Homeland

This is less a novel and more a relaxing hang with a dude who is kind of annoying even though I also wish I were more like him. 

This isn't a good book because it has a great story or wonderful plot development. It's a good book because the message it delivers is powerful and real. I'm so paranoid after reading this installment, but I'm also so incredibly informed and I think that's a wonderful thing. Knowledge is power.

I would say its by far the worst Cory Doctorow book i've read (and I've read a large number of them). It reads like an advertisement / fangasiming for all of his favorite things online. Lots of name dropping.

There are a large number of elements of the book I liked. I really want to build stuff, even tempted to try to get re-involved with the local hackerspace. I found the ending a bit disappointing.

I'm not sure I'd recommend it, but I don't regret reading it.

It's YA fiction in the ‘kid hacker' genre. Since this is one of my few adventures into YA novels, I can't judge it with good relative accuracy, but it does fall into many tropes - tortured revolutionary political boy with female love interest and SF setting. The plot has few major hooks. But all-in-all, it's a nice read and, even if it laboriously explains every tech concept, it does so accurately and has a tasteful selection of references.