I had to keep stopping this book in order to read chunks out loud to my husband (which I’m sure he loved) because it was so wonderfully ludicrous that I couldn’t help but share. Classic Christopher Buckley.
Boomsday refers to the day that all the baby boomers start collecting social security and, you know, the whole economy collapses. Since this is a Christopher Buckley novel, our protagonist is a super-hot, whip-smart 28 year chick named Cassandra Devine (yeah). He does know how to write interesting characters.
Devine teams up with a governor with an eye on the presidency to start a revolution over social security. Her proposal is very Jonathon Swift: in exchange for “voluntary transition” (a.k.a. euthanasia) at the age of 65, senior citizens will receive free medical care and other benefits up to their death. Ms. Devine claims this will immediately end the budgetary crisis. Of course, first the “Wrinklies” have to be convinced.
Politicians get involved and all hell breaks loose, taking the reader on a fun and witty journey through the election process. Buckley is great at taking real world situations, injecting ridiculous characters and events and making the whole thing a delight to read.
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