Review: A nice try, but no
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 15, 2012
* I have received a free copy in exchange for my review.If you have any knowledge whatsoever about how computers work, do yourself a favor and don't read this book. It's frustrating in its ignorance. I wonder how can an author write something like this, when there are so many means of information.The most annoying part is that part of the technical facts are true, but many others are so impossible they scream. Example: as far as I can tell, the entire code for the electronic voting system in California is one single file of a few hundred lines of code. Which is laughable. Yet, the author knows enough about how hacking works to not write things equivalent to the "Hacking in progress" shown in movies. Another thing: in order to emphasize the intelligence of the main character, the FBI team in charge of electronic crimes are described as almost having no idea what they're doing.The characters are also not believable. Take for example Ariel Bauer, a mathematical and computer genius, suffering from a fear of the dark from being abused by her father when she was little. Shocked by the result of her latest actions and thrown into prison, where she comes close to being raped by a guard, she is quite nonchalant when she is asked to work for the FBI, and is going so far as to almost flirt with Sam McAteer, one of the harshest FBI agents. This is because the author needs to make sure there is a reason for the two to fall in love. It's so unrealistic it makes me cringe.I've finished the book, but it was wasted time.