The Last Exchange by Charles Martin

This excellent book, another by Charles Martin, definitely features redemption. There is poetic justice as well as egotistically motivated revenge. While not crime fiction, there are crimes. This story hits many important topics.

Only a brief word about what the story’s about because it needs to be experienced and I don’t want to ruin any of the many surprises. The two main characters are Maybe Joe Sue. Yes, that’s her name. She goes by Joe most of the time. And Kelly MacThomas Pockets, who goes by Pockets most of the time. Joe is a Hollywood megastar and Pockets is her bodyguard.

The format is interesting. Each chapter is either Before or After. The before chapters slowly reveal Joe and Pockets’ lives in the past. The rise of Joe in Hollywood. Where Pockets comes from and why. The after chapters are the current action going on.

The themes hit on this story include what fame can do to a person, the ineptitude and sensationalism of our modern media, true sacrificial love, infertility, and addiction. One of the questions in the discussion section at the end asks if the reader thinks this story is an allegory. I do. I believe this is an allegory of true sacrificial love like Jesus has for his followers. There is little to no religion or Christianity mentioned in the story, so don’t worry if that kind of thing turns you off.

Well-written, engaging, and one of those few books I didn’t want to put down. Another question in the discussion is whether the reader liked the ending. This is a tricky question and one hard to answer without giving away too much. My answer: I wasn’t happy about the ending, but I agreed with the ending. It needed to end the way it did.

As all Charles Martin books are, this one is clean. No profanity and no on-page sex. Drug use is prevalent, but it’s an integral part of the story and never glorified. Very little violence and what is there is again, necessary.

As usual, this Charles Martin book is the best book I’ve read this year. And I anticipate there won’t be any better. But we’ll see. I hope I’m excellently surprised and find one that is better. That will be a fantastic read. I highly recommend this book. It’s very different from the other four Charles Martin books I’ve read and reviewed, but just as good.