The Highest Frontier

The "spectacular tour de force" in the synopsis here is pure over-the-top marketing speak, because this book is neither. It's enjoyable enough if you don't expect too much from this slow-moving YA-ish near-future semi-apocalyptic novel. It offers believable extrapolations of American politics and culture, tho the amount of Spanish (as Cuba joined the US as 52nd state) is annoying.

And tho she bashes biblical literalism, she gives liberal religion a pass (even tho there are hints of recognition that Big Tent views enable the fundamentalists).