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You can learn a lot about someone looking through their hard drive...Here is the thing. We all have some dream personalities we want to be and professions or things we want to learn so when you think about that one of mine is actually hacking. I have no idea why but I always wanted to learn that. I generally am good with technology and all that but hacking is a world I'd love to discover. So Assured Destruction always appealed to me and it was high time to get to it.
Sixteen-year-old Jan Rose knows that nothing is ever truly deleted. At least, not from the hard drives she scours to create the online identities she calls the Shadownet.
Hobby? Art form? Sad, pathetic plea to garner friendship, even virtually? Sure, Jan is guilty on all counts. Maybe she’s even addicted to it. It’s an exploration. Everyone has something to hide. The Shadownet’s hard drives are Jan’s secrets. They're stolen from her family’s computer recycling business Assured Destruction. If the police found out, Jan’s family would lose its livelihood.
When the real people behind Shadownet’s hard drives endure vicious cyber attacks, Jan realizes she is responsible. She doesn’t know who is targeting these people or why but as her life collapses Jan must use all her tech savvy to bring the perpetrators to justice before she becomes the next victim.
Like I said Jan is someone whose abilities I wish to have. She is one with computer, networking and programming and I admired her easiness while coding and creating new characters. Even though her addiction was sometimes hard to understand still with her mother's disability and everything she has to deal with it was a place where she could be herself. Despite her skills soon she realizes that this world is much bigger and cruel and that virtual and real world often don't have boundaries.
Jan is a character who I liked while seeing her in front of computer as I could understand her then, only problem for me is when outside of virtual world I couldn't connect with her. There were many gaps in her life which disabled me of understanding her views and attitude towards others. Also too many gaps in her feelings so I never knew which guy is she thinking of and this kind of love triangle didn't help me with it.
But all in all, it was an interesting world to be in for a while and I will be seeing Jan soon again.
Rating: 3 stars.
*If you check back tomorrow, you'll have a chance to see my review for the second book in this series, Script Kiddie!
Until the next time,
Me, too, actually! I really want to learn the world of hacking and coding myself. There are endless possibilities and things you can do with it. I wish I learnt coding instead of stupid politics when I was still in college :P Would've been more useful :P
OdgovoriIzbrišiBack to the book, sorry it was partly null, Tanja. I get what you're feeling though. Disconnection to the setting is largely important, too, not just disconnection the character, because if the setting and backgrounds itself feels like a disillusionment, how can you even feel the hero or heroine's plight? :/
Great review!
Faye at The Social Potato Reviews
Hacking would be a fun talent to have although I am sure you could get yourself into a lot of trouble with it. :P
OdgovoriIzbrišiNot sure I'd be able to enjoy this or get behind the character with all the gaps, but I'm glad that -- for the most part -- you really enjoyed this. Fantastic review, Tanja!
OdgovoriIzbrišiHacking would be pretty fun! I haven't heard of this one before, and it does seem like something I might enjoy.
OdgovoriIzbrišiGreat review, Tanja! <33
Yes Tanja! I've always wished I had the skills to be a hacker too! I'm not great with computers, and whenever I see a movie or TV show with some computer wiz who can get past encryptions and firewalls and what not I can't help but be jealous. Too bad you couldn't connect with Jan outside computers, but I'm glad the world overall was appealing to you:)
OdgovoriIzbrišiAlthough Jan sounds like she's a smart girl, I don't think I would like her because of the love triangle. I've started to hate any girl in the middle of love triangles these days. I have no patience.
OdgovoriIzbrišiI'm glad you liked the book overall though! Lovely review, Tanja!
It sounds like something different and it's always nice to have a original story but I confess I'm not sure it would be for me though... Thanks for the discovery.
OdgovoriIzbrišiI also have a bit of an obsession with hacking and in particular hactivism. This sounds like an entertaining read, even if you couldn't enjoy Jan's character and her romance as much as you would have liked. Look forward to your review of book two!
OdgovoriIzbrišiWell explained thanks for sharing your valuable feedback its really very helpful for all such a good collections.
OdgovoriIzbrišiHard Drive Destruction