Warcross

Warcross by Marie Lu, 353 pages

“For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn't just a game--it's a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships--only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation. Convinced she's going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game's creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year's tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika's whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she's only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.” I can’t wait for the sequel to this book.  It was really good and even though the book was unfinished enough to make me want the sequel, this story wrapped up enough that I’m not angry about needing to wait.  I would highly recommend this to teens who like science fiction and fantasy.

Girl in the Spider's Web

Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz, 400 pages

Girl in the Spider's Web is listed as the fourth book or the continuation of the "Millennium" series, you know the one with Lisbeth Salander, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was, when picking up this book very leery about reading it. To often I have see series destroyed and made unreadable with a change of authors, Yes I am looking at you Lustbader. But that is not the case here. Lagercrantz beautifully continued not only the characters that we know and love, but his writing style is so similar to Larsson's that at times I forgot that this was not by Stieg.

Girl in the Spider's Web like the rest of the series focuses on Lisbeth and Mikael. Mikael has been living off the fame generated by the events previously, but Millennium, his newspaper company, is slowly sinking. So when a person calls with a story of vital importance Mikael jumps at the chance. He soon learns that Lisbeth has been investigating the same story and turns to her for help. But what they uncover are secrets that people are willing to kill to protect.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the previous volumes in the Millennium series. I would, however, caution that this book does not work as a stand alone, it needs the series and the backstory to fill out the plot.

The Millennium series, often called the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, ranks among my all-time favorite books/series, and I think is the only series of which I have a complete set. I look forward to eventually adding Girl in the Spider's Web to my shelves.

Zeroes

Zeroes by Chuck Wendig
419 Pages

"Five hackers--an Anonymous-style rabble-rouser, an Arab Spring hacktivist, a black-hat hacker, an old-school cipherpunk, and an online troll--are detained by the U.S. government, forced to work as white-hat hackers for Uncle Sam in order to avoid federal prison. At a secret complex known only as "the Lodge," where they will spend the next year working as an elite cyber-espionage team, these misfits dub themselves "the Zeroes." But once the Zeroes begin to work, they uncover secrets that would make even the most dedicated conspiracy theorist's head spin. And soon they're not just trying to serve their time, they're also trying to perform the ultimate hack: burrowing deep into the U.S. government from the inside, and hoping they'll get out alive. "


I enjoyed parts of this book but wish there had been more scenes detailing the hacking rather than the violence ensuing the convoluted plotline.