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crowsandprose's review against another edition
4.0
Cory Doctrow, is above all things, a journalist and activist. Sadly, the passion for this subject is the book's biggest failings -- we sacrifice character and plot a bit for huge dumps of information that slow and clog. Having met the man, spoken with him -- I hear Marcus speak with his voice and that's the major failing of the book. I hear Cory in every page. His journalistic background injures him here, because the author is supposed to vanish into the page, to not be a character themselves.
I'm going to forgive that, though. I'm going to forgive that Marcus doesn't sound quite like any teenager I know or knew, I'm going to ignore that sometimes we got bogged down in technical details or historical details instead of moving plot or developing character a little further, because this is the book that every post-9/11 kid should be reading. This is the book that reminds of what we were before, what we are now, and what tools both we and the enemy have to sway us in the direction of both freedom and tyranny.
I'm going to buy a copy for my niece and nephew. (I might even give him my signed, paper copy!) I want them to know how important this is. How important Marcus's fight is, because it's the fight they're inheriting from adults that failed to protect their liberties. I want them to remember they're young, but they're capable of creating great change. I want them to be able to hope again. I want them to get mad at the idea of Marcus being shipped off shore to Syria or wherever else torture is being outsourced. I want them to feel the same passionate rage I did when Severe Haircut Woman escapes real punishment. I want them to be able to draw parallels between real world events and the fiction used to teach them about it.
I want them to think, and for all the flaws this book has -- this will make them think. So I highly recommend it for anyone with young relatives, anyone who wants to remember just how much power a single citizen can have, and just how bad it got and how could it could be again.
So: Little Brother, 4 out of 5 - a must read not for it's skill or artistry, but because it's a damned important book for our times.
I'm going to forgive that, though. I'm going to forgive that Marcus doesn't sound quite like any teenager I know or knew, I'm going to ignore that sometimes we got bogged down in technical details or historical details instead of moving plot or developing character a little further, because this is the book that every post-9/11 kid should be reading. This is the book that reminds of what we were before, what we are now, and what tools both we and the enemy have to sway us in the direction of both freedom and tyranny.
I'm going to buy a copy for my niece and nephew. (I might even give him my signed, paper copy!) I want them to know how important this is. How important Marcus's fight is, because it's the fight they're inheriting from adults that failed to protect their liberties. I want them to remember they're young, but they're capable of creating great change. I want them to be able to hope again. I want them to get mad at the idea of Marcus being shipped off shore to Syria or wherever else torture is being outsourced. I want them to feel the same passionate rage I did when Severe Haircut Woman escapes real punishment. I want them to be able to draw parallels between real world events and the fiction used to teach them about it.
I want them to think, and for all the flaws this book has -- this will make them think. So I highly recommend it for anyone with young relatives, anyone who wants to remember just how much power a single citizen can have, and just how bad it got and how could it could be again.
So: Little Brother, 4 out of 5 - a must read not for it's skill or artistry, but because it's a damned important book for our times.
dantebrevity's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
paneerakbari's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Equal parts Young Adult campaign against authoritarian control and anti-surveillance reference book. Doctorow captures the post-traumatic cultural shock of a terrorist attack while delivering his signature critical observations of the ensuing security theater and erosion of liberties. What's more, he smartly depicts the inner logic of a too-clever teenager in the process of discovering the too-real dilemma of balancing liberty and security in a complex, nuanced world.
It is worth noting that a trope across Doctorow's work is that the antagonist is rarely some antisocial villain mustache-twirling their way to world domination, instead it is often a human-defined system enrolling its supporters by entrapping its victims.
It is worth noting that a trope across Doctorow's work is that the antagonist is rarely some antisocial villain mustache-twirling their way to world domination, instead it is often a human-defined system enrolling its supporters by entrapping its victims.
wormposting's review against another edition
5.0
my 7th grade english teacher recommended this book to me and my best friend and now were both communists with engineering degrees
theinkybaroness's review against another edition
3.0
A thought-provoking read, heavy themes, neither comfortable nor heartening, but exposing, paranoia-inducing, radical. Scarily prescient look at the future -- or rather, at our current world, for Doctorow's 2007 future is Here in ways even he probably couldn't have imagined.
abbyl819's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
This is a book that I had never heard of before and probably wouldn’t have read if I hadn’t had to, but I am so glad that I did. The story and characters were so interesting, and the plot took directions that I never would have guessed. I really loved the writing style used. It reminds of the writing in The Martian by Andy Weir, because it also uses super detailed technical descriptions of the science and technology behind what they are doing and why. I love this writing style because it teaches me knew things, makes sure I understand what is going on and why, and also helps immerse you in the story. Based on the beginning I thought that the game Harajuku Fun Madness would come back and be more important, and it’s clue and technology based focus made it seem really interesting and reminded me of books like Ready Player One. I love games in books and hope that the sequel (which I definitely intend on reading) involves Marcus, Darryl, Jolu, and Van solving the game.
This is a book that I had never heard of before and probably wouldn’t have read if I hadn’t had to, but I am so glad that I did. The story and characters were so interesting, and the plot took directions that I never would have guessed. I really loved the writing style used. It reminds of the writing in The Martian by Andy Weir, because it also uses super detailed technical descriptions of the science and technology behind what they are doing and why. I love this writing style because it teaches me knew things, makes sure I understand what is going on and why, and also helps immerse you in the story. Based on the beginning I thought that the game Harajuku Fun Madness would come back and be more important, and it’s clue and technology based focus made it seem really interesting and reminded me of books like Ready Player One. I love games in books and hope that the sequel (which I definitely intend on reading) involves Marcus, Darryl, Jolu, and Van solving the game.
mcr314's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book. Do not read if suffering from paranoia or if your faith inthe fatherland is in doubt.
Remind yourself that it FICTION, not a news report.
Remind yourself that it FICTION, not a news report.
mcr314's review against another edition
5.0
This was an amazing book.
VERY DARK and very believable.
I had to keep reminding myself it was fiction.
VERY DARK and very believable.
I had to keep reminding myself it was fiction.
squeakywindow's review against another edition
4.0
Read this one in about a day, which, for me, says a lot. Set in the not so distant future, the government uses a terrorist attack to give Homeland Security free reign in the name of safety. It fits perfectly into my anti-authority state of mind at the moment, and the ride was pretty fun. Lots of geeky tech topics kept me interested, though some of the history of San Fransico did seem to go on too long at times.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.