Syrup

by Max Barry
294 pgs

Syrup is the first book written by Max Barry. I've read others of his and really enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to getting my hands on this one. It's a satire focused on the marketing industry and features a young ambitious marketing graduate named Scat.

Scat has an idea for a new soft drink he wants to pitch to Coca-Cola, a drink targeted at the newest generation that Scat believes could bring in millions of dollars in increased sales--and make him rich in the process. He takes his idea for the new drink to 6 (that's her name), an equally young and ambitious marketing manager at Coke, who loves the idea. The two start working together to bring the drink to market, but before they get very far, they learn that Sneaky Pete, Scat's roommate, has stolen the idea and registered for its trademark behind their backs.

Sneaky Pete leverages "his" idea into a senior position at Coke and gets put in charge of one of the largest marketing endeavors ever undertaken, a $140 million movie to advertise Coke. Scat and 6, furious with Sneaky Pete's machinations, set out to do everything they can to undermine and discredit him and take back what they believe is rightfully theirs.

Barry sets a pretty good pace for this story and keeps things moving along nicely. It's a creative plot and this characters, while a little too contrived, are relatable and somewhat appealing. Barry does his best to keep you on your toes wondering what's going to happen next. There were times I found myself rolling my eyes a little at some of the dialogue and characters and had to remind myself that he was writing satirically. Keep that in mind and the book is good for some laughs and provokes some thoughts about how much our choices are influenced by those who market products to us.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆