Dark Data: Control, Alt, Delete
Adult; Mystery/Thriller; (Market)
August 14 and September 11 were the last two of a string of dates on Lori Torchia’s list. But nothing in the chronology seemed to correspond to them.. Then it hit reporter Rebecca Taft. ‘The dates are in the future. Lori’s telling us that there will be terrorist attacks on August 14 and September 11!’ Taft felt sick to her stomach.
Paula Janković is a willing tool of Constantine Petrenko, a Russian oligarch with a penchant for world domination and insatiable greed. Using a superstorm of dark data and fake news, Janković has become skilled at harnessing the power of the mysterious Selfish Ledger and personal social media accounts to get innocent people to do her bidding, however horrible it may be. Abu al-Badri is a terrorist leader who wants to further his cause. By aligning himself with the same wealthy benefactor, he has all he needs to access top targets around the world to wreak unimaginable violence and destruction. Together Janković and al-Badri unleash a coordinated attack that is designed to leave societies and financial markets in ruins and no one richer or more powerful than the Russian standing at the top.
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.50 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: This is a very contemporary and cautionary tale about what could very well happen when financial terrorists join forces with radical terrorists. This book is certainly one of the most well-researched of the new dystopian novels and a real page-turner to the surprising end.
Prose/Style: A clean writing style moves the plot forward without getting in the way of the storyline itself, with the occasional brilliant line that send shivers through the reader. The oft-repeated line about greed serves as the catalyst to the plot.
Originality: This book is very original in the way it is put together, although every detail in the book corresponds to real headlines.
Character Development: The cast of characters is long and worthy of the guide at the end of the book. And, while the motives of each are clear, none is really a hero or draws much empathy from readers. Given the structure of the book, it works.
Date Submitted: May 08, 2019
