“Delving into the world of underground hacking, ReWired crackles with tension. I loved every cyber-second I was immersed in Ada’s world!”— Kimberly Derting, author of the The Body Finder series16-year-old Ada Lovelace is never more alive and sure of herself than when she’s hacking into a “secure” network as her alter ego, the Dark Angel. In the real world, Ada is broken, reeling from her best … is broken, reeling from her best friend Simone’s recent suicide. But online, the reclusive daughter of Senator Lovelace (champion of the new Technology Privacy Bill) is a daring white hat hacker and the only female member of the Orwellians, an elite group responsible for a string of high-profile hacks against major corporations, with a mission to protect the little guy.
Ada is swiftly proving she’s a force to be reckoned with, when a fellow Orwellian betrays her to the FBI. To protect her father’s career, Ada is sent to ReBoot, a technology rehab facility for teens…the same rehab Simone attended right before killing herself.
It’s bad enough that the ReBoot facility is creepy in an Overlook-Hotel-meets-Winchester-Mansion way, but when Ada realizes Simone’s suicide is just one in an increasingly suspicious string of “accidental” deaths and “suicides” occurring just after kids leave ReBoot, Ada knows she can’t leave without figuring out what really happened to her best friend. The massive cyber conspiracy she uncovers will threaten everything she cares about–her dad’s career, her new relationship with a wry, handsome, reformed hacker, Fisher, who gets under her skin, and most of all–the Dark Angel.
With a deliciously twisty plot and the topical bite of Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, ReWired delves into technology addiction, internet privacy, and corporate/government collection of data.
ReWired is about the daily choices we all make about who we want to be, how much of ourselves we choose to share with others, and the terrifying risks and exhilarating rewards of being ourselves, online and off.
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ReWired tells the story of a senator’s daughter, Ada, who happens to be a ridiculously skilled hacker. She’s part of a group of hackers known as the Orwellians, and they can get into almost anything if they put their skills to good use. The only downside? Ada’s senator father is determined to pass a bill for teen privacy on the internet. Having a hacker daughter doesn’t exactly look good for him and his bill. Lucky for him, no one knows about Ada or her skills…or so she thinks.
Ada eventually gets caught for something minor (even though she’s pulled off worse things) and is sent to a rehab facility in the middle of nowhere. Seriously, this place is like something out of the 1800s or something. No tech is allowed, according to the director of the facility, Ms. Matthews. But that doesn’t mean the kids who are there won’t try and sneak some tech (or other goodies) in.
Unfortunately, ReBoot, the rehab center, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Kids are dying, supposedly by suicide, not long after they leave. But the suspicious deaths spur Ada into action. Will she discover the truth before it’s too late?
Okay, now that I’m done recapping, I have to say I really enjoyed this one. It’s got a mystery, suspense, and geeky tech speak that will appeal to young adult (and adult) readers, even if they aren’t exactly savvy when it comes to technology.
I thought Ada was an interesting character. She was a good kid who just wanted to do the right thing, even if it meant going about it in a not so legal way. She seemed loyal, like she’d be a good friend, although she did, understandably, have trust issues. She was smart, she was capable of taking care of herself (mostly), and she even made time to test the waters when it came to romance.
I also really liked the characters you meet at ReBoot. Varian comes off as a jerk for most of the story, but trust me, he’s anything but. Fisher comes off as a snarky, yet sweet sort of guy you can’t help but like. Becca seems like a stereotypical “dumb cheerleader” but she proves she can kick some serious booty when she has to. And Crash is a shy, quiet type who just wants to heal from his past mistakes. He’s a good kid. There’s also Raven, but I feel like I didn’t care about her either way.
The plot starts off a little slow, but it builds relatively quick, and once it gets going, it’s definitely one heck of a thrill ride. I couldn’t put it down, and once it ended, I was like, wait! I need more!
If you’re into YA thrillers with a hint of romance, definitely check out ReWired. It’s a really good read that will leave you eager to discover the truth, and when you do, it’ll make you rethink everything when it comes to being online.
I rate it 4.5 stars.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This was my first read by this author and not my usual genre but I must say I really enjoyed it. Ada is a senator’s daughter who happens to be a very good hacker. She and her best friend Simone were hacker buddies until Simone gets caught and ends up having to go to ReBoot. After being released she commits suicide. Ada is lost and totally disconnected to everyone who isn’t in her online world. 3 months after Simone’s death Ada gets caught and ends up being sent to ReBoot also. ReBoot is a tech addiction program for teens. She quickly finds out that several kids have had mysterious deaths after leaving ReBoot. She sets out to figure out why. In the process she also starts to become friends with some of the other teens. None of these kids really know how to relate well offline. The story takes you through all that happens while Ada is at ReBoot.
ReWired had suspense and a little bit of young love, struggles making friends and learning to work as a team. There were a lot of unexpected twists and turns to keep you guessing who was the good guy and who was the bad guy. It also brought to light for me how many ways kids in today’s world are addicted to technology. We see it in our daily lives but guess I don’t really think about it. A much more insightful story than I was expecting. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.