Published: Oct 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 323
Copy Provided by: Bought
Summary: Goodreads
Summary:
An all-new, edge-of-your seat adventure from James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, The Eye of Mindsis the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares.
Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?
But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.
The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.
And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team.
But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.
Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?
But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.
The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.
And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team.
But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.
Review:
James Dashner is one of my favourite go-to authors for guy reads. The Maze Runner was a great series packed with a thrilling plot, lots of action and plenty to interest those who tend not to be interested in reading. The plot of the Mortality Doctrine is off to a great start in captivating the gamer genre in a virtual world filled with just as many twists and turns as The Maze Runner.
Mr. Dashner does an excellent job of creating worlds where regular every day kids are transported and have to accept the challenges of most adults. His characters always seem tested for their survival abilities and quick thinking to escape horrific situations. Although this title may appeal to gamers, please be forewarned that there are some graphic scenarios that are quite brutal and may not be appropriate for a younger audience. Mind you, if your kids are playing older rated games, the scenarios are probably similar.
Like I mentioned before, I am a fan of James Dashner and his writing. To be honest though, I had a hard time finishing this novel. I am not a gamer so I had it hard to identify with parts of the story and conceptualize the scenes. HOWEVER, in saying that, I also did like the way it ended and would recommend this title to our upcoming techie generation. Although I would classify it more as a "guy's read", it certainly would not be lost on girls who also enjoy gaming.
