ARC #Review - Active Memory by Dan Wells #YALit #SyFy #Noir

Series: Mirador # 3
Format: E-Galley, 400 pages
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Science Fiction

From Dan Wells, author of the New York Times bestselling Partials Sequence and the John Cleaver series, comes the third and final book in the dark, pulse-pounding, sci-fi neo-noir series that began with the acclaimed novel Bluescreen.

For all the mysteries teen hacker Marisa Carneseca has solved, there has been one that has always eluded her: the truth behind the car accident in which she lost her arm and a mob boss’ wife, Zenaida de Maldonado, lost her life. Even in a world where technology exists to connect everyone’s mind to one another, it would seem that some secrets can still remain hidden.

Those secrets rise violently to the surface, however, when Zenaida de Maldonado’s freshly severed hand shows up at the scene of a gangland shooting. If Zenaida is—or was—still alive, it means there’s even more about Marisa’s past that she doesn’t know. And when she and her friends start digging, they uncover a conspiracy that runs from the slums of Los Angeles to the very top of the world’s most powerful genetic engineering firm. If Mari wants the truth, she’s going to have to go through genetically enhanced agents, irritatingly attractive mob scions, and some bad relationships to get it.

Dan Wells’s widely acclaimed series continues with his most shocking, pulse-pounding, and visionary story yet.

Dan Well's Active Memory is the third and final installment in the Mirador trilogy. This is a series that is set in 2050 Los Angeles. It is a world where almost everyone has a Djinni built right into their brains. It is a world where protagonist Marisa Carneseca lives with her parents and siblings in a neighborhood called Mirador. Mirador is run from top to bottom by Don Francisco Maldonado & his family. Marisa is a pretty interesting character as we have learned over the course of this series.

She helps out at her families Mexican restaurant, she's a pretty decent, if not top notched hacker, she's a member of a group known as the Cherry Dogs, along with her friends Sahara, Anja, Jaya and Fang, she's solved a huge mystery in regards to Bluescreen and taken down a corporation in Ones and Zeroes. But, the mystery behind the accident that apparently took her arm leaving her with a prosthetic one has never been fully explained. Why was she in the car in the first place? Why won't anyone speak up and tell the truth?

There are several people, including her father, who know the real secret to what actually happened and they refuse to talk about it. In fact, her father tries to prevent her from starting any investigation for fear of reprisals by Don Francisco. Marisa has also been chasing a dark web hacker named Grendel who claims he has the answers she needs. As the story opens, things really get twisted. Marisa and her father are called into the police station by Detective Kiki Hendel after a hand is found.

Could it be that the woman who has been blamed for Marisa's arm being lost, Zenaida Maldonado, actually be alive after all these years? If so, where has she been and why did she disappear? Mari’s investigation leads to an uneasy alliance with Omar, the scion of the Maldonados, who also wants to know what happened to his mother. Omar has both betrayed her and given aid when she requested it. Curious sort of mindset. Marisa ends up getting involved in Chuy's gang war, and becomes the target of a corporate assassin.

Thanks to her awesome and amazing friends, Marisa is not alone in this endeavour. In fact, because they both live in the LA area, Sahara and Anja are right there alongside her protecting and supporting her in any way they can. You can also add Marisa's friend Bao to the mix as well. He's one of the few people who actually live off the grid and prefer it that way. I have said before that the friendship between the Cherry Dogs is what really drives this series. I can't imagine a group being as strong, or stronger than the Cherry Dogs. 

Active Memory does have a lot of action, especially the final part of the book when all things must come out and characters we've met before make an appearance. Marisa's family shouldn't be ignored. From her sisters Pati, and Gabi, to her brothers Sandra and Chuy. Marisa's parents are very protective of the family, which is why the lack of explanation as to what happened to Marisa, was so bizarre.

The most awesome thing about this series, is that it never once became romance heavy. Marisa might have found a connection to a few characters, Bao, Alain and perhaps Omar, but nothing of actual substance ever went all the way. My only question is about the identity of Grendel. I'm pretty sure I guessed who it was, but really would have liked confirmation. 

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#Review - Ones and Zeroes by Dan Wells #YALit #Science Fiction @TheDanWells @BalzerandBray

Series: MIrador # 2
Format: E-Galley, 416 pages
Release Date: February 14th 2017 
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Edelweiss/Publisher
Genre: YA, Science Fiction

From Dan Wells, author of the New York Times bestselling Partials Sequence, comes Ones and Zeroes, the second book in the sci-fi noir series set in 2050 Los Angeles that began with the acclaimed novel Bluescreen.

Overworld. It’s more than just the world’s most popular e-sport—for thousands of VR teams around the globe, Overworld is life. It means fame and fortune, or maybe it’s a ticket out of obscurity or poverty. If you have a connection to the internet and four friends you trust with your life, anything is possible.

Marisa Carneseca is on the hunt for a mysterious hacker named Grendel when she receives word that her amateur Overworld team has been invited to Forward Motion, one of the most exclusive tournaments of the year. For Marisa, this could mean everything—a chance to finally go pro and to help her family, stuck in an LA neighborhood on the wrong side of the growing divide between the rich and the poor. But Forward Motion turns out to be more than it seems—rife with corruption, infighting, and danger—and Marisa runs headlong into Alain Bensoussan, a beautiful, dangerous underground freedom fighter who reveals to her the darker side of the forces behind the tournament. It soon becomes clear that, in this game, winning might be the only way to get out alive.

Dan Wells returns to the dark, perilous world of 2050 Los Angeles with another pulse-pounding story of betrayal, mystery, and suspense set in a stunning tech-noir landscape.

Ones and Zeroes is the second installment in author Dan Wells Mirador trilogy. It is a series that is set in 2050 Los Angeles. It is a world where 17-year old Marisa Carneseca lives in a neighborhood called Mirador with her parents, and siblings. Marisa, like the rest of this world, has a djinni super-computer implanted in her brain. They have access to unlimited technology and information. She is also a member of a group of (5) girls called Cherry Dogs who play a virtual reality game called Overworld. 

Along with Marisa, there's Sahara Cowan, & Anja Litz who all live in LA. 15-year old Wong Fang hails from China, while 22 year old Jaya is from India. Marisa is on a mission. She wants to find out what happened to her years ago that cost her an arm that is now completely mechanical. Her father refuses to talk about it which just pushes Marisa into learning the truth without any help. There's one person who may have the information she needs, but that person is as elusive as an honest politician in Washington, D.C. Grendel claims he has the information that she needs. Grendel is a hacker from the darkest corners of the net who Marisa bumped into in the last installment. 

The only problem is that the information is kept at a secure location. Then fate seems to toss Marisa a bone. Her friend Anja gets the Cherry Dogs into an exclusive event called Forward Motion. Forward Motion is a charity event that lures the best players in the world to one place. This year, that place is Los Angeles. Which means for the first time, all five Cherry Dogs will be in the same place together. But, there's a catch. Marisa and her teammates will have to risk life and limb not only to access dark secrets within a powerful organization, but somehow manage to survive, advance, and win the tournament to get the information they need.

There are more than a few distractions to keep Marisa and her friends occupied. It is a world of have and have nots. The Carneseca's run restaurant called San Juanito, but the business is slowly creeping towards having to close down due to corporate greed, & customers having to give up everything just to survive. Then there is the terminator like freak show called Mr. Park who is nearly unstoppable. He is like Arnold's character in that he keeps coming back. Add to the mix the dynamic Alain Bensoussan who makes Marisa's heart pump with desire, and the fact that he has his own unique reasons for going after the dirty rotten stinking corporations, and you have an action packed adventure sure to please.

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#Review - I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells (Young Adult, Horror)

Series: John Cleaver # 1
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Horror

John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it.

He’s spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential.
He’s obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn’t want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he’s written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.

Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don’t demand or expect the empathy he’s unable to offer. Perhaps that’s what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there’s something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means.

Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can’t control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.

I Am Not A Serial Killer is the first installment in Dan Wells John Cleaver series. This is a series which started out as a trilogy, but has since grown to become a series. The books features John Wayne Cleaver who is obsessed with serial killers. At 15, he can name, by memory, the most devastating serial killers in US history. His obsession has landed him with a therapist, and major indicators are that one day soon, he too will join the long list of sociopathic killers who torment the innocents of society.

In the meanwhile, John has kept a wall up so that the "monster" inside of him doesn't raise its ugly head. But, after the so called Clayton Killer starts leaving bodies behind, and they show up at the mortuary run by his mother, and Aunt, John becomes intent on bringing the killer into the light of day. At the core of this book is a moody teenager who lives in a small town with his mother, Aunt Margaret and older sister Laura. He doesn't have many friends, and the one that he does have, Max, doesn't get the obsession John has for serial killers. In fact, it kind of creeps him out. But, as with other books that involve kids who are either children of serial killers, or those who work hard to track them down, John is the perfect amateur sleuth to track down the killer, and bring him to justice. 

What makes this book so different, is that John isn't just a bystander in the mortuary, he actually works hard to understand the intricacies of the job, and feels right at home working alongside his peers. This is also the darkest part of the story due to the descriptions that Wells offers to readers. Perhaps that is why John doesn't have any long standing friendships, or why he is so afraid of getting close to the girl, Brooke Watson, that may like him. John is absolutely aware of his weaknesses, and is able to tell once he has pushed the envelop too far. It is that awareness, that will allow me to continue deeper into this series to see what happens next. 

I started this series because I Am Not A Serial Killer is now a motion picture staring Christopher Lloyd, Laura Fisher, and Max Records as John Wayne Cleaver. One could say that if you are a fan of hit TV series Dexter, Fargo, or Six Feet Under, then you will love this book. Since I have not yet seen the movie, I'll reserve judgment until I do. 

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#Tuesday Review - Bluescreen by Dan Wells (YA, SyFy)

Series: Mirador # 1
Format: E-Galley, 352 pages
Release Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher
Genre: YA, Science Fiction

Los Angeles in 2050 is a city of open doors, as long as you have the right connections. That connection is a djinni—a smart device implanted right in a person’s head. In a world where virtually everyone is online twenty-four hours a day, this connection is like oxygen—and a world like that presents plenty of opportunities for someone who knows how to manipulate it.

Marisa Carneseca is one of those people. She might spend her days in Mirador, the small, vibrant LA neighborhood where her family owns a restaurant, but she lives on the net—going to school, playing games, hanging out, or doing things of more questionable legality with her friends Sahara and Anja. And it’s Anja who first gets her hands on Bluescreen—a virtual drug that plugs right into a person’s djinni and delivers a massive, non-chemical, completely safe high. But in this city, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and Mari and her friends soon find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that is much bigger than they ever suspected.

Bluescreen is the first installment in Dan Wells' brand new series called Mirador. 17-year old Marisa Carneseca lives in a futuristic version of Los Angeles (2050) where nearly everyone is plugged in with a device called Djinni that is planted in their heads. The device allows the users to access pretty much everything that you can imagine. From their schoolwork, to their homes, to paying for food, and cab rides. It is also your phone, computer, scanner, and credit card. 

Marisa, who lost her arm when she was 2 years old in a mysterious car accident, and now wears a prosthetic arm, is a gamer who is a member of Cherry Dogs. She is also a programmer who can access almost any system or software, all while living in a barrio called Mirador that is ruled by corruption, drugs, and gang members who demand protection monies from all businesses within the neighborhood. Marisa's family is true to the core Hispanics who own a restaurant in Mirador, and have occasional spats with those that are supposed to protect them 

After discovering that one of her gamer friends, Anya, has access to a new drug called Bluescreen, Marisa learns the hard way that there is nothing safe about this new designer drug that is pretty much targeted towards those with lots of money. After Anya finds herself controlled by an unknown source which takes over her djinni, Marisa, along with her friends Sahara, Fang, Jaya, and Bao try to solve the mystery behind who created Bluescreen, and how many people are actually affected by the new drug.

So, I am A-Okay with futuristic novels, and stories that feature gamers, and programmers, and yes, even hackers if they are doing what they do to entertain, and not destroy people's lives by stealing their identities and credit. I am impressed with Marisa and her friends and their efforts to thwart the rush of Bluescreen into schools, and almost everywhere else. I am impressed that nearly every single character in this book has a diverse background. I am scratching my head over the ending, but that is to be expected from author Dan Wells. After all, have you read his Partials trilogy? 

While Bluescreen is a fairly quick paced novel, it is also one steeped in futuristic tech, and does spend more than its fair share on explaining the technology. How else can you understand what is happening, if you don't know what the author is referring to? One of my favorite characters is Bao. He is one of the very few to NOT have access to Djinni. He lives off the grid, as it were, and is totally OK with not being used by the technology that rules everyone's life. 

I would love to have a bit more world building, or have the author explain what happened to the country that got the residents to this point. There is a major mysterious character in this book for whom I shall not reveal. Let's just say that things are looking very interesting for the sequel. There's not of a hint to any sort of romance between any of the characters outside of Anya who is wealthier than Bill Gates. That appeals to me on yet another level since I am totally burned out by instant lust connections, and love triangles.

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