Little Brother [YA Book Review]

Thank Goodness the Timing Was Right

Just over ten years ago I was teaching in a school right across the water from the World Trade Center when our world changed forever. My brother was overseas in the Marines, my mother was home alone and I stood before classroom of students who didn't know if their parents made it to work that morning and whether or not they should be happy if they did.

I was scared. I was angry. And I was comforted by the enormous military planes that flew literally next to my classroom window. As I drove home from work on roads filled with military vehicles I didn't, for one moment, worry about my privacy, my rights or my freedom. I didn't consider the trade-off for security, however, when it became apparent that security = less privacy, I didn't argue.

I wasn't a bad guy. I had nothing to worry about. I was on the same side as the security force. Those who were questioned deserved it for some reason.

That was then... I don't agree with those beliefs any more. I don't know what changed my mind, or when I began to see the light, but I know if I had read this book before coming to this epiphany, I would have hated it. I think I would have been furious. I wonder if this book alone would have been nough to change my mind.

The Synopsis

Our protagonist, Marcus Yallow, is a high school student with some amazing computer skills. He does not just surf the Internet, he creates the waves. He is well versed in alternate reality gaming (live and/or virtual), cryptography, hacking, working around a system's software and building his own hardware. His closest friends can do the same. This is how they "play."

The story begins, simply enough, with Marcus and his friends cutting out of school to get a jump on the latest clue in their ARG (alternate reality game) in one of the seedier parts of San Francisco. They are armed to the tee with techie gear to help them with the game when all of a sudden an explosion rocks their world. San Francisco was attacked by terrorists and everyone in the city is in a panic. As Marcus and his friends try to make their way home, they are picked up by the Department of Homeland Security.

Marcus, who has a history of being uncooperative with authority figures, is suspected to be a terrorist and treated as such. Little Brother is the story of how one American teenager, with the intelligence and skills to do so, took on the DHS along with an entire underground movement to show them how flawed their security system was.

My Review

The title of Little Brother is a nice tip of the hat to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four and I argue that this book is just as haunting as the Orwellian classic, particularly if you live in America. I found the book fascinating from page one. Marcus, or w1n5t0n as he was known in the beginning of the story, is an intriguing character - he begins as a kid just looking to have a good time until circumstance turns him into a political activist. His ability to transform his skills once useful in his gaming and hobbies into the tools needed on the cutting edge of homeland security is fascinating. This book is full of suspense, espionage, politics, techie-talk, math and somewhere, in between all of the drama, is the incredible coming of age story of a kid in California that had to grow up way too fast.

There were so many points in my reading where I longed to be in my classroom again! Cory Doctorow does an amazing job of describing some fairly complex mathematics topics that I would love to share with students. The real-life applications of the concepts taught in the seemingly intangible world of mathematics seemed to jump off the page as Marcus teaches us about the intricacies of code, the problems with a test being only 99 percent accurate, and just living in a world of playing against probabilities all beg to be shared with high school students who can't see where mathematics could possibly come to life. In addition to the mathematics alive and well within these pages was the the overwhelming need for this book to be used in either an American History or Political Science class! There are a number of debates in Marcus's classes that simply beg the reader to put down their books for just a moment to engage others in a discussion about the Bill of Rights, the founding fathers and what it truly means to be an American.

I highly recommend this book. I dare to go so far as to say it is a must read for young adults. Marcus and his friends find ways to make a difference in their world without violence, without threats, without terror. This is not to say that they are free from danger. The book is exciting and thrilling, but also inspiring. I think it is an important book for those who may feel left out of the political discussion because our system deems them too young to vote.

Afterwords

I have to add one note about the Afterwords in this book. At first, when I saw that there was an Epilogue and multiple Afterwords I couldn't stop laughing. I thought the book would never end! However, when I read them I found them to be incredibly informative and useful. Each afterword was written by another "expert" in one of the fields addressed in the book. There was also a recommended reading section for anyone who's interest was piqued and wished to learn more about the worlds of security, cryptography, and even hacking. The value in each of these sections was that each of these topics were explained in a way so that the reader could understand their legitimacy. I found each of the afterwords valuable and a perfect end to a book full of thousands of new personal curiosities.

Have you read Little Brother?

Do you see computer hacking as a bad thing or a person's right to explore their own software/hardware?

Do you ever feel like "Big Brother" is watching over you?

This book was read and reviewed as part of my YA Read-a-Thon. This December I am reading as many real-life YA novels as I can in one month's time! Join in, check out the list of books that were recommended to me HERE. Or check into my YA Read-A-Thon Store to buy the books from Amazon.com.

Marcelo in the Real World [YA Book Review]

Let's Start At the Beginning

I've been approaching this YA Read-A-Thon that I'm doing in the month of December quite strangely. I asked for recommendations of realistic, or real-life, young adult novels and I have taken those recommendations blindly. I take the title and author given to me by strangers on the Internet, search out the book, pick it up and start reading. With each book I have absolutely no idea what I am about to read when I open the first pages. So far, it has turned out to be a pleasant experience, and rather exciting!

This has shown me the incredible importance of voice and first lines/paragraphs of a book. In Marcelo in the Real World I knew, by the third sentence that Marcelo was not a typical teenager like the protagonist of my previous read, Looking for Alaska. I think Francisco X. Stork should be applauded for this! Here are the first three sentences so you can see what I mean:

"Marcelo, are you ready?"
I lift up my thumb. It means that I am ready.

Did you catch it? It means that I am ready. Such a simple statement, but within it carries a bit of the story of Marcelo. Marcelo is someone who thinks that a "thumbs up" needs explaining. Now... what kind of kid would think that?

Of course, as the sentences continue we get more and more clues about the things Marcelo feels he needs to explain to us and the things that are said to him, but I am fascinated by the fact that even if I stopped right here, at the third sentence, and I thought about it I would already have some pretty good ideas about who Marcelo is.

But I digress...

Who Is Marcelo?

 Marcelo Sandoval is a junior in high school who is on the autism spectrum. Marcelo explains it in the following way,

From a medical perspective, the closest description of my condition is Asperger's syndrome. But I don't have many of the characteristics that other people with Asperger's syndrome have, so that term is not exactly accurate. (page 55)

Arturo, Marcelo's father, believes Marcelo is more than capable of functioning in the "real world" given the opportunity. On the other hand, Marcelo has been enrolled in a special school his entire life and doesn't want to leave.

A deal is struck. Arturo says that Marcelo can choose at the end of the summer whether or not he will go back to his special school in the Fall for his senior year, or attend a public high school for his senior year in high school if and only if he agrees to work in his law firm in the mail room and abide by the rules of the "real world" for the entire summer. Marcelo, who was looking forward to working with the horses at his school over the summer, is heart-broken and resistant to the idea, however, he decides the deal is fair as long as he can pick his own school no matter what happens over the summer.

The novel takes us through Marcelo's entire summer adventure in a first person perspective that shed's a light on Arturo's law firm that the "real world" oftentimes misses. Throughout the novel, as Marcelo asks questions to try to gain a greater understanding of the rules of the real world, he often leaves the real world with questions of its own. For this reason, Marcelo makes an impact almost everywhere he goes whether he realizes it or not. This is a coming of age story, but, surprisingly, it also has a bit of a mystery in it as well.

My Review

Marcelo is an amazing protagonist. His voice, while often characterized in our "real world" as special-needs, is portrayed in this novel as a perspective of child-like clarity. Right and wrong, and trust in fellow humans, have not been blurred by the compromises of age, experience or competition. At first, this seems like a weakness that will surely bring Marcelo down in the nitty-gritty world of a highly competitive law firm, but, in time, it serves as a pure lens through which to survey the world as it is. I was left wondering should Marcelo be learning the rules of the real world, or should we, in the "real world", be adapting to his rules?

Beyond Marcelo, there is a cast of characters serving various purposes in Marcelo's world - we have a love interest, a villain (I actually put down the book at one point and yelled, "This guy is such a scumbag!"), the villain's father, Marcelo's family, Marcelo's religious mentor (Marcelo is very interested in religion), a lawyer who seems to be a genuine "good guy" and a mysterious girl that Marcelo feels compelled to save. I was surprised by the depth of this book. As I kept reading further and further and the plot kept getting deeper and deeper I was amazed by all the story within.

This was an excellent read. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in coming of age stories and particularly anyone who has family members, friends, classmates, or students on the autism spectrum. Having finished the book more than a week ago, I can honestly say I miss Marcelo. He made me think different, and there are so many times in this life where that is the greatest gift of all.

Have you read Marcelo in the Real World?

If so, what was your perspective?

For those of you who know someone on the autism spectrum, what have you learned from them lately?

Who/what make you "think different"?

This book was read and reviewed as part of my YA Read-a-Thon. This December I am reading as many real-life YA novels as I can in one month's time! Join in, check out the list of books that were recommended to me HERE. Or check into my YA Read-A-Thon Store to buy the books from Amazon.com.

Looking for Alaska [YA Book Review]

How I Found Looking for Alaska
 
I asked people for their favorites. I asked for what they deemed the best in current realistic young adult fiction.

One name kept creeping up: John Green, and paired with that name was, more often than not, his novel Looking for Alaska.

I put the name on my mental list. I planned on picking it up at the library when I made my trip on Friday. However, on Thursday, when Christmas shopping at Marshall's, I found it on the check out line. I couldn't believe it.

I decided I would treat myself to this one Christmas gift and start my YA Read-a-Thon one day earlier than I thought.

It didn't take long for me to understand why so many people provided this book  as one of their favorites.

My Summary
 
We meet Miles Halter, a soon-to-be junior in high school, sitting in his Florida living room waiting for his "school friends" to bid him good-bye as he readies for a dramatic shift in life; he is leaving for a boarding school in Alabama. Miles, an intelligent and well-read teen obsessed with "last lines," knows what his parents seem unable to admit - there will be no going away party, Miles does not have "school friends" that would invest that much time to come say good-bye.

This is part of the reason Miles has asked to go to boarding school. He is on a quest for what he calls "the Great Perhaps" as inspired by François Rabelais's last words ("I go to seek a Great Perhaps."). Miles doesn't want to wait until he dies to seek "the Great Perhaps" so he, instead, asks if he can attend the boarding school his father attended as a teen, Culiver Creek Boarding School.

As readers, we are taken on Miles's coming-of-age journey where he finds not only a "Great Perhaps," but also friendship, love, and himself, in a world so unlike the one he came from that he has no choice but to learn from nearly every single experience, person and class. In stark contrast to his Florida life, Miles, nicknamed "Pudge," finds himself in a close-knit groups of friends that share all facets of life with him. One of the friends Miles is especially taken with is Alaska Young, the girl in Culiver Creek that every guy wants, but realizes is too much to handle. Miles finds himself enraptured, in love and, as readers, we are captivated along with him.

As the group grows ever closer and the Miles/Alaska relationship grows more complicated, the entire school is given a shock that shakes even the headmaster to his core. Miles is left questioning who he has become, the importance of his studies, his "Great Perhaps," his love of Alaska and motivations of all of his new friends. It is this portion of the book that John Green entitles "after" which leads us to an extremely poignant conclusion that leaves readers reflecting on their one time invincibility, their unavoidable mortality and the beauty of forgiveness.

My Review

This was the first John Green book I have ever read. I was impressed by his fluidity with the language. By the time I had completed the novel's first paragraph, I was in awe about how much I could say about Miles already. Green conveyed character not only through descriptions, situations and dialogue, but also through an extremely strong voice.With this skill he breathed rich, diversified characteristics into the entire world of Looking for Alaska.

Add me to the throngs who will recommend -- no push -- anyone who asks, to read Looking for Alaska. I imagine some parents might be concerned with some of the topics that are brought to life within these pages, such as school-wide pranks and mischief, underage drinking and smoking, and sexual content, however, I feel, for one, that it is precisely these types of "kids behaving badly" activities that lift up Looking for Alaska to a point where one can honestly say, "Yep. That's exactly what kids - even smart ones - would be doing in a situation like this!" I think when your young adult chooses this book to read, it would be important to remember that he/she is a young adult, not a young child and, before YA books became all the rage, children in the YA age group often found their way to adult novels.

 Have you read Looking for Alaska (or any other John Green books)? 

What's your opinion?

How do you feel about subjects such as underage drinking and sexual content finding their way into YA novels?

What's your favorite coming-of-age novel? 

 This book was read and reviewed as part of my YA Read-a-Thon. This December I am reading as many real-life YA novels as I can in one month's time! Join in, check out the list of books that were recommended to me HERE. Or check into my YA Read-A-Thon Store to buy the books from Amazon.com.

December's Challenge: My YA Read-A-Thon

My Motivation
 
Last month I took on a challenge to write. I still can't believe I accomplished it. I wrote the first draft of a young adult novel. After finishing such a large endeavor, most authors advise stepping away from the work for at least three weeks before attempting to reread and/or edit the piece. It is my plan to return to my work in January, giving myself a full month of time and space between the writing and the editing.

It was an easy enough decision to make, however, as the end of November came closer and closer, the idea of not writing that story any more seemed closer to impossible. I decided I would have to come up with some thing else to occupy my mind (in addition to holiday preparations that are simply not distracting enough when you are as broke as I am!) so I would NOT be tempted to reopen my novel's file!

What I'm Doing 

I decided to do some very enjoyable research - I devised My YA Read-A-Thon! For the entire month of December I am reading as many real-life/coming of age young adult novels as I can (I have not set a number, because I do not know, realistically, what I am capable of at this point). For this particular venture I am not interested in Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal or any type of YA novel that is not what is considered "realistic." If you are wondering why, the answer is simple - my novel is a realistic YA novel, so I am looking to focus on that particular portion of the YA world.

How Will I Pick My Books

I made this decision in the last week of November. At the same time, I started requesting recommendations all over the virtual world - twitter, Reddit, Google+ - and have received a bunch of recommendations, but I am still looking for more. I am looking for the best real-life YA novels out there - your favorites, your recommendations, the ones that made you go hmm. I'm looking for the books I may have missed out on during my non reading times, during my recovery. I am working purely off of recommendations from others, and, after four days (and two books) on this journey, it has been amazing.

The List So Far

These are the books that have been recommended to me so far, in no particular order. If a series was recommended, I simply wrote down the first book in the series (because I have a serious problem with jumping into the middle of things!) Otherwise, if any MG (middle grade) books were recommended, I did not put them here, but will probably look into them at a later date!

• Green, John Looking for Alaska [read: my review]
  
• Stork X. Francisco Marcelo in the Real World [read: my review]
• Kelley, Tara Harmonic Feedback
• Han, Jenny The Summer I Turned Pretty
• Nelson, Jandy The Sky is Everywhere
• McCafferty, Megan Sloppy Firsts
• Ockler, Sarah Twenty Boy Summer
• Hopkins, Ellen Crank [read]
• Doctorow, Cory Little Brother [read]
• Hoban, Julia Willow
• Perkins, Stephanie Anna and the French Kiss
• Portman, Frank King Dork
• Phillips, Gillian Crossing the Line
• Anderson, Laurie Halse Speak [previously read]
  
• Morgan, Nicola Wasted
• David, Keren When I Was Joe
• Asher, Jay 13 Reasons Why [previously read]
• Brooks, Kevin Lucas

I am in a battle with my library (not really, but I'm internally disappointed with them) over the lack of availability of many of these books. I am creating a mega-hold list so the books can be shipped over here so I can pick them up, but eventually, I will get my hands on them. There are also a couple of recommendations here that I have already read and would recommend myself, but, for the most part, these are new to me which is very exciting!   

What This Means for Rivera Runs Through It...

Due to this challenge, you should expect a bunch of book reviews coming at you this month! I'm working on Looking for Alaska and Marcelo in the Real World as we speak, as they are my first two completed reads so far, so expect them  at some point this week! Along with, who knows what else (I have to select and start reading my third book already!). Also, I would love to hear from you if you have read any of these books or if you have any others you would like me to add to my list! (Some of the above might not make it to my library in December, so I might need replacements.)

If You Want to Follow Along

I suppose there are two ways to follow along all of my madness beyond just waiting around for posts here on the the blog. One is on twitter - I have been tweeting about my readings using the hashtag #myYAReadAThon. The other, of course, is to befriend me on Goodreads - a site I have been involved with for the longest time and KNOW I am still not using to its fullest capacity!

Whichever you choose, I hope we can share some great book fun this month!

I put all of the books in one Amazon store called "My YA Read-A-Thon" which can be accessed here on Rivera Runs Through It, or as a stand alone store. Either way, it's a pretty good resource for reviews and, if you want to buy one of the books I would truly appreciate your patronage to amazon through those sites!

Happy Reading!!