Synopsis:
Marcus aka “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.
When the DHS finally releases them, his injured best friend Darryl does not come out. The city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: “M1k3y” will take down the DHS himself.
from: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/954674.Little_Brother
My review:
In a modern world where media and technology made people too skeptical for traditional monsters, one of them is still haunting us. Doctorow’s Little Brother shows us that fear is the most terrible of monsters, no matter how cliché that sounds.
Fear is what leads many characters in this story, and also what creates many of the conflicts. And this feeling is familiar to anyone who lived or watched big riots or resistance movements. Doctorow shows us many different characters of such movements - the nonconformist young people, the too-scared, the ones that believe it is wrong to fight the authorities and so on. I saw many assemblances to the period of riots in Brazil earlier this year, and even if you don't have the same political view as the author it is a very interesting topic to think about.
To soften such serious and grave topics, the story brings lots of very didactic (but also very interesting) facts about computers, hackers and even History. It also shows us moments of a regular teenager's life, which sometimes feels a little annoying (it may be boring to read about the sexual adventures of a 17 year-old when there's kind of a civil war going on), but at the same time makes the characters more realistic and captivating.
It is a believable and well written story, with very tense and also light and fun moments. Worth reading!
My rate:
8/10
