Book Review #2 - Little Brother

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

Book Review #1 - The Hunger Games

For a long time I had the wish to talk about books on this blog. But there was never enough time or I didn't feel encouraged to. But the last books I've read kind of asked me for a review, for I had so much to talk about them. So, I decided to start, no matter what. I am planning to do more posts about the books I read, and I would be very thankful to have a feedback from any reader of this blog. :)


Writing about the newest launches is not my purpose, for I don't keep up with all the news on the bookstores, so I'll write about any book I read, no matter if it was published last year or two centuries ago. I hope you enjoy it!

And, for my first review...

The Hunger Games

the cover of the edition I've read

Synopsis:
In a dark vision of the near future, twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live TV show called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: Kill or be killed.
When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister’s place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature. 
from: www.scholastic.com/thehungergames

My review:
 I must admit that when I first heard of this book it wasn't much appealing to me, so I only decided to read it because so many friends recommended me to. So, it wasn't with much expectation that I first opened the book.
While reading, what actually started to win my attention was the fact that I simply couldn't guess the plot. I always thought that the next facts would be the very obvious, but then the book surprised me with something completely different from my expectations (but please note that I'm not very good at guessing plots). Then I got involved with the plot and realized a couple of things about it.
Suzanne Collins shows us a society that worships these Hunger Games, what means they worship war and killing. They love the Hunger Games. And my first thought about that was that they were shameful brainless people.
But, as the book goes on and the game starts, many times Katniss saw an enemy on arena and all these times I thought "go there, kill him/her right away!". After some time, I realized that I had my favorite tributes and I that was hoping that they would kill the others and win the games.
Then it came to me that I had actually become one of the Hunger Games watchers! Just like all those cruel and brainless people in the Capital.
What I think Suzanne Collins does very well on this book is to show us how we, too, are thirsty for blood and war, no matter how disgusting we know that is. I think that she can address especially to Americans, her first readers, for they are a country that worships soldiers and war heros (in a way I have never seen in Brazil, for example). She also talks of oppression and builds a country that is sick, in need for justice and for freedom - ideas that are very important to every country, but that Americans widely speak of.
By realizing this I got quite involved with the book and, though some parts were kind of boring - for instance, some of Katniss's lonely moments in the arena - and some characters were too obvious - like Gale, he was useless to the plot so far -, I just couldn't wait to finish it and know how it was going to end.
So, I am very curious to read the next books, and I hope they will thrill me and teach me something about myself just like this one did.

My rate:
8/10