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
Este comentário foi removido pelo autor.
ResponderExcluirGonna start reading your blog more often. Great review, :D this book may be worth a try.
ResponderExcluirAnd here comes some comments which might help you next time you'll write something. Don't take it personally. And reply in case you disagree. This comment should start the promise we've made to each other, right? 'Speaking' English for the sake of practice.
"...where media and technology HAVE made..." I am assuming that there are still people who will be born and get skeptical.
"In a modern world..." As you are making comparisons here, you could be a bit more formal. Instead of 'In', try some more complex words, 'While, Whereas, Although', words which convey the same idea of opposition. Something like this: "Although media and technology in(?) the modern world have made.."
Same idea here: "Doctorow's Little Brother depicts/pictures/..."
I usually don't start a sentence with "And". You either simply could get rid of it or substitute for some other word.
"that believe it is wrong to fight the authorities, (you forgot a comma) and so on"
"Assemblances", nice word, but I think 'similarities' would fit the sentence better. More usual.
"(but also..." "(yet..."
about computers, hackers, (comma again) and even History"
"a regular teenager's life", you might want to say "an average teenager's life".
Last sentence a little bit confusing. I can understand because I'm used to this way of writing. Not sure if a native-speaking would though. You could rephrase this paragraph with something like this: "...life; even though annoying sometimes, it makes the characters somewhat more realistic"
I'll keep reading your blog. Wish you my best :-]
Hey Rody! I'm so grateful for your notes on my English. :D Thank you very much for it! I'll keep these notes and study to improve mainly my vocabulary.
ExcluirAbout those commas before the word "and", we don't use that often in Portuguese, that's the reason I didn't consider to use them. But I just asked a friend of mine who studies English and she said this comma is not always necessary (it's called Oxford comma, she said).
Thank you so much for keeping our promise of improving each other's English. I hope some day I can pay you back.
Take care!