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Reviewed by Carmen Tenorio for Readers' Favorite
David L. Wadley’s Kamala 2028 follows Mika Johnson, an organizer raised on the legacy of the Black Panther community activism. She discovers an artificial intelligence system developed by the founder of Halcyon Labs, who intends to use it to ruin the upcoming 2028 election and profit from market volatility through lies, misinformation, and deepfake videos. Mika joins a diverse team of black women called Sisters Forward, and they soon realize that the AI system plans to execute a "narrative bomb" attacking Vice President Kamala Harris and instigating widespread riots. Using Panther infrastructure and its hidden pathways, they travel to Washington, D.C., to stop Kamala from delivering an algorithm-based national broadcast that would lead to disastrous consequences. Sisters Forward, Mika, and Kamala join forces to combat the destructive programming. They create the “Unity Wave” structure and networking based not only on their digital literacy but also on the strength of authentic human relationships through friendship and community. Can they dismantle the highly sophisticated wrecking ball bent on creating nationwide anarchy? Will Kamala be able to deliver her message without being hijacked by an algorithm that will sabotage her image and manipulate the elections?
David L. Wadley’s notably rhythmic writing, combined with his meticulous technical and sensory details, results in a story that’s vivid, realistic, urgent, and evocative, but is nevertheless soulful and moving. Using poetically arranged figures of speech and descriptive verbs, he successfully blends political commentary with immersive action and pacing. The plot is speculative and tense, but it is clever and reflective as it incorporates themes built on the power of community, legacy and heritage, technology versus humanity, truth and disinformation, and the risks and dangers of artificial intelligence. The character development is inspiring, especially when you see determination and leadership evolve into fully-fledged courage, creativity, strength, and resolve. Kamala 2028 is recommended not only to readers who enjoy techno-thrillers and high-stakes action, but also to political and history readers, fans of Afrofuturism, strong female characters, community-based heroism, and future leaders as well.