Doctorow, C. (2008). Little Brother. New York, NY: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
ISBN-10: 0765323117
ISBN-13: 9780765323118
•Plot Summary
Marcus Yallow is a fan of Harajuku Fun Madness, a Japanese game where players receive clues online, and then find valuable objects by deciphering the locations hinted at by the clues. As the novel opens, Marcus is in school, but cunningly figuring out a way to skip in order to locate the newest game destination. As he and his friends reach the site, San Francisco is hit by a terrorist attack, the Bay bridge bombed. Marcus, Vanessa, and Jolu are taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security, and interrogated until they finally answer questions to the DHS's satisfaction, and are released-if not set free, since the DHS will continue to monitor their behavior. Darryl has disappeared, Marcus begins to have trouble with his father, who believes the DHS is doing the right thing. Vanessa and Jolu back out of helping Marcus find Darryl, afraid of reprisal from the DHS, but he meets Angela (Ange). Together, the two embark on a plan to undermine the DHS, and get Darryl. Using X-Net, a fictitious wireless network supposedly unmonitored by the DHS, and an equally fictitious Nintendo XBox Universal, Marcus is able to spread his message. He is successful in having Darryl and Ange released from custody, and the DHS loses their power.
•Critical Evaluation
While Doctorow's novel does bring up critical issues, especially in light of recent events in the U.S. (PATRIOT act, Guantánamo Bay, etc), some readers may get lost in the technical jargon being used to prove that w1n5t0n (Marcus) is a techie of the first degree. The story line is sharp, and the characterizations accurate for each of the groups, but the creation of fictional devices could be confusing, even to some teens.
•Reader’s Annotation
Not recommended for reluctant readers unless they happen to be very knowledgeable about technology and gaming. One of the longer novels published for teens in recent years, this story is serious, and not the sort of one that can be read in one or two sittings.
•Information about the author
•Genre
Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Tech Fiction
•Curriculum Ties
Computers
Political Science
History
•Booktalking Ideas
Loss of identity, teens and computers, teens in science fiction, terrorism
•Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 8-12/Ages 13-19
•Challenge Issues
Potential for trouble with parents or administrators for views on the DHS. I would point out the incidences of problems in this area that have been documented over the last few years, especially since the end of the last presidential administration.
•Why did you include this book in you’re the titles you selected?
This was a novel required by the course, and it is unlikely I would have chosen to read it for any other reason. While I understood the tech language, I found it a distraction from the content of the novel, a factor I usually look at in the library or store when choosing books.
