Review: A Solid First Book in a New YA Series
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 14, 2014
'Mindwar' is the first book in an exciting new young adult series that follows our main character, Rick Dial, as he tries to piece his life back together from the disasters that happened months before. His father up and left his family to be with a younger woman, and then Rick was in a terrible wreck, which crippled both his legs - which meant that his football days and the full scholarship to Syracuse - were a thing of the past. Rick hasn't been dealing with the changes in his life very well. He hides in his room and plays video games most of the day, every day. However, Rick's life is about to change drastically. A secret government agency has been watching him and they approach him with a huge opportunity - to save America and the world as he knows it. Terrorist groups have new technology that will enable them to launch a cyber attack on America like they've never seen - and they believe that Rick is the best person to stop this attack. Will Rick put aside his own personal issues to think of others? Will he cast his doubts and insecurities aside and attempt to save the world? As things become more and more twisted, Rick starts to question everything the government has told him, which brings even more questions to mind.I thought this was a solid start to a new series that science fiction fans will enjoy. The book is set in our time, so there wasn't any really weird setting to adjust to. The new cyber technology that the story is centered around is fascinating and certainly made me stop and think about the possibilities of this type of science would allow. Rick was a good main character - he's had a lot of bad things happen in his life in the past few months - and his hope is all but gone. He's pretty sulky and whiny, in my opinion, and he just seems to wallow in his self pity and anger. He does have good qualities to round out the flaws - he's smart and loves his family - but he still seems to waver a bit for my taste. The plot was unique and I found the technology and all of its aspects really intriguing. It sort of went over my head at first and I had to sit and think about it for awhile before I understood it. It's a typical hero story - the hero is presented with a quest or challenge, which he must accept, and then embarks on a journey to complete the task - all while encountering unforeseen dangers along the way. The hero finishes the quest and returns home. The book pretty much follows this design to the mark. I enjoyed reading about the characters and the "quest" that Rick is thrown into, but I wasn't able to fully immerse myself in the story. Along with the obvious plot and story line, there are several meaningful topics that are dealt with - like family issues, self-confidence, love, trust, and doing the right thing, to name a few. I liked that the author included these deeper aspects to the story - it gives it a whole new depth and an overall positive message. Overall, this was a good start to an interesting series that will appeal to fans of science fiction, as well as those who enjoy a story that also sends a good message.Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.