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Assured Destruction #2
Script Kiddie
"A fun, fast-paced thriller guaranteed to distract teens from Facebook ..." --Kirkus Reviews for Assured Destruction (Book 1)Jan Rose no longer steals data from the old computers she recycles. She doesn't need to. As the newest member of the police department’s High Tech Crime Unit, the laptop of a murderer has landed on her desk. Her to profile and expose a killer.But that’s not all.A creep lurks in the shadows, stalking a friend, and Jan must stop him before the hunt turns deadly. The clock counts down for Jan to save her friend, her job, her boyfriend--maybe even her life."Stewart seamlessly incorporates the fast-paced world of social media into a unique writing style that perfectly captures the world of a modern teen. Janus’ complicated web of computer networks is intricate enough to leave readers thoroughly engrossed by her hacking acumen while remaining accessible to even the least tech-savvy readers. Many teenage girl readers will find unconventional, strong Janus to be an intriguing role model, but as a clever, talented and often slightly dark hacker, she transcends gender stereotypes and will find fans among teen boy readers as well." --Kirkus Reviews for Assured Destruction (Book 1)
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2013
4 people are currently reading
598 people want to read
About the author
Michael F. Stewart
18 books266 followersMichael F. Stewart has authored over two dozen books for kids and young adults. With works ranging from interactive digital epics and graphic novels to humorous middle grade and surreal young adult novels, Michael enjoys stretching the limits on his storytelling and working with other authors young and old to tell their stories. He has an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Ottawa with his partner, four daughters, a cat, and a dog.
To learn more about Michael and his next projects visit his website.
To learn more about Michael and his next projects visit his website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 7, 2013
I really feel the need to thank Mr. Michael for graciously providing me with a copy of Script Kiddie. Ever since I got my hands on Assured Destruction I developed this extreme liking for Janus and her virtual world! I could not wait to know what she would be doing next or what new secrets she would unveil for me. Unlike other sequels I have read, Script Kiddie seems to top its own prequel and Mr. Michael takes it to the next level! If you are too lazy to read a long review, get this: this is a very good book! I give it 5 stars. Read it if you like a fun, intelligent book.
Review:
The way Assured Destruction ended, I suspected that Janus would be embarking on thrilling police adventures and maybe we would get to witness some Cop drama we often find on TV these days but I was oh so wrong! Just because the Ottawa Police Officer Ms. Williams discovered Janus’s talents didn’t mean Janus would be free of problems she needed to survive the past few years (trust me it is much much better than a cop drama).
Plot: Script Kiddie introduces us to the dangerous world of Hacking, terms and methods used by such hackers and the sites that help both the good ones and the criminal ones. We get to know a tiny bit of how much hacking developed over the years. We also get to read about a common problem these days, gullible teenagers talking to weirdo’s on the internet believing them to be harmless then discovering the truth about them.
As far as personal life goes, Janus seems to have a complicated relationship with her boyfriend Jonny (she just needs to make him feel wanted that’s all). I personally felt Peter was a ray of sunshine in her mother’s life but Janus just can’t seem to trust him (and his secretive manner doesn’t help the cause much either). She gains mild fame at school and even has a better relationship with Chippy (yes the intimidated computer teacher). Overall, she may have a shot at normal life.
The plot involves Janus trying to do a good job at the Police Station and being a good friend (even if the friend is hostile). It takes a lot of turns and is full of entertainment. We get to try and solve the crimes along with her while enjoying her witty one liners. There is a point where everything comes crashing on Janus and I myself had a reaction similar to this.
But Janus is better than that! She manages to prove how strong she is and we are soon led to an end that tells us we should expect more from the hacker world (and Peter). Her stint at the Police station may not take off on good grounds but we find that there is still hope for it nonetheless.
Characters: My favourite character in this one is Peter. He is mysterious, loving and quite sweet. Janus’s mom (tina) seems more vulnerable in this one. Hannah is naive and sometimes thoughtful, Sergeant Haines is a pain in the butt, scratch that! Ethan is the bigger pain. I was very very elated to find a certain “Dr. Reddy” in the book! (well, It may be lame but I still get to celebrate). Gump’s tweets are my favourite, they are too perfect for the situation. Other virtual characters are the usual. Ms. Williams has my respect for not giving up on Janus.
Conclusion: This book involves a lot of technical details which is actually understandable to the general public. At times though, I was able to appreciate my engineering degree because it finally proved useful in real life! It helped me understand a few details more clearly (it really did). Other than that I find this book to be appropriate for all ages and extremely good (there are very little profanities and the mild adult content isn’t that provocative). This is one series that stays awesome no matter how many sequels there will be. I am ready for the next adventure Janus embarks and I m sure everyone who reads this would feel the same way. So guys please, even if you don’t like my review, give the book a chance! It will be worth your time. You don’t have to trust me, find out yourselves!
Review:
The way Assured Destruction ended, I suspected that Janus would be embarking on thrilling police adventures and maybe we would get to witness some Cop drama we often find on TV these days but I was oh so wrong! Just because the Ottawa Police Officer Ms. Williams discovered Janus’s talents didn’t mean Janus would be free of problems she needed to survive the past few years (trust me it is much much better than a cop drama).
Plot: Script Kiddie introduces us to the dangerous world of Hacking, terms and methods used by such hackers and the sites that help both the good ones and the criminal ones. We get to know a tiny bit of how much hacking developed over the years. We also get to read about a common problem these days, gullible teenagers talking to weirdo’s on the internet believing them to be harmless then discovering the truth about them.
As far as personal life goes, Janus seems to have a complicated relationship with her boyfriend Jonny (she just needs to make him feel wanted that’s all). I personally felt Peter was a ray of sunshine in her mother’s life but Janus just can’t seem to trust him (and his secretive manner doesn’t help the cause much either). She gains mild fame at school and even has a better relationship with Chippy (yes the intimidated computer teacher). Overall, she may have a shot at normal life.
The plot involves Janus trying to do a good job at the Police Station and being a good friend (even if the friend is hostile). It takes a lot of turns and is full of entertainment. We get to try and solve the crimes along with her while enjoying her witty one liners. There is a point where everything comes crashing on Janus and I myself had a reaction similar to this.
But Janus is better than that! She manages to prove how strong she is and we are soon led to an end that tells us we should expect more from the hacker world (and Peter). Her stint at the Police station may not take off on good grounds but we find that there is still hope for it nonetheless.
Characters: My favourite character in this one is Peter. He is mysterious, loving and quite sweet. Janus’s mom (tina) seems more vulnerable in this one. Hannah is naive and sometimes thoughtful, Sergeant Haines is a pain in the butt, scratch that! Ethan is the bigger pain. I was very very elated to find a certain “Dr. Reddy” in the book! (well, It may be lame but I still get to celebrate). Gump’s tweets are my favourite, they are too perfect for the situation. Other virtual characters are the usual. Ms. Williams has my respect for not giving up on Janus.
Conclusion: This book involves a lot of technical details which is actually understandable to the general public. At times though, I was able to appreciate my engineering degree because it finally proved useful in real life! It helped me understand a few details more clearly (it really did). Other than that I find this book to be appropriate for all ages and extremely good (there are very little profanities and the mild adult content isn’t that provocative). This is one series that stays awesome no matter how many sequels there will be. I am ready for the next adventure Janus embarks and I m sure everyone who reads this would feel the same way. So guys please, even if you don’t like my review, give the book a chance! It will be worth your time. You don’t have to trust me, find out yourselves!
November 21, 2013
I received a free copy of this e-book from the author. Though I didn't win it in the Goodreads Giveaway, Michael F. Stewart generously offered me a copy anyway.
I've heard many people claim that the second book in a series could never possibly amount to the sheer intensity of the first. Well, those people have obviously never discovered the Assured Destruction series. I honestly had to pry my e-reader from my fingers to get any sleep. If you've read the first book in this series and are looking for more of Janus's angst and attitude paired with her oh-so-comical witty comebacks via Shadownet tweets, then you, my friend, are in for an awesome follow-up read. What I like most about Michael F. Stewart's writing style is that his words flow together in a way that's both welcoming and refreshing. The plot keeps up a steady pace all throughout without lagging somewhere towards the middle or near the end. Script Kiddie is full of twists and turns that will leave you nursing suspicions and assumptions as you try to guess the ending before it is revealed. Who the heck is this Hannah chick? And why, oh why, does she have so much Hello Kitty crap in her room? Who is Peter really? Is he truly the retired hacker legend he claims to be or is it all a ruse for some ulterior motive? And what will happen to Tina Rose? Will her MS further deteriorate her health and leave Janus to fend for herself? And perhaps the biggest and most important question of them all: how will Janus Rose, Script Kiddie and aspiring white hat hacker, be able to juggle all of this and complete her service hours for the High Tech Crime Unit, keep her "in a relationship" Facebook status, and save Assured Destruction from a bleak and possibly income-less future?
I absolutely cannot wait for the third installment of this series! Bring it on.
I've heard many people claim that the second book in a series could never possibly amount to the sheer intensity of the first. Well, those people have obviously never discovered the Assured Destruction series. I honestly had to pry my e-reader from my fingers to get any sleep. If you've read the first book in this series and are looking for more of Janus's angst and attitude paired with her oh-so-comical witty comebacks via Shadownet tweets, then you, my friend, are in for an awesome follow-up read. What I like most about Michael F. Stewart's writing style is that his words flow together in a way that's both welcoming and refreshing. The plot keeps up a steady pace all throughout without lagging somewhere towards the middle or near the end. Script Kiddie is full of twists and turns that will leave you nursing suspicions and assumptions as you try to guess the ending before it is revealed. Who the heck is this Hannah chick? And why, oh why, does she have so much Hello Kitty crap in her room? Who is Peter really? Is he truly the retired hacker legend he claims to be or is it all a ruse for some ulterior motive? And what will happen to Tina Rose? Will her MS further deteriorate her health and leave Janus to fend for herself? And perhaps the biggest and most important question of them all: how will Janus Rose, Script Kiddie and aspiring white hat hacker, be able to juggle all of this and complete her service hours for the High Tech Crime Unit, keep her "in a relationship" Facebook status, and save Assured Destruction from a bleak and possibly income-less future?
I absolutely cannot wait for the third installment of this series! Bring it on.
August 7, 2013
Superb Read !
I have read assured destruction & loved it, so naturally I was very excited to read this one & it didn't disappoint me at all on any level.
It's a quick read & grasping one too.
I found it very hard to put down & so ended up reading it in a single night. Some books are worth the reversal of bio-clock & this is definitely one of them.
It's about a young hacker, her troubles with authority (comes naturally when you say hacker) & her virtual world. Kudos to author though because I have a feeling even most non-technical readers will also understand perfectly everything that goes on in this story.
The element of mystery which surrounds the character of Peter is tastefully intensified & left unanswered (maybe for next part).
Being a Network Security professional myself, I was delighted to encounter the very real description of digital hacker-underworld. Because that showed the research behind this all.
It's obvious that there is going to be a 3rd part of this story & author has kept no doubt about that at all. Super excited to get my hands on that one.
July 23, 2016
[I was sent a copy by the author, as part of my being approved by NetGalley to review book #3, in exchange for an honest opinion. While there was no condition involving writing a review for this one, I still decided to do it.]
I read Assured Destruction in 2013, and really liked it, though much to my shame, I failed to keep track of when the next installments were published. This second volume I found just as enjoyable as the first one, mainly for similar reasons. With each chapter, I wanted to know what was coming next.
After her stint in book 1, Jan, the main character, is still in dire straits, having to balance school, the store, her mother's illness, Peter's arrival in their lives, her new relationship with Jonny, and the many hours of community service she owes to the police. Sure, she can stil somewhat rely on Shadownet to vent out, but mostly she's now confronted to more than she can chew, and frustration's building up.
Characters & plot:
I like Jan. As a character, she has a lot of potential, some of which she lives up to, and some that still leaves room for improvement. She's far from perfect; she commits mistakes; sometimes she's too proud for her own good and doesn't realise what she's getting herself into until it's too late. I guess her fatal flaw would be hubris, combined to her problems to cope with the more social aspects of life. She fancies herself a hacker, but is soon brought back to reality. She imagines her community service as an open door to be acknowledged as part of the police, but of course reality is harsher, and soon she's reminded she's still just a kid in many ways (don't expect cop drama here, and a teenager being propelled as star of the detective show—which wouldn't be too believable anyway). Her eagerness and overconfidence when it comes to computers/networks land her in trouble.
However, she also tries to fix things and help. When she's humbled by people who know more than her (and who knows everything at 16!), she accepts her shortcomings and strive to get better. She also shows a lot of courage, involving herself in person—not because she's too stupid to live (although her mistakes could get her killed), but because she genuinely wants to save other people, while knowing that waiting isn't an option.
I also appreciated how her relationship with Jonny was portrayed, because it's light on the romance part. The events of the book unfold on roughly one week, and Jan is very busy... so busy that she can't keep up with having a boyfriend and doing "what it takes" to keep him. Now, considering what happens, I found this understandable. She's worried about her role regarding the police, about missing school, about being wrongly accused of hacking, about her mother whose health isn't great... I can understand that. I can understand a person being unable to keep up, and I think I would have held it against Jan if she had put everything to the back of her mind to be with Jonny all the time and play lovey-dovey, the way it happens too often. I can't say she always knows how to keep her priorities straight (the carding case is a good example), but that part fits with her personality.
Last but not least, what's going on with Peter is intriguing. On the one hand, I can understand Jan's wariness when it comes to this man: he's new in their lives, and with all the problems the store is facing, of course Jan is going to think he's up to something. Overall, he's sweet, caring, understanding, he tries to help her, as if he was doing his best to get her to accept him... Too good to be true? Perhaps he's just that: a man who loves her mother and wants to earn his place in the daughter's life as well (fast, considering how bad Tina's health is). Or perhaps he's something else. Or more than simply that.
The tech:
I already liked the computer/tech aspect in the previous book, and I still like it here. What happens in Script Kiddy is actually good lessons for teenagers (and for anyone not internet-savvy, for that matter), but not presented as such. They're integrated within the flow of the story, while dealing with real problems: phishing, how wireless devices can be a downfall, internet predators, and so on.
The way procedures and technology in general are described is also easy to understand. Well, it's easy for me, as I know enough (though I'm certainly not a specialist), but I think anyone would understand what's going on. Some things made me frown at first, and think "why is this explained?"; but not everyone knows what IRC is, after all.
Problem?
A few things bothered me; not enough to prevent me from enjoying the story, but I still feel I should mention them. The murderer's laptop was one of them: would the police really hand evidence to Jan, let her take it out of the precinct? This I found unbelievable (and considering what happens with it next, it should've tipped her off). Also, at times Jan felt just a tad bit immature when it came to the problems in her life, mainly her mother. On the other hand, I can also envision her as the kind of girl who would cope by shutting off and/or focusing on different things for a while, so I'm not completely sure I can chalk that to sheer immaturity, or to the kind of slightly neurotic persona she seems to be developing. There's just so much going on that at some point, the girl's doomed to break.
Those put aside, this second novel in the series was really a page-turner, and a good read for me.
I read Assured Destruction in 2013, and really liked it, though much to my shame, I failed to keep track of when the next installments were published. This second volume I found just as enjoyable as the first one, mainly for similar reasons. With each chapter, I wanted to know what was coming next.
After her stint in book 1, Jan, the main character, is still in dire straits, having to balance school, the store, her mother's illness, Peter's arrival in their lives, her new relationship with Jonny, and the many hours of community service she owes to the police. Sure, she can stil somewhat rely on Shadownet to vent out, but mostly she's now confronted to more than she can chew, and frustration's building up.
Characters & plot:
I like Jan. As a character, she has a lot of potential, some of which she lives up to, and some that still leaves room for improvement. She's far from perfect; she commits mistakes; sometimes she's too proud for her own good and doesn't realise what she's getting herself into until it's too late. I guess her fatal flaw would be hubris, combined to her problems to cope with the more social aspects of life. She fancies herself a hacker, but is soon brought back to reality. She imagines her community service as an open door to be acknowledged as part of the police, but of course reality is harsher, and soon she's reminded she's still just a kid in many ways (don't expect cop drama here, and a teenager being propelled as star of the detective show—which wouldn't be too believable anyway). Her eagerness and overconfidence when it comes to computers/networks land her in trouble.
However, she also tries to fix things and help. When she's humbled by people who know more than her (and who knows everything at 16!), she accepts her shortcomings and strive to get better. She also shows a lot of courage, involving herself in person—not because she's too stupid to live (although her mistakes could get her killed), but because she genuinely wants to save other people, while knowing that waiting isn't an option.
I also appreciated how her relationship with Jonny was portrayed, because it's light on the romance part. The events of the book unfold on roughly one week, and Jan is very busy... so busy that she can't keep up with having a boyfriend and doing "what it takes" to keep him. Now, considering what happens, I found this understandable. She's worried about her role regarding the police, about missing school, about being wrongly accused of hacking, about her mother whose health isn't great... I can understand that. I can understand a person being unable to keep up, and I think I would have held it against Jan if she had put everything to the back of her mind to be with Jonny all the time and play lovey-dovey, the way it happens too often. I can't say she always knows how to keep her priorities straight (the carding case is a good example), but that part fits with her personality.
Last but not least, what's going on with Peter is intriguing. On the one hand, I can understand Jan's wariness when it comes to this man: he's new in their lives, and with all the problems the store is facing, of course Jan is going to think he's up to something. Overall, he's sweet, caring, understanding, he tries to help her, as if he was doing his best to get her to accept him... Too good to be true? Perhaps he's just that: a man who loves her mother and wants to earn his place in the daughter's life as well (fast, considering how bad Tina's health is). Or perhaps he's something else. Or more than simply that.
The tech:
I already liked the computer/tech aspect in the previous book, and I still like it here. What happens in Script Kiddy is actually good lessons for teenagers (and for anyone not internet-savvy, for that matter), but not presented as such. They're integrated within the flow of the story, while dealing with real problems: phishing, how wireless devices can be a downfall, internet predators, and so on.
The way procedures and technology in general are described is also easy to understand. Well, it's easy for me, as I know enough (though I'm certainly not a specialist), but I think anyone would understand what's going on. Some things made me frown at first, and think "why is this explained?"; but not everyone knows what IRC is, after all.
Problem?
A few things bothered me; not enough to prevent me from enjoying the story, but I still feel I should mention them. The murderer's laptop was one of them: would the police really hand evidence to Jan, let her take it out of the precinct? This I found unbelievable (and considering what happens with it next, it should've tipped her off). Also, at times Jan felt just a tad bit immature when it came to the problems in her life, mainly her mother. On the other hand, I can also envision her as the kind of girl who would cope by shutting off and/or focusing on different things for a while, so I'm not completely sure I can chalk that to sheer immaturity, or to the kind of slightly neurotic persona she seems to be developing. There's just so much going on that at some point, the girl's doomed to break.
Those put aside, this second novel in the series was really a page-turner, and a good read for me.
September 29, 2013
eBook copy received in exchange for my honest review
I have read the first in the series, Assured Destruction. My review can be found HERE
I'm going to delve right into this one, but I'm going to try not make it as long-winded as I did with the first. [Edit: didn't work!]
To start off with, Michael F. Stewart continues to impress me, and because I loved the first book so much, Assured Destruction, I'm surprised I loved this one even more. It doesn't always happen that way for me. Things work either one of two ways where a series is concerned, and where I'm concerned. Either the first book is so great that the second doesn't live up to it, or, the first was somewhat slow placed that the second blows me away. Well, the author has upped the ante! LOVED.
If you haven't read either of these books, I'm sorry to say, you're living on some other planet. I'll say this again, YA at it's best and I've read maybe a handful if I'm to be honest. If you'll note what Kirkus Reviews says: “A fun, fast-paced thriller guaranteed to distract teens from Facebook ...”—Kirkus Reviews", it's right on the money! Not only will they be distracted from FB, you as a parent may even pull your hair out, because you'll be hard pressed to get your offspring to do anything when they start reading this series. A warning though, if you pick it up, which I hope you do, you'll have to bite your tongue, because you won't be able to put it down either. Trust me. Just because it's YA it in no way, shape or form means it's only intended for a particular age group. I have an 18-year-old son, and this series seriously rocks.
Both Assured Destruction and Script Kiddie provide intricate and complex twists and turns. To say Script Kiddie is fast-paced is putting it mildly. There is so much more happening in this book, I pulled a muscle in my brain. Freaking adore it. Janus, or Jan, isn't so much into her old tricks, but she is doing community service in lieu of everything that went down in book one. She's now working with the police's Internet crime unit, and boy things do seem to go wrong for her. Where both she and I thought she was the bomb where hacking is concerned with the first book, we've both come to realise that she's at the bottom of the ladder. She's only but a Script Kiddie. This makes it all the more exciting for me, because I can just imagine what else Mr. Stewart is going to throw not only her way, but mine as a reader. At this point, I rub my hands in anticipation.
Jan's mother, who is wheelchair bound, is getting worse with an added complication, and Peter (her mother's boyfriend) is still very much present with more to him than meets the eye. I couldn't wait to read about him further by the time I got to the end of book one, and I'm not in the least disappointed with what's transpired here. Jan, although she's with Jonny now, still has a somethin'-somethin' lapse over Karl. Jan and her mom are still in financial dire straits with no let up from the oh-so-hated bank manager.
What Jan has to juggle in this book is something that would have probably put me in a comatose state, were I in her shoes. She's put on a bank card fraud case, only to be pulled off. I'll interject here as I totally understood all the terms mentioned due to hearing about, reading about and receiving Phishing e-mails to this effect! I get excited over minute things. Moving on. She's given a computer to tear inside out in the hope of finding further information on a perp, but this ends up blowing in her face - and not her doing. A 'friend' asked her for help with some guy who is harassing her on-line, a predator, and Jan has to keep tight-lipped or Hannah threatens to kill herself. Practically within the same breath though, Hannah changes her mind and wants nothing to do with Jan. As should be, there is an underlying message here to everyone on-line. What frustrates me though is that kids and adults alike, still fall into these sort of traps! Jan (she's so super-cool), is so busy juggling every crazy scenario thrown her way, she's not behaving like a 'girlfriend'. Relationships also change and grow throughout the book. I could go on and on. Oh, I will, because Jan's many alter egos still keep me beyond entertained. These stories are refreshing, mind boggling at times as I don't know how the author even came up with all of it, and as far as I'm concerned, Jan is funnier than in the first book. I love snark, and you get it from her in bucket loads. She can be funny to boot. All the techno speak, forums where there's yet more techno above-over-and-beyond-my-head terms, is fabulous! You don't need to understand every little thing, but I can guarantee that you will understand most of it. Even if you don't, it makes absolutely no difference. This book is action-packed. It really is.
I'll end by saying that I'm ever so glad I got to read the first one, and now the follow-up. I gave the first one 4.5 stars, and at the time the author wondered where the other half was. I think I mentioned that I was keeping it for the second book, hopefully. Well...
Read Script Kiddie, but please read Assured Destruction first. Mr. Stewart, I truly adore your work with this series and look forward to it's continuation. Great writing, fabulous story, amazing premise, awesome characters. What more can a lover of books and stories ask for? Nothing!
I have read the first in the series, Assured Destruction. My review can be found HERE
I'm going to delve right into this one, but I'm going to try not make it as long-winded as I did with the first. [Edit: didn't work!]
To start off with, Michael F. Stewart continues to impress me, and because I loved the first book so much, Assured Destruction, I'm surprised I loved this one even more. It doesn't always happen that way for me. Things work either one of two ways where a series is concerned, and where I'm concerned. Either the first book is so great that the second doesn't live up to it, or, the first was somewhat slow placed that the second blows me away. Well, the author has upped the ante! LOVED.
If you haven't read either of these books, I'm sorry to say, you're living on some other planet. I'll say this again, YA at it's best and I've read maybe a handful if I'm to be honest. If you'll note what Kirkus Reviews says: “A fun, fast-paced thriller guaranteed to distract teens from Facebook ...”—Kirkus Reviews", it's right on the money! Not only will they be distracted from FB, you as a parent may even pull your hair out, because you'll be hard pressed to get your offspring to do anything when they start reading this series. A warning though, if you pick it up, which I hope you do, you'll have to bite your tongue, because you won't be able to put it down either. Trust me. Just because it's YA it in no way, shape or form means it's only intended for a particular age group. I have an 18-year-old son, and this series seriously rocks.
Both Assured Destruction and Script Kiddie provide intricate and complex twists and turns. To say Script Kiddie is fast-paced is putting it mildly. There is so much more happening in this book, I pulled a muscle in my brain. Freaking adore it. Janus, or Jan, isn't so much into her old tricks, but she is doing community service in lieu of everything that went down in book one. She's now working with the police's Internet crime unit, and boy things do seem to go wrong for her. Where both she and I thought she was the bomb where hacking is concerned with the first book, we've both come to realise that she's at the bottom of the ladder. She's only but a Script Kiddie. This makes it all the more exciting for me, because I can just imagine what else Mr. Stewart is going to throw not only her way, but mine as a reader. At this point, I rub my hands in anticipation.
Jan's mother, who is wheelchair bound, is getting worse with an added complication, and Peter (her mother's boyfriend) is still very much present with more to him than meets the eye. I couldn't wait to read about him further by the time I got to the end of book one, and I'm not in the least disappointed with what's transpired here. Jan, although she's with Jonny now, still has a somethin'-somethin' lapse over Karl. Jan and her mom are still in financial dire straits with no let up from the oh-so-hated bank manager.
What Jan has to juggle in this book is something that would have probably put me in a comatose state, were I in her shoes. She's put on a bank card fraud case, only to be pulled off. I'll interject here as I totally understood all the terms mentioned due to hearing about, reading about and receiving Phishing e-mails to this effect! I get excited over minute things. Moving on. She's given a computer to tear inside out in the hope of finding further information on a perp, but this ends up blowing in her face - and not her doing. A 'friend' asked her for help with some guy who is harassing her on-line, a predator, and Jan has to keep tight-lipped or Hannah threatens to kill herself. Practically within the same breath though, Hannah changes her mind and wants nothing to do with Jan. As should be, there is an underlying message here to everyone on-line. What frustrates me though is that kids and adults alike, still fall into these sort of traps! Jan (she's so super-cool), is so busy juggling every crazy scenario thrown her way, she's not behaving like a 'girlfriend'. Relationships also change and grow throughout the book. I could go on and on. Oh, I will, because Jan's many alter egos still keep me beyond entertained. These stories are refreshing, mind boggling at times as I don't know how the author even came up with all of it, and as far as I'm concerned, Jan is funnier than in the first book. I love snark, and you get it from her in bucket loads. She can be funny to boot. All the techno speak, forums where there's yet more techno above-over-and-beyond-my-head terms, is fabulous! You don't need to understand every little thing, but I can guarantee that you will understand most of it. Even if you don't, it makes absolutely no difference. This book is action-packed. It really is.
I'll end by saying that I'm ever so glad I got to read the first one, and now the follow-up. I gave the first one 4.5 stars, and at the time the author wondered where the other half was. I think I mentioned that I was keeping it for the second book, hopefully. Well...
Read Script Kiddie, but please read Assured Destruction first. Mr. Stewart, I truly adore your work with this series and look forward to it's continuation. Great writing, fabulous story, amazing premise, awesome characters. What more can a lover of books and stories ask for? Nothing!
January 13, 2014
After reading this book, I liked it so much and was so taken by the overall plot that I went back and read the first book in the series. I am not really sure which book I prefer, but I am leaning toward the second mostly because I don’t particularly like books that can give youth ideas they have enough of their own, thank-you). I really enjoyed the way the author has taken something that we read about every day (i.e. hacking and identity thief) and turned it into something that is a really good story. I think this speaks loudly to young people. The author also obviously knows his stuff because, though I am not an expert, I can see that a lot of what happens and is done is correct and doable. Jan’s family own a service, Assured Destruction, that takes people’s old IT gear and demolishes it while assuring that there is nothing usable or that can cause them harm still left on it. In the first book, Jan gets into trouble by stealing identities on the computers for her “Shadownet”. As part of her community service (from the first book), she is working with the police in a high crime tech unit. Her job becomes profiling and tracking a murderer. This seems like a great job, but, and this is my one fault with the book, I am not sure that any organization such the one she is working in, would expect her to profile and expose a killer. Profilers are usually very experienced people, and, while she is good at what she does, I am not sure she has the level of experience/expertise for this. Nor do I think any police section would ever place anyone who is there as part of a community service requirement in the jeopardy this assignment gives her. They would be more likely to give the task to one of their own, more senior, paid members or would go within the force to find a candidate. I really think this was a bit farfetched to me. Nevertheless, the story proceeds well and is quite well developed. The main character, though she does some crazy or stupid things (don’t all young people at times), comes across as a pretty good, level-headed individual, one for whom we would be rooting. Also included in this story plot are other stressful situations Jan must face: her mother’s worsening illness, her fading relationship, a tight money situation. All these only add to her stress level. Still, she handles is quite well considering her age and experience. This is another reason I was impressed with the main character. I am eager to see just where the next addition of this series goes. I think lots of young people would enjoy the books. They have just the right mix of realism, contemporary culture and good, common sense. Young people would benefit from reading about this young girl and her exploits. In addition, anyone who works with young people would enjoy it also, since there are so many good points about the books and the series thus far. Finally, I think many other readers who are looking for a good story about today’s complexities of life and/or a good mystery would enjoy the book. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.
April 17, 2014
Script Kiddie by Michael F Stewart is the second book in the Assured Destruction trilogy. You can read my review of the first book here. This review contains spoilers for the first book, Assured Destruction, since the ending of that feeds into the set up of Script Kiddie.
Where the first book was about Jan doing some questionable things and then being "punished" for it by the bad guy, Script Kiddie is about Jan trying to hold everything together while trying to prevent bad stuff from happening. After the events in Assured Destruction, Jan finds herself sentenced to 2000 hours of community service. Luckily for her, the cop that showed up a bit in the first book, recognises her hacking skills and recruits her as an assistant (sort of) in the cyber crimes division.
Script Kiddie definitely carries the same tone as Assured Destruction, but the angle of the plot is less someone semi-randomly attacking Jan and more Jan trying to help and fix things. I think I enjoyed it more for this reason. Like in the first book, she does make some poor decisions, but most of those were related to not being experienced with what the police wanted her to do. Aside from a few naive and, well, a little eccentric choices, I didn't feel she made quite as many poor decisions. Which, yay, character development. (But she does do some silly things still, don't get me wrong.)
The title comes from her making some forays into the hacking community — a script kiddie is a very low-level hacker that more experienced hackers mock. Tied with the hacking is Jan's changing relationship with Peter, her mum's boyfriend. In the first book he was newer and more distant from the plot (mainly just existing for her to be annoyed that her mum has such an old boyfriend) but he has become more central. I have to admit I'm a little suspicious of his role and I'm wondering what will happen with him in the final book. I hope he really does turn out to be nice, but it's hard to predict at this point.
Although this is a second book in a trilogy and the events do follow on directly from the first book, the plot is pretty stand-alone. I mean, it's still better to read the first book first because of character introductions and back-story, but the plot that arises in Script Kiddie is almost all tied up by the end. The only thing that isn't tied up is Jan's mum's illness — MS — which takes a turn for the worse in this book. That's the only cliffhanger at the end. I was going to read the third book anyway, but now I need to, to find out what happens with her mum. I hope it won't be too sad.
Script Kiddie was a fun read and I'll definitely be reading the last book in the series straight away. I recommend the series to anyone looking for a fast-paced, geeky, contemporary YA series. Each book is pretty short (in fact, my omnibus edition is only a few iPad pages longer than the last BFF I read) and not a huge time commitment.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
Where the first book was about Jan doing some questionable things and then being "punished" for it by the bad guy, Script Kiddie is about Jan trying to hold everything together while trying to prevent bad stuff from happening. After the events in Assured Destruction, Jan finds herself sentenced to 2000 hours of community service. Luckily for her, the cop that showed up a bit in the first book, recognises her hacking skills and recruits her as an assistant (sort of) in the cyber crimes division.
Script Kiddie definitely carries the same tone as Assured Destruction, but the angle of the plot is less someone semi-randomly attacking Jan and more Jan trying to help and fix things. I think I enjoyed it more for this reason. Like in the first book, she does make some poor decisions, but most of those were related to not being experienced with what the police wanted her to do. Aside from a few naive and, well, a little eccentric choices, I didn't feel she made quite as many poor decisions. Which, yay, character development. (But she does do some silly things still, don't get me wrong.)
The title comes from her making some forays into the hacking community — a script kiddie is a very low-level hacker that more experienced hackers mock. Tied with the hacking is Jan's changing relationship with Peter, her mum's boyfriend. In the first book he was newer and more distant from the plot (mainly just existing for her to be annoyed that her mum has such an old boyfriend) but he has become more central. I have to admit I'm a little suspicious of his role and I'm wondering what will happen with him in the final book. I hope he really does turn out to be nice, but it's hard to predict at this point.
Although this is a second book in a trilogy and the events do follow on directly from the first book, the plot is pretty stand-alone. I mean, it's still better to read the first book first because of character introductions and back-story, but the plot that arises in Script Kiddie is almost all tied up by the end. The only thing that isn't tied up is Jan's mum's illness — MS — which takes a turn for the worse in this book. That's the only cliffhanger at the end. I was going to read the third book anyway, but now I need to, to find out what happens with her mum. I hope it won't be too sad.
Script Kiddie was a fun read and I'll definitely be reading the last book in the series straight away. I recommend the series to anyone looking for a fast-paced, geeky, contemporary YA series. Each book is pretty short (in fact, my omnibus edition is only a few iPad pages longer than the last BFF I read) and not a huge time commitment.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
December 6, 2014
This review was first posted on Northern Plunder, if you want to see more reviews please click here.
As mentioned I received all three books of the Assured Destruction series in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours, this will in no way effect my opinion of the book.
Ever worry about taking a break from a series and worrying about not remembering what happened?
Fear not, Script Kiddie picks up shortly after where Assured Destruction finished and if that is not good enough well as this story progresses it drops a few reminders about key events from the previous. This is so helpful especially after long hours painting.
Janus' introduction to becoming a police sidekick doesn't quiet go as smoothly as planned, one of the officers has already taken to her badly and well the other, whilst she supports her, Janus just finds herself doing everything but what they wanted, even with all her good intentions.
Upon returning to school she's faced with a surprise science test, which can only go so well when you've been in hospital for a few weeks, and Hannah wanting her help with a very secretive and delicate subject matter than only Janus could handle.
Only can Janus handle tracking down a paedophile, removing the evidence he has of Hannah and shutting him down for good on her own?
Not to mention realising just how much money troubles her mums having back home, surely this is too much for one kid to handle, especially when she starts to have doubts about her own hacking skills, is she at best a Script Kiddie?
Initially everything seems downhill for Janus and I think that is why I keep coming back to this book and enjoying it so much, she is real life person and can only handle so much at once much like everyone else. She isn't a Superhero or Princess, she doesn't posses magical abilities - just knows her way around coding more than others around her.
Yet she doesn't give up, she keeps going until she manages to solve as much as she's able. Even if she leaves a bit of destruction in her path.
Like joining an online hacker forum that may be more dangerous than she realises. Even if she is only there to ask for advice.
Anyhow Janus does end up finding herself in more trouble than last time, if that is even possible, but the development of her character continues and I loved every page of it.
I only hope we get more of a development on Jonny (her boyfriend) and Peter (her mums boyfriend) because I now find that after two books they're not touched upon as much as I'd like them to be considering how much is unknown about one of them.
I look forward to the third, such a great and easy to read series.
As mentioned I received all three books of the Assured Destruction series in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours, this will in no way effect my opinion of the book.
Ever worry about taking a break from a series and worrying about not remembering what happened?
Fear not, Script Kiddie picks up shortly after where Assured Destruction finished and if that is not good enough well as this story progresses it drops a few reminders about key events from the previous. This is so helpful especially after long hours painting.
Janus' introduction to becoming a police sidekick doesn't quiet go as smoothly as planned, one of the officers has already taken to her badly and well the other, whilst she supports her, Janus just finds herself doing everything but what they wanted, even with all her good intentions.
Upon returning to school she's faced with a surprise science test, which can only go so well when you've been in hospital for a few weeks, and Hannah wanting her help with a very secretive and delicate subject matter than only Janus could handle.
Only can Janus handle tracking down a paedophile, removing the evidence he has of Hannah and shutting him down for good on her own?
Not to mention realising just how much money troubles her mums having back home, surely this is too much for one kid to handle, especially when she starts to have doubts about her own hacking skills, is she at best a Script Kiddie?
Initially everything seems downhill for Janus and I think that is why I keep coming back to this book and enjoying it so much, she is real life person and can only handle so much at once much like everyone else. She isn't a Superhero or Princess, she doesn't posses magical abilities - just knows her way around coding more than others around her.
Yet she doesn't give up, she keeps going until she manages to solve as much as she's able. Even if she leaves a bit of destruction in her path.
Like joining an online hacker forum that may be more dangerous than she realises. Even if she is only there to ask for advice.
Anyhow Janus does end up finding herself in more trouble than last time, if that is even possible, but the development of her character continues and I loved every page of it.
I only hope we get more of a development on Jonny (her boyfriend) and Peter (her mums boyfriend) because I now find that after two books they're not touched upon as much as I'd like them to be considering how much is unknown about one of them.
I look forward to the third, such a great and easy to read series.
December 27, 2013
Like others who have reviewed this series, this is becoming one of my favorite YA series and Michael F Stewart is becoming one of my favorite authors.
I received a free e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a great little quick read. Again, the story is very fast-paced and the book is hard to put down - I'm glad I read this one over the holidays.
This is a fantastic story. Janus is working on completing her community service hours she received at the end of book 1. She was assigned to help the high tech crime squad of the Ottawa police department, to use her hacker skills for good instead of to get in trouble. It doesn't seem to matter what Jan does, things go wrong for her. It doesn't seem to matter what she does, she messes up and the other officers on the team make her feel terrible... add to that that her mom is getting worse, Peter is still sort of a dark horse, and money being super tight, and you can imagine the stress she is under.
Then, her self-esteem gets crushed when she realizes she isn't some wonder-hacker like the thought... she's actually a script kiddie (newbie).
Jan's mother, who is wheelchair bound with MS, is getting worse and ends up in the hospital, and Peter.
The love triangle with Jan-Jonny-Karl is still present, with not much headway being made in the love department for Jan. That kind of annoyed me - throughout the two books, there hasn't been much more development. At one point I just wanted to tell her to choose Karl already... they both have their flaws but Jonny is being a total baby!!
This is a book that isn't just for the YA scene... anyone with a twitter/FB addiction needs to read this series. Although I will say that if I hadn't read the first book in the series, I would have been totally and completely LOST in the story, so would definitely recommend reading the series in order so you understand everything that's going on.
Overall, I give this book 4.5 stars (I really wish we could give half stars on the rating system.) A great book and highly recommended series.
I received a free e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a great little quick read. Again, the story is very fast-paced and the book is hard to put down - I'm glad I read this one over the holidays.
This is a fantastic story. Janus is working on completing her community service hours she received at the end of book 1. She was assigned to help the high tech crime squad of the Ottawa police department, to use her hacker skills for good instead of to get in trouble. It doesn't seem to matter what Jan does, things go wrong for her. It doesn't seem to matter what she does, she messes up and the other officers on the team make her feel terrible... add to that that her mom is getting worse, Peter is still sort of a dark horse, and money being super tight, and you can imagine the stress she is under.
Then, her self-esteem gets crushed when she realizes she isn't some wonder-hacker like the thought... she's actually a script kiddie (newbie).
Jan's mother, who is wheelchair bound with MS, is getting worse and ends up in the hospital, and Peter.
The love triangle with Jan-Jonny-Karl is still present, with not much headway being made in the love department for Jan. That kind of annoyed me - throughout the two books, there hasn't been much more development. At one point I just wanted to tell her to choose Karl already... they both have their flaws but Jonny is being a total baby!!
This is a book that isn't just for the YA scene... anyone with a twitter/FB addiction needs to read this series. Although I will say that if I hadn't read the first book in the series, I would have been totally and completely LOST in the story, so would definitely recommend reading the series in order so you understand everything that's going on.
Overall, I give this book 4.5 stars (I really wish we could give half stars on the rating system.) A great book and highly recommended series.
August 4, 2014
Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?
Like you could see from my review, which was posted yesterday, Assured Destruction is a series very appealing to me. Being in the world of coding and hacking is a true experience and while I did have some issues with Jan in the first book, Script Kiddiechanged some things.
After being pulled through hell and back Jan still feels consequences of everything that happened in Assured Destruction. She now has to balance her work for the police with school, business and helping her mother, which turns out to be impossible. As Jan is someone who doesn't give up and fights even when battle seems to be over she puts all her strength into discovering the crime and with all that helping one of her friends. With new hacking world opened to her she is on the role.
I said in my review yesterday that while I admired Jan's abilities as hacker still outside that world she never was that close to me. Gladly, that changed in this book as Jan is more involved in the world around her and now she is able to do good things with her knowledge. I felt closer to her as she felt more human and I was happy to discover some things about her. Another thing is that this book was such a fast read without drags and unnecessary moments, which made my reading much faster. Still there are moments when I felt like too much things are happening at once, but it's good thing that author knew how to wrap-up this story.
All in all, everything in this series is improving, from characters, writing to the emotional part (which still is not perfect, but much better than in the first book). I cannot wait to see how things end up in With Zombies!
Like you could see from my review, which was posted yesterday, Assured Destruction is a series very appealing to me. Being in the world of coding and hacking is a true experience and while I did have some issues with Jan in the first book, Script Kiddiechanged some things.
After being pulled through hell and back Jan still feels consequences of everything that happened in Assured Destruction. She now has to balance her work for the police with school, business and helping her mother, which turns out to be impossible. As Jan is someone who doesn't give up and fights even when battle seems to be over she puts all her strength into discovering the crime and with all that helping one of her friends. With new hacking world opened to her she is on the role.
I said in my review yesterday that while I admired Jan's abilities as hacker still outside that world she never was that close to me. Gladly, that changed in this book as Jan is more involved in the world around her and now she is able to do good things with her knowledge. I felt closer to her as she felt more human and I was happy to discover some things about her. Another thing is that this book was such a fast read without drags and unnecessary moments, which made my reading much faster. Still there are moments when I felt like too much things are happening at once, but it's good thing that author knew how to wrap-up this story.
All in all, everything in this series is improving, from characters, writing to the emotional part (which still is not perfect, but much better than in the first book). I cannot wait to see how things end up in With Zombies!
August 24, 2013
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited when I received a message from the author asking if I'd like to read Script Kiddie. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book of the series, Absolute Destruction and I was already routinely checking on the release date.
Script Kiddie did not disappoint me. Sticking with the same style as book 1, the author kept the plot moving quickly and I found it very hard to put it down. I still feel that Janus is a very real character with normal human flaws. She's trying to do the best she can for everyone but still makes some mistakes.
The author does also address certain important issues. For instance, one of Janus's disguises involved a fake pregnancy belly that her mother had made her wear on a previous occasion to educate her to not get pregnant. Wearing the disguise helped reaffirm in Janus's mind that she's just not ready for that burden. Whether or not this was just meant to be an entertaining scene, the author has pointed out the need to prevent unwanted teen pregnancy.
Additionally, Janus's mom, Tina, is very sick. The author has shown how hard it is the be the child of a broken marriage when the remaining parent is critically ill. Janus's pain and worry came across as very real emotions and not just simple words on a screen.
I actually enjoyed Script Kiddie more than Assured Destruction and I can't wait to read the next installment. I feel like the characters are people I know and I need to find out what happens in their lives next.
I was really excited when I received a message from the author asking if I'd like to read Script Kiddie. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book of the series, Absolute Destruction and I was already routinely checking on the release date.
Script Kiddie did not disappoint me. Sticking with the same style as book 1, the author kept the plot moving quickly and I found it very hard to put it down. I still feel that Janus is a very real character with normal human flaws. She's trying to do the best she can for everyone but still makes some mistakes.
The author does also address certain important issues. For instance, one of Janus's disguises involved a fake pregnancy belly that her mother had made her wear on a previous occasion to educate her to not get pregnant. Wearing the disguise helped reaffirm in Janus's mind that she's just not ready for that burden. Whether or not this was just meant to be an entertaining scene, the author has pointed out the need to prevent unwanted teen pregnancy.
Additionally, Janus's mom, Tina, is very sick. The author has shown how hard it is the be the child of a broken marriage when the remaining parent is critically ill. Janus's pain and worry came across as very real emotions and not just simple words on a screen.
I actually enjoyed Script Kiddie more than Assured Destruction and I can't wait to read the next installment. I feel like the characters are people I know and I need to find out what happens in their lives next.
September 4, 2013
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This is book 2 of the Assured Destruction series. In this sequel, we see that Janus is beginning her community service hours with the high tech crime unit. At first, they had her helping them with a bank security issue, but her mischievous ways of being “covert” quickly got her into trouble. Then the laptop of a murderer arrives on her desk, her job, this is more her speed. When she profiles and exposes who the laptop belongs to, you would not believe!
This book was as awesome as the first. Janus was so busy; I spent quite a bit of time wondering if her head was spinning. Her mom was getting sicker, so she spent many hours covering for her mom at Assured Destruction. Peter had been spending every waking moment with her mom, and she knew they were hiding something from her. Janus’ friend Heather has a stalker, when Janus agrees to help she gets way more than she’s bargained for. How will she juggle work, school, her home life, Heather’s stalker, and Jonny? Who is Peter really?
This was another fast pace thrill ride that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I can’t wait for book 3 to see what happens next. I enjoyed the fact that Janus went deeper into the hacker world and although Peter helped her get there, she still doesn't trust him. This was a fantastic read, one I’m sure everyone will love!
This book was as awesome as the first. Janus was so busy; I spent quite a bit of time wondering if her head was spinning. Her mom was getting sicker, so she spent many hours covering for her mom at Assured Destruction. Peter had been spending every waking moment with her mom, and she knew they were hiding something from her. Janus’ friend Heather has a stalker, when Janus agrees to help she gets way more than she’s bargained for. How will she juggle work, school, her home life, Heather’s stalker, and Jonny? Who is Peter really?
This was another fast pace thrill ride that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I can’t wait for book 3 to see what happens next. I enjoyed the fact that Janus went deeper into the hacker world and although Peter helped her get there, she still doesn't trust him. This was a fantastic read, one I’m sure everyone will love!
October 12, 2013
This is the second book I've read in the Assured Destruction series, and both are going on my "favorite reads of 2013" list. Janus is a take charge kind of girl, and that leads her into all kinds of dangerous (and sometimes hilarious) situations. In the last book, she got in trouble for hacking into people's hard drives. This time, she's working for the cops, using her hacking abilities to help solve crimes. Of course, being Janus, she doesn't always follow the rules, and that gets her in even deeper trouble.
I read this book in one sitting, and then was sorry when it was over so soon. Will definitely be continuing the series as soon as new books are released. Great story. Excellent writing. Fun characters. Lots of suspense.
I read this book in one sitting, and then was sorry when it was over so soon. Will definitely be continuing the series as soon as new books are released. Great story. Excellent writing. Fun characters. Lots of suspense.
November 27, 2013
When I was offered an e-copy of this book as a consolation prize in the GoodReads giveaway, I jumped at the chance! I really enjoyed the first book in the series and had already been looking forward to reading the second.
I did enjoy Script Kiddie more than the first book. Maybe it was because I was already acquainted with the characters. My only problem with it is that I wish it were much longer! :-)
I really did not want this one to end. I couldn't stop reading, to find out what trouble our protagonist was going to find herself in next! There is more hacking in the second book, which I found really interesting. Parts of the book are hilarious, too! A general all around good read! Highly recommended!
I did enjoy Script Kiddie more than the first book. Maybe it was because I was already acquainted with the characters. My only problem with it is that I wish it were much longer! :-)
I really did not want this one to end. I couldn't stop reading, to find out what trouble our protagonist was going to find herself in next! There is more hacking in the second book, which I found really interesting. Parts of the book are hilarious, too! A general all around good read! Highly recommended!
March 24, 2014
This is becoming one of my favorite YA series and Michael F Stewart is becoming one of my favorite authors.
Poor Janus, she is doing her community service and that is not even going hundred percent well, her mom is getting worse, Peter is mysterious, Her relationship with Johnny is going down hill and Assured Destruction has its problems. Plus she has to put a profile of a killer together from what is on his laptop.
This book is a quick wonderful read. The story moves along smoothly and keeps you interested in it. The characters are wonderful. I had issues putting it down.
Poor Janus, she is doing her community service and that is not even going hundred percent well, her mom is getting worse, Peter is mysterious, Her relationship with Johnny is going down hill and Assured Destruction has its problems. Plus she has to put a profile of a killer together from what is on his laptop.
This book is a quick wonderful read. The story moves along smoothly and keeps you interested in it. The characters are wonderful. I had issues putting it down.
January 26, 2014
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is full of action and you find yourself engrossed from the very beginning. The storyline is well developed and the characters are well written. Janis has a full plate and you feel yourself cheering her on. As far as this being the second book it the series it is a standalone novel that is better than the first. You can see the author has grown between books. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
This book is full of action and you find yourself engrossed from the very beginning. The storyline is well developed and the characters are well written. Janis has a full plate and you feel yourself cheering her on. As far as this being the second book it the series it is a standalone novel that is better than the first. You can see the author has grown between books. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
September 29, 2013
Here's my full review:
http://ogcmat.blogspot.com/2013/09/re...
Suffice to say, I absolutely adored this book!
http://ogcmat.blogspot.com/2013/09/re...
Suffice to say, I absolutely adored this book!
March 3, 2020
I have read this book straight after the first one. It's been just a few weeks and Janus hasn't learned a lot about good and bad. At least she sees a purpose to her hacking and tries hard to help the police but her sense of how is a bit off. Well, to her defence, she's 16 and has a lot on her plate. Things no teenager should face like a very ill mother and financial problems, trying to save both and at the same time not failing school.
The technology references are sadly already a bit outdated and her community service at the police seems unrealistic. But this doesn't take away from a fast paced, humourous and quite realistic story.
I'm off to book 3 to see what Peter is really up to, what's the story behind her dad and if she finds happiness with real friends and a good purpose for her computer skills. I hope these questions get answered in the final book of the trilogy.
The technology references are sadly already a bit outdated and her community service at the police seems unrealistic. But this doesn't take away from a fast paced, humourous and quite realistic story.
I'm off to book 3 to see what Peter is really up to, what's the story behind her dad and if she finds happiness with real friends and a good purpose for her computer skills. I hope these questions get answered in the final book of the trilogy.
January 16, 2014
A copy of this book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
*This review can also be found on my blog Love at First Write*
Janus Rose is still up to no good in book two haha. She is now working on the side of good though. She is the newest member of the police department’s High Tech Crime Unit, where she’ll serve out her sentence of public service (from stealing data from old computers in book one). To evaluate Janus’s skills, she is given the laptop of a murderer and has to profile and expose the killer. On top of all that, her relationship with Jonny isn’t going so hot, Assured Destruction needs to hire a new employee that they don’t have the money to pay for, Peter is mysterious as ever, and Hannah is getting stalked by a creep. Can Janus possibly save everything?
Man this book was intense. Even after the scandal from book one, Janus keeps the Shadownet (deleting Jonny’s hard drive of course) and still tweets from all of her different personas. There is less mother-daughter action in Script Kiddie, simply because there is less ‘mother’. Janus is working with the police, getting driven around by Jonny, and spending extra time at school, on the internet, and manning the store. Her mom’s condition is getting worse and Peter is taking more control of things, much to Janus’s dislike, which I completely agree with. Peter gives me the heebie-jeebies and NOTHING is further explained about him! I’m awaiting a book 3 Michael!
While we wait I’ll highlight my likes and dislikes of Script Kiddie. The title of the name really bothered me at first. It seemed pretty ridiculous and childish after a cool name like ‘Assured Destruction’, but after the name was explained in the book the title instantly fit. The transition from Book 1 to Book 2 shows how, in perspective, Janus really is the bottom of the hacker hierarchy. Nowhere near the big leagues. A Script Kiddie. One thing that I REALLY hated was how much Janus thought about other guys (Karl and Hannah’s brother) and how much she relied on physicalities to sustain her relationship with Jonny. If she cared about Jonny, she wouldn’t compare him with others or point out his flaws or resort to being physical all the time. One thing I really enjoyed was Constable Ethan Chow and seeing him from different points of view before realizing it’s him. So adorable <3 but Jonny is still my favorite guy character. As usual, I love the incorporation of modern technology and social media in this series and also the way it ended yet again in a satisfying conclusion, but not a ‘happily-ever-after’. Realistic. This book dealt with more real world problems such as carding, illness, Internet stalkers, and debt. The book always keeps a light, yet serious tone with a subtle hint of dark throughout the plot and, again, was a really enjoyable read!
*This review can also be found on my blog Love at First Write*
Janus Rose is still up to no good in book two haha. She is now working on the side of good though. She is the newest member of the police department’s High Tech Crime Unit, where she’ll serve out her sentence of public service (from stealing data from old computers in book one). To evaluate Janus’s skills, she is given the laptop of a murderer and has to profile and expose the killer. On top of all that, her relationship with Jonny isn’t going so hot, Assured Destruction needs to hire a new employee that they don’t have the money to pay for, Peter is mysterious as ever, and Hannah is getting stalked by a creep. Can Janus possibly save everything?
Man this book was intense. Even after the scandal from book one, Janus keeps the Shadownet (deleting Jonny’s hard drive of course) and still tweets from all of her different personas. There is less mother-daughter action in Script Kiddie, simply because there is less ‘mother’. Janus is working with the police, getting driven around by Jonny, and spending extra time at school, on the internet, and manning the store. Her mom’s condition is getting worse and Peter is taking more control of things, much to Janus’s dislike, which I completely agree with. Peter gives me the heebie-jeebies and NOTHING is further explained about him! I’m awaiting a book 3 Michael!
While we wait I’ll highlight my likes and dislikes of Script Kiddie. The title of the name really bothered me at first. It seemed pretty ridiculous and childish after a cool name like ‘Assured Destruction’, but after the name was explained in the book the title instantly fit. The transition from Book 1 to Book 2 shows how, in perspective, Janus really is the bottom of the hacker hierarchy. Nowhere near the big leagues. A Script Kiddie. One thing that I REALLY hated was how much Janus thought about other guys (Karl and Hannah’s brother) and how much she relied on physicalities to sustain her relationship with Jonny. If she cared about Jonny, she wouldn’t compare him with others or point out his flaws or resort to being physical all the time. One thing I really enjoyed was Constable Ethan Chow and seeing him from different points of view before realizing it’s him. So adorable <3 but Jonny is still my favorite guy character. As usual, I love the incorporation of modern technology and social media in this series and also the way it ended yet again in a satisfying conclusion, but not a ‘happily-ever-after’. Realistic. This book dealt with more real world problems such as carding, illness, Internet stalkers, and debt. The book always keeps a light, yet serious tone with a subtle hint of dark throughout the plot and, again, was a really enjoyable read!
February 1, 2014
I'd like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy of Script Kiddie to read and review!
After reading Assured Destruction, I was eager to read the follow-up, Script Kiddie. The first book ended with the promise of Janus embarking on some high-tech police adventures. Well....not so much. While Janus does indeed get to work on a case, she ends up doing not-so-great at it and getting thrown off. But of course she doesn't let that stop her.
In addition to that case, she also has another case to work on, and of course that doesn't go so well. And she has a friend who is being stalked by an old Creep. And her mom's health is going downhill fast. And her boyfriend is feeling neglected. AND her mom's boyfriend is over all the time and Janus feels he's trying to take over as her mom's caregiver and all-around Person-who-keeps-things-running. And she's not too happy about that. It seems like one thing after another keeps piling up for poor Janus, and she just can't seem to catch a break.
I really liked Script Kiddie. It took me a while to get around to reading it because, well..life, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. I planned on going to bed early last night, but I stayed up an extra couple hours just to finish reading. I really like Janus. I don't always understand all her techno-babble, but she (and the author) does a pretty good job explaining what most of the terminology means. I thought it was interesting getting a peek into the hacker community, and it was interesting seeing Janus lose her confidence after coming into contact with hackers who have more knowledge and experience than she.
I was also pretty pleased with the Creep storyline. I thought it showed the dangers of meeting strangers online adequately, though with a pretty dramatic end. I especially liked the lesson that if you share nude or risque photos with strangers online, what happens to or with those pictures is no longer in your control. Your body is now out there for whoever the initial recipient chooses to see. If this keeps a few teens or young adults from making a foolish decision, it's done its job.
As usual, we're treated to tweets and "comments" from Janus' several online alter-egos. As usual, I enjoyed them - especially now that I "know" and understand them.
Overall, Script Kiddie was enjoyable and exciting. I can't wait to find out what's next for Janus!
After reading Assured Destruction, I was eager to read the follow-up, Script Kiddie. The first book ended with the promise of Janus embarking on some high-tech police adventures. Well....not so much. While Janus does indeed get to work on a case, she ends up doing not-so-great at it and getting thrown off. But of course she doesn't let that stop her.
In addition to that case, she also has another case to work on, and of course that doesn't go so well. And she has a friend who is being stalked by an old Creep. And her mom's health is going downhill fast. And her boyfriend is feeling neglected. AND her mom's boyfriend is over all the time and Janus feels he's trying to take over as her mom's caregiver and all-around Person-who-keeps-things-running. And she's not too happy about that. It seems like one thing after another keeps piling up for poor Janus, and she just can't seem to catch a break.
I really liked Script Kiddie. It took me a while to get around to reading it because, well..life, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. I planned on going to bed early last night, but I stayed up an extra couple hours just to finish reading. I really like Janus. I don't always understand all her techno-babble, but she (and the author) does a pretty good job explaining what most of the terminology means. I thought it was interesting getting a peek into the hacker community, and it was interesting seeing Janus lose her confidence after coming into contact with hackers who have more knowledge and experience than she.
I was also pretty pleased with the Creep storyline. I thought it showed the dangers of meeting strangers online adequately, though with a pretty dramatic end. I especially liked the lesson that if you share nude or risque photos with strangers online, what happens to or with those pictures is no longer in your control. Your body is now out there for whoever the initial recipient chooses to see. If this keeps a few teens or young adults from making a foolish decision, it's done its job.
As usual, we're treated to tweets and "comments" from Janus' several online alter-egos. As usual, I enjoyed them - especially now that I "know" and understand them.
Overall, Script Kiddie was enjoyable and exciting. I can't wait to find out what's next for Janus!
September 13, 2013
Ever since her duplicity at Assured Destruction was discovered, Janus has had to put up with a lot of things. Her classmates continue to jeer at her, her life at home has changed consistently, and she now has to serve her community service sentence. All in all, she'd say everything was hunky-dory, but in true retrospect, she knows it's not.
Janus knows she has no choice but to follow through with her sentence. If she's to succeed in putting everything behind her, she has to, but that doesn't mean that she'll have to like what she has to do, none-the-less. Diving head-in to do what needs to be done, she soon realizes that community service is a whole other ballgame.
It's not the same as sitting in front of her computer talking to people incognito. Here, everyone knows her name, and they know exactly what she's done. Determined to shrug off her sense of unease and rising insecurities, Janus does her best to fulfill her current obligation. It's not easy, but she'll do it, no matter what.
To her surprise, she soon finds herself as the newest member of the police department’s High Tech Crime Unit. There's a madman out there killing people left and right. With her unique skills, the force has decreed that she's the only one who can help them get to the bottom of things. Janus knows she's good at what she does, and she's more than willing to help them with what they need. It'll get her out of community service, after all.
Sadly, she soon gets more than she bargained for. The killer lurks in the shadows, intent on having his due. If she's to succeed in helping the law bring him into custody, she'll need to resort to unorthodox measures to do so. Playing this game of cat and mouse can be deadly. Her loved ones are at risk, but she'll do anything to keep them free of harm, including putting her life on the line in order to make sure that no one else gets hurt in the process.
This was an awesome addition to the Assured Destruction series. I enjoyed it immensely! The story picks up where the first book left off, and dives head-first into Janus' tumultuous life. She's determined to start a new leaf in her life. Unfortunately, doing so doesn't seem that likely. I love the way Michael's words draw you along, and vividly make you envision the world he's created around his characters. I look forward to seeing more of Janus in the future. This is definitely one series you'll want to keep an eye on!
Janus knows she has no choice but to follow through with her sentence. If she's to succeed in putting everything behind her, she has to, but that doesn't mean that she'll have to like what she has to do, none-the-less. Diving head-in to do what needs to be done, she soon realizes that community service is a whole other ballgame.
It's not the same as sitting in front of her computer talking to people incognito. Here, everyone knows her name, and they know exactly what she's done. Determined to shrug off her sense of unease and rising insecurities, Janus does her best to fulfill her current obligation. It's not easy, but she'll do it, no matter what.
To her surprise, she soon finds herself as the newest member of the police department’s High Tech Crime Unit. There's a madman out there killing people left and right. With her unique skills, the force has decreed that she's the only one who can help them get to the bottom of things. Janus knows she's good at what she does, and she's more than willing to help them with what they need. It'll get her out of community service, after all.
Sadly, she soon gets more than she bargained for. The killer lurks in the shadows, intent on having his due. If she's to succeed in helping the law bring him into custody, she'll need to resort to unorthodox measures to do so. Playing this game of cat and mouse can be deadly. Her loved ones are at risk, but she'll do anything to keep them free of harm, including putting her life on the line in order to make sure that no one else gets hurt in the process.
This was an awesome addition to the Assured Destruction series. I enjoyed it immensely! The story picks up where the first book left off, and dives head-first into Janus' tumultuous life. She's determined to start a new leaf in her life. Unfortunately, doing so doesn't seem that likely. I love the way Michael's words draw you along, and vividly make you envision the world he's created around his characters. I look forward to seeing more of Janus in the future. This is definitely one series you'll want to keep an eye on!
August 12, 2016
Janus drives me crazy. Despite the consequences to her actions from book #1 (namely, the 2,000 hours of community service she's ordered to perform), she continues to make poor decisions, many of which are, again, illegal. She also continues attempting to justify her illegal actions (it's to catch a bad guy, it's to stop something worse from happening, etc.). She doesn't seem to have learned much of anything from her first go-round tangling with her mom, the authorities at her school, and the legal system, because she continues to engage in the kind of activities that will send her straight back to court, suspension, expulsion, and grounding.
Actually, most of the characters drive me crazy. Jonny's motivations for being in a relationship with Janus are a bit unclear, Hannah makes even worse decisions than Janus, Chow behaves completely unprofessionally, Williams dumps Janus into a role she isn't at all ready for without providing her with any kind of preparation, Janus' mom has checked out of her business and her parenting, and despite all the adults (and Jonny) surrounding Janus who should be concerned with her well-being, none of them are taking any concrete actions to help her, instead leaving her to deal with a sick mom, her own injuries, a business, a home, her schoolwork, and a job all on her own.
I'm frustrated with the characters, but that doesn't mean the Assured Destruction books are poorly written. In fact, Stewart's characters are probably fairly accurate depictions of how people would behave in these situations. It's still agonizing, though, to read about Janus having to fend for herself and making poor decisions that you know will come back to haunt her.
While Assured Destruction ended with most of its main plot points wrapped up, Script Kiddie ends with many questions still unanswered / conflicts unresolved. With each book in the trilogy being around 200 pages, they read as either somewhat short individual stories or, read straight through, one epic story. I'd recommend reading them straight through; too much is left up-in-the-air from book to book to really read them as stand alone stories.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author through Goodreads.
Actually, most of the characters drive me crazy. Jonny's motivations for being in a relationship with Janus are a bit unclear, Hannah makes even worse decisions than Janus, Chow behaves completely unprofessionally, Williams dumps Janus into a role she isn't at all ready for without providing her with any kind of preparation, Janus' mom has checked out of her business and her parenting, and despite all the adults (and Jonny) surrounding Janus who should be concerned with her well-being, none of them are taking any concrete actions to help her, instead leaving her to deal with a sick mom, her own injuries, a business, a home, her schoolwork, and a job all on her own.
I'm frustrated with the characters, but that doesn't mean the Assured Destruction books are poorly written. In fact, Stewart's characters are probably fairly accurate depictions of how people would behave in these situations. It's still agonizing, though, to read about Janus having to fend for herself and making poor decisions that you know will come back to haunt her.
While Assured Destruction ended with most of its main plot points wrapped up, Script Kiddie ends with many questions still unanswered / conflicts unresolved. With each book in the trilogy being around 200 pages, they read as either somewhat short individual stories or, read straight through, one epic story. I'd recommend reading them straight through; too much is left up-in-the-air from book to book to really read them as stand alone stories.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author through Goodreads.
September 28, 2013
(This review may contain spoilers).
I quite liked this sequel to Assured Destruction. It was nice to see Janus and the other characters again, though this wasn't quite what I was expecting from reading the blurb.
I liked the glimpses of Janus' other sides that came from her tweets from Shadownet. Some of those made me smile. I think I'd almost like to explore other aspects of my personality in a similar way - though I think Shadownet's existence is something indicating how fractured Janus is.
My knowledge of hacking is virtually non-existent and I only know slightly more than the obvious about computers, so some of the language went over my head. Still, I found this book to be enjoyable and easy to read.
A couple of the characters kind of irritated me in the book, especially Hannah, with the way she demanded help from Janus and then pushed her away. I can understand, in a way, why she did it - but even so...
I'm not entirely sure what to make of Peter. He's quite a mysterious person and I don't know if he really cares about Janus and her mother or if he's working towards his own agenda.
There wasn't a lot of mystery in this book, unlike the previous one. I did like the more 'human' aspect of Janus - like when she cooed over the chick. (I think the description of the chick worked really well, too. Janus' reaction to it really made me able to empathise with her, along with the fact that she's 'adopted' the stray cats. Cats are my favourite animals, so it's always nice to see characters who like them).
I really did like this book and I'm definitely hoping there'll be a third one. This is a really good series so far.
I quite liked this sequel to Assured Destruction. It was nice to see Janus and the other characters again, though this wasn't quite what I was expecting from reading the blurb.
I liked the glimpses of Janus' other sides that came from her tweets from Shadownet. Some of those made me smile. I think I'd almost like to explore other aspects of my personality in a similar way - though I think Shadownet's existence is something indicating how fractured Janus is.
My knowledge of hacking is virtually non-existent and I only know slightly more than the obvious about computers, so some of the language went over my head. Still, I found this book to be enjoyable and easy to read.
A couple of the characters kind of irritated me in the book, especially Hannah, with the way she demanded help from Janus and then pushed her away. I can understand, in a way, why she did it - but even so...
I'm not entirely sure what to make of Peter. He's quite a mysterious person and I don't know if he really cares about Janus and her mother or if he's working towards his own agenda.
There wasn't a lot of mystery in this book, unlike the previous one. I did like the more 'human' aspect of Janus - like when she cooed over the chick. (I think the description of the chick worked really well, too. Janus' reaction to it really made me able to empathise with her, along with the fact that she's 'adopted' the stray cats. Cats are my favourite animals, so it's always nice to see characters who like them).
I really did like this book and I'm definitely hoping there'll be a third one. This is a really good series so far.
May 12, 2022
This time, the sequel's equal and in some ways, even better. Another YA-teen full length novel about real life and virtual life, and the interesting ways those supposedly separate entities can overlap. I read this sequel before the first novel (Assured Destruction), but it doesn't matter. Both can stand alone and both are excellent.
Understand, I hate books written in present tense. If I find I've accidentally downloaded one, it's deleted. I just don't like them. This book had me wrapped up in the first Kindle screen, and I found myself fascinated before I even realized the author had importuned me with his challenging grammatical structure. By the time I clicked to the second screen, I knew I'd relaxed into the web of a good author. He could have written the book in pidgin English and I'd still have finished it.
16-year-old Janus helps her mother (crippled with MS) run their family business, Assured Destruction. Customers bring in their old computers and other electronic gear for recycling, and the hard drives are shredded. Janus still has her ring network, Shadownet, and she still lives portions of her life through her various virtual identities. But now she's also lending her considerable skills to the local police department, helping to crack computer crimes, or at least that's the idea. With Janus, things don't always work according to plan, but that's good entertainment.
I read it in two sittings. Five stars. Write fast, Mr. Stewart.
Understand, I hate books written in present tense. If I find I've accidentally downloaded one, it's deleted. I just don't like them. This book had me wrapped up in the first Kindle screen, and I found myself fascinated before I even realized the author had importuned me with his challenging grammatical structure. By the time I clicked to the second screen, I knew I'd relaxed into the web of a good author. He could have written the book in pidgin English and I'd still have finished it.
16-year-old Janus helps her mother (crippled with MS) run their family business, Assured Destruction. Customers bring in their old computers and other electronic gear for recycling, and the hard drives are shredded. Janus still has her ring network, Shadownet, and she still lives portions of her life through her various virtual identities. But now she's also lending her considerable skills to the local police department, helping to crack computer crimes, or at least that's the idea. With Janus, things don't always work according to plan, but that's good entertainment.
I read it in two sittings. Five stars. Write fast, Mr. Stewart.
September 29, 2013
NOTE: I received a free copy in order to catch up on the series before reviewing book #2 for a blog tour, with no expectation of a favorable review.
I probably should preface this with a disclaimer--I am in no way a tech geek, so I am not even going to pretend to know whether or not some of the tech aspects that come into play in this series are realistic or not. I would be whatever is far below the "script kiddie" level. :)
This book, the second in the Assured Destruction series, finds Janus dealing with the fallout from book one and still playing with the characters she created in Shadownet. As with most any series, the stakes are raised as Janus begins doing community service with the local police and comes across a number of mysteries to solve. Her home life is just as complicated, if not more so, than in the original as well.
I thought the author did great job of furthering the story and the character. He kept her true to who she was before while still showing some growth and that she's learned from her past mistakes. I loved her attitude and the smarts she showed while trying to solve the various mysteries put before her as well as her interactions with the others. To me, that's one of the most vital parts of a book: believable characters and their interactions with others. If you're into YA mysteries served with a side of geek, you are definitely going to love this one.
I probably should preface this with a disclaimer--I am in no way a tech geek, so I am not even going to pretend to know whether or not some of the tech aspects that come into play in this series are realistic or not. I would be whatever is far below the "script kiddie" level. :)
This book, the second in the Assured Destruction series, finds Janus dealing with the fallout from book one and still playing with the characters she created in Shadownet. As with most any series, the stakes are raised as Janus begins doing community service with the local police and comes across a number of mysteries to solve. Her home life is just as complicated, if not more so, than in the original as well.
I thought the author did great job of furthering the story and the character. He kept her true to who she was before while still showing some growth and that she's learned from her past mistakes. I loved her attitude and the smarts she showed while trying to solve the various mysteries put before her as well as her interactions with the others. To me, that's one of the most vital parts of a book: believable characters and their interactions with others. If you're into YA mysteries served with a side of geek, you are definitely going to love this one.
September 18, 2013
Janus Rose has school, work, a boyfriend, a very sick mother, and 2000 hours of community service. She’s serving her time as a civilian member of the High Tech Crime Unit. She’s working on tracking down how people’s account information is being stolen. In addition, a girl from school has approached her for help with a stalker. Janus has hard work and hard decisions ahead, but she’s a lot stronger than she thinks. ‘Assured Destruction: Script Kiddie’ brings us back to Jan Rose’s world. She’s a smart girl, but she has a very tough life, and she’s finding out she’s just a “Script Kiddie” (in the use here, a total n00b). Yet Jan is determined to solve the case, save her classmate, and help her mother as best she can. I enjoyed ‘Assured Destruction: Script Kiddie’ as I really like Jan’s character and it was good to see her grow even more in her computer skills and maturity. She’s learning to deal with the consequences of her actions and doing what’s best for others, not just herself. The “Assured Destruction” series is very well written and the characters very well-developed. I am looking forward to see what happens with Jan next!
Series: Assured Destruction (1), Assured Destruction: Script Kiddie (2)
Series: Assured Destruction (1), Assured Destruction: Script Kiddie (2)
December 22, 2013
I was very kindly sent a copy of the second book in Michael's Assured Destruction Series in return for an honest Review (a fuller version can be found on my Blog Post #402 in December 2013).
I was pleased to see that this second book kept up the same high quality of writing, in particular the characterisation and plot pace were done really well. Jan's character has more added depth and texture, which is pleasing - girl power is always a good read!
I am still worried about Peter, and fear that he will prove to be a down and dirty villain, but am clinging to some hope that all will be well, as Jan and her Mother clearly deserve a break within the story line ... see that's what I mean about characterisation, they seem real, which is always the sign of decent literary ability.
Very few errors found (I will as usual add a list of them in the full Blog Post), kudos to Michael for a good quality product.
From me 5 Stars, and I am eagerly looking forward to finding out how this all pans out.
I was pleased to see that this second book kept up the same high quality of writing, in particular the characterisation and plot pace were done really well. Jan's character has more added depth and texture, which is pleasing - girl power is always a good read!
I am still worried about Peter, and fear that he will prove to be a down and dirty villain, but am clinging to some hope that all will be well, as Jan and her Mother clearly deserve a break within the story line ... see that's what I mean about characterisation, they seem real, which is always the sign of decent literary ability.
Very few errors found (I will as usual add a list of them in the full Blog Post), kudos to Michael for a good quality product.
From me 5 Stars, and I am eagerly looking forward to finding out how this all pans out.
August 24, 2017
I found this a very enjoyable book. I did not read the first one as I was contacted by the author who asked if I would read this book and give my honest opinion. I devoured this in less than a day. I really liked Janus and felt for her situation. She is a very smart 16-year-old who is just trying to survive. Her Mom has MS and their business Assured Destruction has been struggling since her Dad left them. This book was very descriptive, I felt sucked into the storyline and the story. Not sure the police would take 16-year-old into a case as community service time but that's the joy of fiction, anything can happen. Now that I've read this book I want to know what happened in the first one and what is going to happen in the third. Who really is Peter? Why is he in the picture and is so cryptic? What is going on with the credit card scam is so much more than just the leak, but how does Peter know it's so much more? I want to know more!! I would definitely recommend this book and if the first and third are as good as this one, then I recommend the entire trilogy.
May 14, 2014
***I received a free copy for an honest review***
The beginning of Script Kiddie continues right after book one, Assured Destruction, Jan is given a chance to change and use her talents to help others. In the first few chapters also gives a brief recap of the events in the first book that led up to this second installment of the series. But, trouble seems to follow Jan no matter what she does. Although her heart is in the right place, trouble just seems to follow her.
I definitely enjoyed this second book in the series. With the well developed characters and descriptive setting, Michael F. Stewart brought Jan's story to life. And, again, Michael has brought in another intriguing mystery that even Jan is powerless to avoid. Jan's curiosity and compassion to help her friends and family just keeps getting her into trouble. Even with all the mystery and suspense, Jan tries to live a normal teenage life.
A definitely fun, thrilling and coming of age book that keep you guessing still.
The beginning of Script Kiddie continues right after book one, Assured Destruction, Jan is given a chance to change and use her talents to help others. In the first few chapters also gives a brief recap of the events in the first book that led up to this second installment of the series. But, trouble seems to follow Jan no matter what she does. Although her heart is in the right place, trouble just seems to follow her.
I definitely enjoyed this second book in the series. With the well developed characters and descriptive setting, Michael F. Stewart brought Jan's story to life. And, again, Michael has brought in another intriguing mystery that even Jan is powerless to avoid. Jan's curiosity and compassion to help her friends and family just keeps getting her into trouble. Even with all the mystery and suspense, Jan tries to live a normal teenage life.
A definitely fun, thrilling and coming of age book that keep you guessing still.
April 2, 2014
Script Kiddie by Michael F. Stewart
I found Script Kiddie to be an interesting book. I particularly liked the way Stewart develops our young main character, Janus. I suspect teens could easily identify with her. She was sincere, yet misunderstood. She had tremendous pressure for a young person with a sick mom, an absentee dad and serious financial woes. Her responses to these were refreshingly real. We see her succeed in areas and fail in others. We see her mess up but then see her make efforts to amend.
The plot is busy with several mysterys intertwining Janus' life. This keeps the book fast paced. All were related to computers as Janus was a tech geek - a script kiddie to be exact. I was concerned it would be filled with lengthy technical jargon but found it to read easily and enjoyed some insight into this world.
I would recommend this book to teenagers and older.
I received this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
I found Script Kiddie to be an interesting book. I particularly liked the way Stewart develops our young main character, Janus. I suspect teens could easily identify with her. She was sincere, yet misunderstood. She had tremendous pressure for a young person with a sick mom, an absentee dad and serious financial woes. Her responses to these were refreshingly real. We see her succeed in areas and fail in others. We see her mess up but then see her make efforts to amend.
The plot is busy with several mysterys intertwining Janus' life. This keeps the book fast paced. All were related to computers as Janus was a tech geek - a script kiddie to be exact. I was concerned it would be filled with lengthy technical jargon but found it to read easily and enjoyed some insight into this world.
I would recommend this book to teenagers and older.
I received this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
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