From the Publisher
An excellent pick for fans of gaming and futuristic thrillers. Give this to dystopian readers who are looking for a new twist on the future of the world.” — SLJ
SLJ
An excellent pick for fans of gaming and futuristic thrillers. Give this to dystopian readers who are looking for a new twist on the future of the world.
Brandon Sanderson
Dan Wells is a master of both suspense and sheer, bombastic fun. I loved Bluescreen. Do yourself a favor and start reading this right now.
SLJ (starred review)
This fascinatingly speculative tale, first in a series, full of diverse characters, owes much to M.T. Anderson’s Feed, and it’s just as exciting and innovative. Readers won’t be able to put this sci-fi thriller down.
James Dashner
Praise for Bluescreen:“Filled with suspense and twists and unforgettable characters. This book is just plain awesome.
School Library Journal
02/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—In Marisa's world, the Internet is no longer a luxury; it is necessary for survival. Megacorporations use technology to rule over neighborhoods and gain wealth. Implants inside the brain, called djinnis, allow people to be connected to the Internet, and one another, 24 hours a day. This sequel to Bluescreen finds Marisa and her gaming group, the Cherry Dogs, searching for Grendel, the hacker who may hold the key to the childhood accident that cost Marisa her arm. A possibly rigged global gaming competition, a revolutionist boy trying to take down a megacorp, and an arduous rescue are just a few of the complications that the Cherry Dogs face in their quest to conquer the gaming world and save Marisa's community. The futuristic setting is scary in its entirely plausible reliance on technology. The Cherry Dogs' realistic dialogue and diverse personalities, races, and sexual orientations give most readers someone to relate to. The secondary characters are also well-developed, with backstories that move the narrative forward without superfluous distractions, and Wells creates easily understood descriptions of technology. References to current celebrities and what they could be doing in the future add an element of humor to the tale. VERDICT An excellent pick for fans of gaming and futuristic thrillers. Give this to dystopian readers who are looking for a new twist on the future of the world.—Ashley Leffel, Griffin Middle School, Frisco, TX
Kirkus Reviews
2016-11-02
Do you matter? Are you a one or a zero?In 2050 in the LA neighborhood of Mirador, 17-year-old Latina Marisa Carneseca's family is about to lose their restaurant. In series opener Bluescreen (2016), Mari and her multiethnic VR team Cherry Dogs saved the city from the titular mind-controlling e-drug virus, but there was no money or public glory in that. Mari is hunting for the hacker Grendel, who knows something she doesn't about her past and her family, when she happens upon a black French freedom fighter, Alain, and joins his cause: taking down the nefarious Korean mega-corporation KT Sigan, which is squeezing every last penny out of Mirador's residents by upping the cost of internet connectivity. Anja, Mari's rich, German-immigrant Cherry Dogs teammate, buys the team's way into a charity Overworld tournament hosted by KT Sigan, and that may offer Mira and Alain a chance to succeed…if their tech-skills are up to the task. Wells' continuing series of futuristic thrillers ramps up the cinematic action and humor in his multicultural, multiethnic, dystopian near future. Realistic characters, whip-smart dialogue, and carefully controlled and believable technobabble (with sprinklings of Spanish, Chinese, and more) will have thriller, SF, and video-game fans rooting for the Cherry Dogs. A high-tech, futuristic Ocean's Eleven with teens. (Science fiction. 14 & up)
