I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
In a stunning and thought-provoking twist, author Gary Westphalen challenges readers to explore a historical fiction world set in our near modern times as one of the most disturbing and heartbreaking attacks on American Soil, 9/11, is examined in a new lens in the novel “Alternative Facts”.
The Synopsis
The 9/11 attack on the United States was horrific. Even as it claimed thousands of lives in a single morning, it also changed all of our lives forever. But what really happened on that morning? The U.S. government would have you believe that the 9/11 Commission report is the definitive examination of the catastrophic events. But this report raises many more questions than it answers, and the government has not been forthcoming in further explanations.
There was a conspiracy at work that morning. The 9/11 Commission says a couple of dozen radical Muslims conceived, planned and executed the plan with miraculous precision. It says they hijacked four airliners and managed to fly three of them with absolute pinpoint precision into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. It says the heat from fires fueled by nothing more than paper and office furniture was enough to cause the collapse of both WTC towers, along with another building on the property that hadn’t even been struck by an airplane. It says they defied aerodynamic possibilities to fly an airliner into the Pentagon at a speed that would have torn the plane apart long before it made it to the building.
In Alternative Facts author Gary Westphalen posits another possibility. It was indeed a conspiracy, but it extends way beyond a cabal of eager jihadis. This conspiracy extends to the highest levels of the U.S. government and would have failed miserably without the guiding hand of dark forces in powerful positions.
This work of Historical Fiction contains so many actual facts along with fantastical but highly probable scenarios that it’s impossible to know where the facts end and the fiction takes over. By the time you turn the last page, you’ll be wondering to yourself whether Alternative Facts tells a truer story than the 9/11 Commission report.
The Review
I was 11 years old when the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon occurred. I remember it vividly, watching in horror as the towers fell. I ran to my parent’s room and told them what had happened, and a quiet hush fell through our home. No one wanted to send their kids off to school. Life seemed to crawl to a snail’s pace all around us as the enormity of this event hit us hard. Every corner of our nation felt the pain and fear that this event brought on.
Yet while the immediate aftermath instilled a need for unity and patriotism like never before, in the years since the attacks, many questions have always popped into my mind, and author Gary Westphalen has done an excellent job of bringing this to life in his novel. The amount of research and actual history that went into this novel was spectacular to see, and the thoughtful approach to detail went into every aspect of this novel, from the construction of the towers and the initial attack in 93’ to the devastating events of that fateful day.
The way that the author still managed to craft a fictional narrative with rich and emotionally-driven characters made this story flow smoothly, and gave readers more to relate to while also being respectful of real-life individuals by changing names or creating entirely new ones to fuel this narrative. The pacing and atmosphere that the author managed to develop made this story just come alive on the page, and managed to capture both the somber nature of the reality this narrative was based upon and the mystery that was the conspiracy the author laid out.
The Verdict
Captivating, shocking, and thought-provoking, author Gary Westphalen’s “Alternative Facts” is a must-read novel of 2022. The mystery and historical fiction are read to capture the heart of the suspense thriller genre while also giving voice to those affected by this real-world tragedy. While nothing, both the official story and the possible “truth” behind that day, can ever bring back those we lost, the heart of this narrative does a great job of keeping us always looking for truth, justice, and the means of bringing those who hide in the shadows into the light. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Gary has spent a lifetime as a documentary film maker and journalist. His pursuit of telling the story of the human condition has taken him to dozens of countries all over the world. He has interviewed Presidents and Kings, the homeless and destitute, and everything in-between. His work has been seen on nearly every major television and cable network. It’s almost a guarantee that you have seen the results of his story-telling. He has now turned to a life filled with narrating audiobooks for other authors, and writing his own books as well. Learn much more at garywestphalen.com , @GaryWestphalen on Twitter and facebook.com/gary.westphalen.