I think this was a good representation of the word 'controversial'.

Choosing yourself or your boss?

Morals or the law?

It was an interesting audiobook for certain!

Not my usual listen but that said I did enjoy this book about the American Indians and their history

Worth a listen

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for this audiobook.

This book is full of politics focusing on the continued issues of indigenous people and the government.

With what is going on in the world with the current president. I found this a really interesting read! If you enjoy political books this is definitely for you.

I finished this book last night, four days before the June 14th protests are planned, and my social media feeds are full of legal advice for protesters. Our president is instigating the whole thing and military presence is en route. This book, just published on the 3rd, had to have been written a year or so ago, gone through all the editing and publishing processes, etc, so how did he write a book so prescient and accurate? Not precisely. I mean, it would be great if we could protest climate change, if that were the biggest concern for our citizens, and that's where the similarities end, but my god, what a parallel!

Anyway...

Great story. I totally dig the Ryan Tapia books, the brutal Maine wilderness setting, and the indigenous people and their stories. It's intense, fast paced, interesting characters, interesting politics, sad, hopeful, and contemplative.

This was so much better than I anticipated!
Easily 4-4.25 stars.
I am going to do my best to give a light synopsis without giving any spoilers away because this is worth the read!
A group of Native Americans starts protests against climate change and how it impacts the waters of Maine.
Ryan Tapia is our assigned FBI agent.
Come to find out, individuals who are protesting want to break off from American society and begin making camps on the lawns of mansions along the coast of Maine, which puts them right in the spotlight.
This group is led by Peeled Paul, who was involved in a different investigation of Tapia's.
Needless to say, this turns into quite a conundrum for Tapia because he knows that the protestors are trying to do the right thing, but he also has a duty to the government.
Bad things happen, and Tapia's life gets turned upside down!
The plot is well structured. The pace is perfect.
The characters are well developed. The group dynamic and character are well defined/developed. It is easy for the reader to relate to the place Tapia finds himself, torn between what he perceives as two rights.
I am married to a military man, and this writing feels detailed and logical as if written by a military historian (This is my first book by Thomas E. Ricks, so I will need to do some research on him and his writing).
Definitely needs an add to your TBR!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC!
Happy Reading!

The premise of this book intrigued me - but the narrator’s voice was grating and obnoxious. This was a DNF, unfortunately only about 10% of the way through this audiobook.

Thomas E. Ricks's We Can't Save You (audiobook) thrusts listeners into a politically charged thriller where environmental activism clashes with governmental power, and a seasoned FBI agent finds his loyalties profoundly tested. When a group of young Native Americans initiates forceful protests against climate change in Maine's precious waters and woods, veteran FBI agent Ryan Tapia is assigned to monitor them. These protestors, intent on seceding from American society, are led by "Peeled Paul" Soco, a Malpense hermit who shares a past connection with one of Tapia's earlier investigations. Their audacious move—establishing camps on the lawns of opulent coastal mansions—captures national media attention but simultaneously ignites the fury of a "reactionary president."

Tapia soon finds himself caught in a moral quandary. He feels a strong pull to support Soco and the protestors, but his FBI superiors are keenly focused on appeasing the White House. As his sympathy for the protestors' cause deepens, he risks everything by alerting them to a potential refuge: a secret CIA base hidden deep within the Maine woods. Enraged by this development, the White House dispatches a US Army unit to track down the protestors as they undertake a stealthy march through the evergreen forests. Meanwhile, Tapia's embarrassed and vexed bosses fire him and threaten arrest. Undeterred, Tapia braves a wintry night, snowmobiling through the wilderness to warn the Indigenous protestors of the impending assault. Building to a "dizzying climax," We Can't Save You firmly establishes Ryan Tapia as a complex and compelling figure in crime fiction, a true moral compass navigating treacherous terrain.