Unsatisfying!
A timely, interesting concept for a novel. What would happen if one of the states (in this case, North Dakota) attempted to secede from the United States? What with the red/blue divisions we are currently experiencing, I did not find the idea to be too "far-out-there".
And the author wrote a good story, for the most part. I found the main character development to be well thought out, and the writing "flowed" well.
But.....(spoilers ahead).
I found the idea that a small number (maybe 5) of people could overthrow a state's government and declare it's removal from the union to be unrealistic. Honestly, just because someone is elected governor means that all other government agencies are going to throw their lot in with her? The US Senators, US Congressmen, the Federal (and State and local) law enforcement agencies? And that the US President is just going to stand by as this group takes over military bases, makes globally reaching decisions, and threatens war? In fact, no one, not the FBI/CIA/Homeland Security, is able to root out any of this, but a simple news reporter could? Not hardly.
And then there are the sloppy mistakes, somethings that should have been caught in editing. "She also got a permit and bought a handgun-she refuses to touch an automatic, she considers them killing machines that should be banned" (uhh, handguns cannot be "automatic"?). And identifying the second in command of an important military base as a Corporal. And having to identify any (several) characters as being "black"; you didn't id the other characters as white/asian/etc, why does it matter if they are black? Or charging a Canadian citizen with treason against the US, is that really an option?
Despite the main character being kidnapped, threatened, having inside info on numerous murders, she blindly plunges forward, never alerting law enforcement. And despite her having knowledge about where nuclear missiles are being readied against the US in Canada, instead of calling out the calvary, she flies to Canada, where she single-handedly takes down the base where the missiles are, preventing their launch in the nick of time (where they were to be launched with the stereotypical red button).
And, finally, after approximately 330 pages, the entire "suspenseful" ending is done in about 3 pages. Very rushed and unsatisfying.
I would really like to see this concept rewritten in a more thought out, "believable" manner. That would be a good book!