-- Che Guevara, quoted in the novel's first page
American Subversive is a 2010 Conspiracy Thriller novel written by David Goodwillie.
The story centers on two characters from completely different backgrounds: Aidan Cole, a New York City blogger whose social circle includes the city's literati, fellow bloggers and journalists, all of whom are content to talk about everything and nothing at the same time with and about each other; and Paige Roderick, a Southern woman radicalized by both the death of her veteran brother and from getting involved with underground activists.
A bomb explodes inside a New York City building, and shortly afterward, Aidan receives an anonymous e-mail with a brief message fingering Paige as the culprit, along with a picture of her. Against his better judgment, rather than alert the authorities, Aidan begins to track her down on his own.
Meanwhile, Paige continues in her new life as a fugitive while trying to keep her reason intact in the presence of her co-conspirator and bomber Keith Sutter, as his own sense of morality slowly begins to erode.
The character sheet can be found here.
The novel contains examples of the following tropes:
- American Title: The author mentions American Pastoral as an inspiration; possibly extending to his choice of title.
- Anachronic Order: Aidan's and Paige's narrations alternate between recounting their pasts and describing their continued existence off the grid.
- Big Applesauce: Much of the story centers around New York City, with Aidan's perspective primarily giving an inside look at the people that live there.
- Black-and-Gray Morality: The majority of the characters in the novel range from disloyal to treasonous.
- Conspiracy Thriller: With both sides conveniently depicted by each narrator individually.
- Covert Group: The group that includes Keith, Lindsay, and later Paige. They're not given a name in the story, though its most seasoned members were part of several infamous named groups like the Weathermen.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Even though both Paige and Aidan remain notorious in the eyes of the American public, their levelheaded retrospectives imply that they've come to terms with their new lives. At the end of the novel, Paige successfully evades capture again and gets moved to a new safehouse. She goes to meet her new handlers, who happen to also be Aidan's, implying that they may finally be reunited.
- Framing Device: Before getting separated from each other, Aidan and Paige agreed to write their own respective stories down so that they could get to tell the truth of what happened. Each "chapter" is depicted as a part of those narratives, being written while they're living out their lives as fugitives.
- The Greatest Story Never Told: Aidan and Paige are both writing only for themselves and each other, as the rest of America has labeled them terrorists.
- In Medias Res/Spoiler Opening: The novel starts with Aidan having already become a fugitive himself in the process of getting involved with Paige.
- Insistent Terminology: The activities of Keith's group, usually involving destruction of public property and other similar crimes, are innocuously labeled as "Actions."
- Ironic Echo: "You'd make a terrible radical, sleeping so soundly." First said by Paige to Aidan, then later, he gets to return the favor.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: While Paige and Aidan tell their stories, they continue to live out their fugitive lives separated from each other, wondering what the other is doing.
- Western Terrorists: Keith's group, who see no problem with using bombs to make their point.
