When everyone has a brain-interfacing tracking chip, one glitch threatens the entire network.
Kaya Weiss is that glitch.
Through thoughts and blinks, Kaya can access anyone or anything on the tracker network. But the authorities monitor everything—where Kaya goes, who she talks to, and what she searches. And without the ability to turn it off, Kaya and her family can’t observe a tech-free Shabbat. To fix the glitch, the authorities slice into her skull to reset her tracker, leaving Kaya to question more than the system’s invasion into her faith.
Kaya won’t be a lab rat again.
Evading the authorities requires some serious tech skills the rogue underground Ghosts can offer. But Kaya’s not sure she can trust them—even if their top tech wiz, Bailen, has interest in her running deeper than her bum tracker. Kaya must decide if gaining freedom is worth losing her tracker’s infinite knowledge—because to take down the tracker network, she must betray the only tech she’s ever known.
Assessment:
Plot: Fast-paced and with lots of adventure, Krakover submerges the reader into a tech world that could credibly take place in the future. This intriguing storyline is well executed; however, the interactions between the characters feel rushed. More development in these areas would allow this book to reach a broader audience and to leave a deeper impression on readers.
Prose: Well-written, the novel features a solid flow of dialogue, detail, and action throughout. Told in first-person, the reader learns plenty about the smart, quick-thinking main character and her circumstances.
Originality: The author introduces a number of familiar sci-fi themes and tropes, but does so with panache and authenticity.
Character/Execution: The main character is cunning and always thinking ahead. Her interactions with the other characters would benefit from additional development, particularly in order to develop the romantic angle of the story.
Date Submitted: May 04, 2022
