Wrong place, wrong time - when Marcus is rounded up by the Department of Homeland Security after a terrorist attack on San Francisco, his refusal to unlock his cell phone makes them think he's a terrorist - no rights, no access to justice. After he's released, it looks like all of the city is being treated as an enemy combatant - random security checks and constant surveillance is becoming a way of life, and the adults in Marcus's life want to believe that it's "for the greater good" and that "if you're not doing anything wrong, you won't have anything to hide." Marcus knows there's something wrong going on, and he sets out to use his cryptography and hacking skills to bring DHS's activities to light.
This is an adventure story mixed with healthy doses of coming-of-age and how-to. Doctorow writes a believable, engaging story populated with realistic characters and well-explained tech. You learn a lot while reading this, but you don't feel lectured to, and Marcus is an excellent guide to modern techno-culture.
The Missing
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2 comments:
This is on my "must read" list!
This was good! Great characters and the technospeak was realistic. I wish the proofreaders had been a little more careful though. There were a few things that threw me right out of the story. For example, pg. 298, when Marcus introduces his mother as Louisa, but his mother tells Ange to call her Lillian. Huh?
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