Brainjack

LPas Vegas is gone — destroyed in a terrorist attack. Black Hawk helicopters patrol the skies over New York City. And immersive online gaming is the most dangerous street drug around.In this dystopic near-future, technology has leapt forward once again, and neuro-headsets have replaced computer keyboards. Just slip on a headset, and it’s the Internet and the speed of thought.For teen hacker Sam Wilson, a headset is a must. But as he becomes familiar with the new technology, he has a terrifying realization. If anything on his computer is vulnerable to a hack, what happens when his mind is hooked to the system? Could consciousness itself be hijacked? Before he realizes what’s happened, Sam’s incursion against the world’s largest telecommunications company leads him to the heart of the nations cyberdefense network and and brings him face to face with a terrifying and unforeseen threat. It would take a very special person to crack the computer systems of the White House. An expert. A genius. A devil. All of the above, some would say. Someone like Sam Wilson, brilliant teenage computer hacker. But Sam's obsession is about to lead him into a dangerous world. A world of espionage and intrigue; of cybercrime and imminent war. A world where logging on to your computer could mean the difference between life and death.?A cyber-thriller that reads like a video game? Geektastic.? - Kirkus review?The nicely paced plot and well-crafted story arc make this a title worth recommending, particularly to boys who like technology or science fiction.? - School Library Journal?This techno-thriller is full of danger and excitement that touches on complex scientific and philosophical issues in an accessible way that younger readers over 12 will find both fascinating and enjoyable. Falkner successfully infiltrates the enigmatic world of the cyber hacker while the active nature of the text makes it good fodder for a film script. The narrative is gripping and the characterisations are believable.? - Bookseller+Publisher In a near-future New York City, fourteen-year-old computer genius Sam Wilson manages to hack into the AT & T network and sets off a chain of events that have a profound effect on human activity throughout the world