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Sameer Garach
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Dakota and the American Dream Kindle Edition

by Sameer Garach (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 6 ratings
What happens when a child comes face-to-face with Corporate America?

Ten-year-old Dakota dreams about seeing the city from above, atop a skyscraper. An unsuspecting job candidate, the boy lands a position at a company within the building, but his journey is anything but a simple elevator ride to the top.

As he treads the path to success, he comes across many themes that are characteristic of America and its corporate culture:

The rat race, office romance, and a golf tournament, among other workplace situations;

Difficult workplace personalities, confusing American regional dialects, and cutthroat management;

And worst of all, the dreaded performance review.

Will Dakota realize his dream? Or will he wake up from a nightmare?
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  1. Print length
    158 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    December 25, 2019
  5. File size
    1.1 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book can be a good lesson for young children and for adults as well, who will definitely enjoy the satirical narrative. The author talks about the American dream but in a very fantastical setup where anything is possible. Instead of the whimsical world of Alice, the reader is transported into a world where every adult lives and tries to survive . . . The author has a very witty sense of humor, and it shows in the narrative. This book may be short, but it packs a punch that will blow you away."--Rabia Tanveer, Readers' Favorite (5 Stars)
"What stands out most of all about this very intelligently written book is the descriptive narrative. The author writes beautifully, which makes all of your senses come to life. The characters are unique and diverse, and their dialogue really showcases their personalities . . . There are some wonderful comedy moments throughout . . . but when you stop laughing, you realize that a very important message has been subtly threaded into the scene . . . There are so many messages throughout [the novella] that will make you ponder on the real meaning of success, happiness and being true to yourself. Highly recommended."--Lesley Jones, Readers' Favorite (5 Stars)
"On the one hand, the tale involves ten-year-old Dakota falling asleep, and following a playful squirrel into a strange world where he encounters a host of new characters and their issues. On the other hand, those characters and their problems represent the social, political, and economic hardships of being in contemporary America . . . [and] capture perfectly an allegory for the stresses and trials that we put on ourselves as adults, which can often be viewed by children as silly problems that shouldn't really exist. It's the beauty of this contrast that gives the work its charm throughout, and the plot winds in a surreal but entertaining fashion back towards reality. Overall, Dakota and the American Dream is an ingenious and fun work of satirical fantasy fiction."--K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite (5 Stars)

About the Author

SAMEER GARACH was born in Houston in 1986 and earned a BA in Mathematics with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin. During graduate studies in quantitative finance, he developed a passion for writing and subsequently wrote his first novel, "The Bull Option," a unique and cunning financial thriller that moves at a breakneck pace. He later went on to write "Dakota and the American Dream," a charming and hilarious contemporary satire that entertains adults as well as children.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08258JNPC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mare Press
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 25, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.1 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 158 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0999057445
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 6 ratings

About the author

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Sameer Garach

Sameer Garach

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SAMEER GARACH was born in Houston in 1986 and earned a BA in Mathematics with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin. During graduate studies in quantitative finance, he developed a passion for writing and subsequently wrote his first novel, "The Bull Option," a unique and cunning financial thriller that moves at a breakneck pace. He later went on to write "Dakota and the American Dream," a charming and hilarious contemporary satire that entertains adults as well as children.

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www.sameergarach.com

@sameergarach (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
6 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kimberly
    4.0 out of 5 stars if your into intelligent satire that really makes you pay attention and think.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2020
    Thank you to the Author for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a honest and unbiased review*

    I have for you Dakota and the American Dream, a book about a young child who falls into the land of corporate America. Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about this book, on one hand it handles a lot of sensitive topics that should be discussed, on the other hand Garach was a bit ambitious about it. Due to the fact that this is a book for children it just didn't have the the length to be able to discuss all of the topics as meaningfully as it needed to be covered.

    The story itself is a bit fast paced, moving form scene to scene and chapter to chapter very quickly. Also, at first I did have a bit of trouble with the writing style. You can tell that Garach was trying to channel Carrol in his work. Once I got past the first chapter it didn't become an issue anymore. Considering that this book is inspired by Lewis Carroll's Though the Looking Glass, you can see many elements of that story throughout, just more modernized. Such as a green squirrel with a fitbit instead of a white rabbit with a pocket watch. I did enjoy the story but I will admit its not for everyone.

    I do love Dakota, he is so innocent yet insightful. There's something in witnessing a child be put in situations that you have seen or be put into (You know, except for the people being animal parts) and him interpreting it in a child would, in a way you would never do. I also like how he relates each situation to one he's had (even if it is different) because that's what children do which is why children are so important.

    Garach's writing is witty, intelligent and can easily paint a scene using a few words. I only wish the book was a bit longer so Garach could explore each topic further. Overall, if your into intelligent satire that really makes you pay attention and think then this book is for you.
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  • Deandra B.
    3.0 out of 5 stars What's more fitting?
    Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2020
    What's more fitting, I ask you, at this time in our lives than a satire of "The American Dream"? In a world that was just crazed by mass toilet paper hoarding, "Dakota and the American Dream" by Sameer Garach brings a satirical spotlight to shine upon all that once was wrong with corporate America, in the days before social distancing. Told through the eyes of ten year old Dakota, "Dakota and the American Dream" immerses the reader in a wonderland utopia of nonsensical commercialism and doesn't stop until the MC is literally expelled out of a cannon because he has been fired due to old age.
    Author Sameer Garach presents us with many examples of what an unsuspecting job candidate may experience while entering the workforce- how a job may not be the right fit but you take it anyway, how you can be clueless but still climb the corporate ladder, and how office politics can knock you from the top for seemingly no reason at all. I was surprised at how deep the parody went and how out of control the situations all seemed to Dakota, who didn't even want to start a career but was playing at being an adult, which I will admit hit a little close to home a time or two.

    Thank you, Mr. Garach, for an interesting read. I don't know how you did it, but "Dakota and the American Dream" definitely left my head spinning and wondering just what it is we are all doing.
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  • Grady Harp
    5.0 out of 5 stars Chasing our own Dream
    Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2020
    Texas author Sameer Garach earned his degree in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and graduate studies in quantitative finance. Embellishing his career with writing, Sameer made his literary debut with THE BULL OPTION, exploring Wall Street in a financial thriller, and now he turns to satire in this engaging new venture, DAKOTA AND THE AMERICAN DREAM. His intended audience – ages 8 – 18, but his keen wit and style makes this a very satisfying outing (read ‘revelation!’) for adults!

    One of the many aspects of Sameer’s writing that makes his book so enjoyable is the quality of his writing – skilled, informed, imaginative and rollicking! Many of us wonder about how our new level of contemporary communication vis-à-vis the high-tech influence will affect such treasures as “books” (those icons of wisdom and entertainment that actually can be placed on a shelf for frequent and continued perusal). With this fine novel (‘novella’) the author assures us that that beloved tradition will continue. He manages to tell a story (think, Alice in Wonderland), infuse it with satire and parody, cover those omnipresent topics of life such as aging and other things that ‘need fixing,’ and in doing offers a platform of entertaining and yet thought provoking wisdom.

    To sample a touch of his prose, ‘Dakota was tire of playing catch with his mother at the park, and wanting to rest, he cuddled up to her on a bench, careful not to tip over the coffee cup she sipped at. He glanced at the laptop she was working on, once or twice. But it had no games to ply or movies to watch, and Dakota thought, ”What is the use of a computer if it has no games or movies?” Just a hint of the persona of Dakota and the story begins.

    Sameer wisely condenses the plot (and the messages therein) for his readers: ‘When ten-year-old Dakota becomes bored sitting next to his mother on a park bench, he drifts off and falls into a dream in which he follows a squirrel down a game of hopscotch until he finds himself in a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures.
    The satirical tale plays with many themes characteristic of America and its corporate culture as seen through the expert eyes of a child - the trials and tribulations of growing up, or overweight, or old, and ridiculous points of sharp humor, such as the American Dream, the rat race, racism in the workplace, the corporate ladder and hierarchy, office romance, an unhealthy love affair with body image, the obsession with prescription medication, the work and coffee culture, the constant fear of losing one’s job, the importance of golf in career success, happy hour and team-building exercises, age discrimination, and the diversity of dialect found in the United States - a satire on language, a corporate allegory, a reflection of contemporary history, and a parody of twenty-first-century children’s literature.’ (Condensed a bit).

    This new book marks the arrival of a significant new talent on the literary scene – a young man with a solid future, whose keen mind offers fine concepts while entertaining us briskly. Very Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 20
    This book is free to borrow from Kindle Unlimited
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  • Amanda C
    4.0 out of 5 stars Funny and makes you think
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2020
    This was a really well written witty story. I enjoyed the satire and imagination that went into it. I definitely got some modern Alice in Wonderland vibes and it touched in relatable themes - like growing up, the American dream, office culture, and so much more.

    The characters were all unique with different voices and personalities. I really enjoy that throughout the humour, it actually really makes you think.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Khyati Gautam
    4.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative and realistic.
    Reviewed in India on July 27, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Dakota and the American Dream by Sameer Garach is an imaginative tale laced with humor and sharp sarcasm. It is about a 10-year-old boy Dakota who gets into the world of Corporate America. He meets strange characters in an even more quaint setting. Through his story, the author attempts to bring forth the reality of how it is to survive in Corporate America along with the thought process of a child growing up.

    The book effortlessly deals with two different aspects - one that of a child is starting to grow and shape his life. And while he is at it, he tends to suffer from several complexes related to his size, weight, etc. On the other hand, the story considers the nuances of corporate America in a with manner.  Inspired by The Alice in Wonderland, the book does recreate the magic of fantasy while spewing sarcasm at reality.

    As Dakota grows up, both physically and professionally, we get a peek into the battles taking place in corporate culture. There is heavy racism, rat race, indifference, cut-throat competition, survival instinct kicking in the gut, and whatnot. And the author has done a good job of creating as well as developing the story. The writing is fine and maintains a steady pace throughout. I was intrigued by the story in the first half of the book and found myself a bit pulled off in the latter half. Perhaps, the book wasn't for me and so, I ended up taking longer than usual to finish it.

    Nonetheless, I will take the moment to commend the author for building up a story that is thoroughly engaging and pretty much imaginative. The smooth narration and well-sketched characters along with the clear execution of the intent made it a good one. It's a book that could be read by children and adults alike for the atmosphere of a children's book and intent of a contemporary satire.
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