; Kanwar’s dystopian nightmare is literally unfolding all around us, right now, and there is not a thing we can do to stop its momentum, this snowballing machine of identity politics and the re-emergence of acceptable discrimination.  Set now and in the very, very near future, you find yourself hoping that this machine will stop (just stop!) when you put the book down – but it doesn’t, and at this stage doesn’t appear that it will.  As Kanwar states, progressive equity agenda is limitless and insatiable; the truth is, with fanatics in such a position of control over the media and government narrative, it will never stop until we actually stop it.  There are a lot of books written about a dystopian future, but this is no fantasy; it is pure social commentary, though fictional, as real as you will ever read.  Beginning with current factual events and carrying their aftermath into the next few years, I for one am in absolutely no doubt what he predicts is coming true, exactly as written.

But the author is no right-wing pundit, or even necessarily political, and that is this book’s major strength; the tale is told from the points of view of two incredibly moderate, even progressively liberal characters who begin to question events unfolding around them.  Of course, Kanwar is not the first to write a book critical of identity politics, and he will definitely not be the last – in fact, one would suspect a flood of books like this are coming upon the horizon; you just pray that they galvanize a movement.  What sets Kanwar’s book apart is his eloquent, immensely detailed narrative, as well as his outstanding writing.  He is intellectual, measured, rational and highly intuitive – all the things his inevitable critics will undoubtedly fear most; every angle is covered without histrionics or bias, as the range of characters face real-life consequences for their beliefs, and for the conditions imposed on society by a tiny, extremist minority, who have somehow managed to achieve immense dictatorial power, with the platform of social media.  He has chosen his home country of Canada as this book’s main setting, but his knowledge of and insight into the global community and cultures around the world, in addition to the tremendously balanced and articulate way he presents his prophecy, really singles him out as a writer of the very highest quality.

I for one am extremely worried about my country’s near future, and further know that there is nowhere in the world which will be spared; I can perfectly understand how anxious the situation must be in a country like Kanwar’s, which is arguably emerging one of the epicentres of the birth of the new “anti-discriminatory” world order.  What he has done is put my fears into words in a balanced and articulate way, leaving no stone unturned and no approach unaddressed; I defy anyone to successfully out-debate him on this subject.  In truth, I could keep writing pages reviewing this book, but can add nothing which will do justice to Kanwar’s book, other than my absolute recommendation of it. 

Yes, it certainly should be read by everyone, not just the many millions I am positive share his and my very tangible concerns.  He should be immensely proud of the critique he has presented in this fictional commentary, and it fully deserves to be the forerunner to a massively important social movement.  Superb.