Little Brother: Volume 1

Excellent bit of counter culture, well thought out, well written, well told. I loved that the author took the time and effort to, make this a relatively believable near-future story with no set date stamp, educating the reader of current useful and/or misused technical tools, while still keeping a fantastic pacing that evoked an engrossing emotional response. This is what that waste of time book "catcher in the rye" should have been. contains non gratuitous/in fiction sexual elements, still well worth the read if thats a problem for you, but will probably be a deal breaker for many people and well worth the warning. The DRM on this book is stupid given that the author gives it away for free and makes me rethink buying it on google play, however I don't regret spending money on it, and would have done so if I had read the free copy first.

Firstly: Little Brother is available free on the Internet at request of the author. However, I personally recommend buying it to show financial and symbolic for the author. This book was published 6 years ago now, and looking back, it's a lot more shocking how close it is to reality. The advances in technology and software are extremely similar to today's innovations, and the overbearing government depicted is uncomfortably close to what we're experiencing today. Mikey, the lead character, gives a realistic and juvenile look at how all of this impacts social and societal interactions. Overall, a great read.

I read this book when it first came out and loved it. Now, though, it feels a bit dated. It was very relevant to post-9/11 society, but the impact of that event is fading and both the DHS and TSA are slipping back into a more normal operating mode. Reading it today it might almost seem paranoid.