|  | Author: Cory Doctorow
Publisher: Tor Teen
Buy New: $9.99
as of 3/20/2010 12:28 CDT details
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  150 reviews
Sales Rank: 129198
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 416
Number Of Items: 1
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 1
ISBN: 0765323117
EAN: 9780765323118
ASIN: 0765323117
Publication Date: April 13, 2010 (In 24 Days)
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Not yet published
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 141-145 of 150
 Marred by one-dimensional villains May 9, 2008
Halfin
36 out of 61 found this review helpful
Little Brother starts off well, describing a near future world where online gaming overlaps into the real world, with the young computer-hacker hero using his skillz to outwit his teachers and other authorities. But it takes a shocking turn into ugly, sickening terror when he and his friends are unfairly targeted by Homeland Security in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. This is the big weakness of the book, that the HS agents are depicted as evil, one-dimensional thugs, seemingly interested only in mistreating and even torturing their captives even after it is clear that they have no relevant or helpful information.
We next see society deteriorating into a totalitarian despotism, with all movements monitored, and citizens pulled over for questioning merely because their driving patterns depart from normal. All this in a U.S. city only a few years in the future!
No doubt this is author Doctorow's interpretation of the American response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks as well as government prisons such as Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. He is entitled to his views on these matters, but when he turns them into vivid story lines as in this book, the results are just not credible and require (among other lapses) painting government agents as pure villains motivated only by their evil hearts.
The story is further hampered by the 17 year old protagonist mouthing speeches that would sound more natural coming from the 35 year old author than a high school boy, quoting extensively from the Declaration of Independence and seemingly armed with a wide knowledge of books discussing liberty and freedom.
Once we get past the first few pages, any sense of fun and excitement is lost, replaced throughout the rest of the story by a pervasive miasma of fear and horror that underlies all the action and ultimately detracts from the story. In the end I can't recommend this book for its target audience of teens. It is too polemical and works too hard in deadly seriousness to sell the notion that our national government is pure evil. In the end, Doctorow's political views overwhelm and kill the germ of an exciting story that he started with.
Fascinating plot setting May 9, 2008
Simple Simon
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Cory has walked the fine line of telling a technical tale to a mixed audience while keeping the story from losing too many people. There are sections where the book might appear to get a little too technical for some, or a little too watered down for others, depending upon the reader. Overall Cory has leaned slightly towards keeping the technology level low to keep the story from losing its pace. Which is good, since this isn't one of those books you will never finish. But on the other hand, his core readership could have used a little more technical wizardry.
It is clear that Cory has evolved his own style of writing that is different and somehow "current". You don't read Cory for the prose, but to read about stuff that few can write a novel length book on. To discover enjoyable youth lingo is a bonus. It is also clear that these are early days in Cory's literary career, and we can expect better stuff in days to come.
There are moments in the book that seemed familiar - like the scene where Marcus confronts Mrs Andersen reminded me of Harry Potter confronting Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In an otherwise original book, it made me wince a bit. Thankfully this was a brief scene.
Cory doesn't talk about the tracking threat of cell phones until much later in the book. For someone as paranoid as Marcus, worried about infrared cams spying on the get together of his web of trust inductees, letting them each carry a cell phone to the meeting and snap pictures is well, hard to believe. On the other hand, he is a 17 year old acting on instinct, and perhaps asking teenagers to leave their cell phones behind is well, impossible.
 Very well done indeed... May 7, 2008
J. Flood (New Jersey)
I enjoyed this book so much that I'm buying a hardcopy having already read it. I may not be trustworty since I'm "over 25", but I think this book deals with a lot of important concepts in a very approachable way. It'll be a gift to my soon to be 14 year old...
Excellent May 6, 2008
Chris K. Stephens
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
This book should be required reading for all Americans. If only to spark more lively debates about the nature of government and the implicit responsibilities of citizens.
Like many others, I could not put this book down once I started. This book reminded me a lot of V for Vendetta which is one of my all time favorite movies.
 Good read, but a bit awkward May 6, 2008
heavyd (New Haven, CT)
17 out of 23 found this review helpful
I enjoyed the book for the most part. It features a clever plot and fairly engaging characters. I also appreciate Cory licensing this under CC.
Nonetheless, I was somewhat disappointed. The bad guys are one-dimensional caricatures, and even some of the characters who experience reversals along the way just shift from one extreme to another. Neither are the good guys immune to engaging in awkward, expository debate as the cliches bounce back and forth. These contrivances may be aimed at a different audience, but I found myself somewhat annoyed. And I realize it's a nit-pick, but it also puts me off to see kids supposedly derived from California using words like "piccies" and ducking into the "toilet."
Overall, a fun read, but I honestly just couldn't get into it the way I had hoped.
Showing reviews 141-145 of 150
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