Against All Silence

SOS #2

by E.C. Myers

After being a key figure in the exposing of government corruption, Max Stein has spent a quiet semester abroad in Paris, studying, staying off the Internet, and looking for his long-lost mother. But just as he is about to fly back to the United States for the holidays, trouble manages to find him once again.

Max receives a call from Penny, his on-again-off-again girlfriend who is part of the expert hacking duo DoubleThink. She wants him to meet with Ada Kiesler, a high-profile whistleblower hiding out at a foreign embassy in Berlin. Max has no interest in getting drawn into another corporate conspiracy. But when airport security suddenly detains him on suspicion of cyber-terrorism, he has little choice but to get involved. Soon Max and Penny are tangling with a new group of shadowy figures who are determined to control how the world shares its information. And some figures from Max s past resurface, including his own mother, whose life has mirrored his own in more ways than he d realized.

In this action-packed follow up to "The Silence of Six," Max and his hacker friends must fight to expose a corrupt corporation that has been systematically taking control of the Internet."

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published February 21, 2017

About the author

E.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised in Yonkers, NY by his mother and the public library. He is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and a member of the prolific NYC writing group Altered Fluid. In the rare moments when he isn't writing, he blogs about Star Trek at The Viewscreen, reads constantly, plays video games, watches films and television, sleeps as little as possible, and spends far too much time on the internet. His first novel, FAIR COIN, won the 2012 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.

WATTPAD: http://www.wattpad.com/user/ecmyers

Reviews

[Neil (or bleed)]

THERE'S A SEQUEL!!!

[E.C.]

I wrote this!

It's available exclusively at B&N stores and BN.com until Feb. 17, 2017.

[Monique Bergado]

OOOOOOOHHH YAAAAAAY!!

[Sarah Monsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

As eager as I am to read a second book in a series when I’ve loved the first book, I’m often a bit reluctant to start. Many times the second novel simply doesn’t hold up to the promise of the first, especially in a thriller format when the stakes are high. I needn’t have worried about Against All Silence, the sequel to The Silence of Six. In fact, I think I enjoyed this second book in the series even more.

Max Stein is back after recovering from his harrowing adventure that began with his best friend’s suicide and only ended after a breathtaking physical and cyber race to uncover government corruption. After a quiet semester abroad in Paris, he’s about to return to the US for Christmas when instead he’s drawn into the race to expose an international plot that could change the Internet, and the world as we know it, forever.

Against All Silence had the action, excitement, and travel of an adult cyber thriller, but with teenagers fully embroiled in the action. The content and situations will catch young readers’ attention and keep them reading and rooting for Max and his crew. Highly Recommended.

I received an advance reader copy of Against All Silence courtesy of Adaptive Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Fran]

This series just keeps getting better. Myers has the tech down, and he pulls the reader in and snarls you up in code. Unputdownable cyber read.

[serendipityreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

spoiler free review(mostly)
rating: 2.5 stars
please excuse the excessive amount of time "annoying" was used

Just to give a little context, I started this book immediately after reading The Silence of Six, which is now one of my favorite books of all time as a stand-alone novel. After finishing SOS, I had some pretty big expectations for the sequel Against All Silence, and to be honest... I didn't love it. E.C. Myers is an incredible writer and one of my all time favorite authors but this book was very underwhelming. Let me explain why.

In SOS, we get to meet several characters including Max, Evan, Penny, Risse, etc. The characters were not developed enough to get to know them that well, which don't get me wrong, I actually enjoy the mystery of the characters in SOS. But I was hoping to get a little more character development in AAS, and to get to know the secondary characters a little more. Especially Enzo, I love the idea of him and Max having a brotherly connection etc., but he had little to no importance to the story itself which was a little annoying considering Max was staying with him for 6 months in France. Also Max's mother. Max went to France to search for her, so she should have had more importance to the story, I was definitely annoyed with her character. Penny also annoyed me a lot in the sequel. In SOS, she was this mysterious girl that briefly dated Evan, and was this part of Evan's life that Max knew nothing about. In the sequel I felt like she was just a shell, she was just kind of a forgotten character. To provide an example of how Max developed as a character, I really loved the scene where Max and his mother talk while Penny was in the bathroom, it was just a beautiful scene. What made it special is that, it was completely normal behavior between mother and son at least from my perspective, which is what made it so beautiful, because Max and his mother are far from normal having not seen each other for 5+ year(i forget exactly how many, sorry)! But scenes with Penny were more like a choice of physical intimacy or them fighting. And I also hated how much Penny was trying to force him to help Ada Kisler, and how it seemed that he agreed to help was just to appease her.

I still love this book and SOS and E.C. Meyers. But not enough. In my opinion, SOS is better left as a stand-alone novel. Although, I do feel that my feelings towards SOS have changed slightly because of AAS, I still recommend this series to anyone who loves a good thriller about government conspiracy and hacking.

[Catherine]

!Review for Class Assignment!

Okay, for starters, my opinion on this book is inaccurate, for lack of a better word, because it is part of a series and the second book in its series. I wasn’t aware that this book was part of a series until I was already 100 pages in. Not reading the first book confused me because they reference events and people from the first that isn’t introduced in the second. That being said, I think the book was mediocre. I think it was very predictable. The romance that was budding throughout the book wasn’t developed how I would have hoped. The transitions between major events were choppy. One second he was in jail, and the next, he found his mother, and then they were living together. None of the important moments had time to develop or unfold. I always felt like the interactions were unfinished. I was very unsatisfied. This book is for people who are into thrillers and cyber crime stories. I would recommend it to people who liked Ready Player One.

[Read InAGarden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Against All Silence was a little longer and a little more Jason Borne-ish than Silence of Six but it was still a really good cyber-espionage-thriller novel. Readers will be able to see the tributes to Julian Asange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden throughout the novel. In this installment Max has spent a semester in Europe away from the spotlight, hacking, and Penny. Just as he's about to return to the States he's thrust back into the world of the Dark Web by a figure that wants to bring an end to all evil on the internet and may or may not be telling the truth. Max once again joins forces with Penny to try and figure out which shady lurkers are good and which ones are bad as they race against time to shutdown internet corruption.

[Lizbeth Rojas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "against all silence" by E.C Meyers is a riveting tale with many twists and turns. It is a sequel to the book "the silence of six" and overall was an amazing way of ending the series. I mainly enjoyed this story because of how it deals with many real world problems, delving into sex-trafficking. corruption in multi-media companies, and the dark web. The main character, Max Stein, is a complex character that, behind his stubbornness, cares deeply for those close to him and values putting out the voices that are so desperate to be heard. Overall, this series is a great way of bringing the corruption in the world into light and gives those who read it a glimpse into problems that are widely unknown and changes how you perceive online communication.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 The first book was SO good, so I was expecting a lot out of this one, but it just didn't hit the mark for me. The first book was action packed from the start, where as this one we had to kind of create something to happen, and that made it a slower paced. I wasn't as invested in the story as the first one, but I still enjoyed this book. I loved the scenes when Penny and Max were traveling around Europe. Those ones were a lot of fun to read. The stakes are very high in this one, but the book was almost written to make out that they weren't, but if you think about it, the situation could have ended the world. This book is also very easy to read and fly through. If you are looking for an easy, quick read, this series is good for that.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was harder to follow then the first book. There were a lot of threads to follow and I felt like not enough re-cap was given, but it was manageable. I also got really bugged about Max's and Penny's relationship in the book. It's turned into a drama-fest that goes between hot and cold. Throughout the book there's this continuing problem of a very basic moral disagreement between them, but they often forget about intense discussions they were having a paragraph ago and start making out randomly instead (???). The story was entertaining, but overall you wouldn't miss out if you only read the first book.

[Hailey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel was just as great as the first book. I’m hoping that there will someday be a third book because I’m dying to know what happens yet.
Against All Silence is a compelling, fast-paced, edge of your seat story. This book is filled with twists and turns, you’re never sure which direction the book is going and as soon as you think you think you’re finally heading in the right direction, the story takes a sharp left.
This is very well written book and I can’t wait to see what E.C Myers comes up with next.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max Stein, aka Error 503, has taken a semester off to study in Paris. While there, he tries hunting down his mother, who he knows is in France from his run-in with Victor at Panjea. As he starts to leave, he cannot board the plane, because he's on the terrorist watch list. Although he doesn't want to be a hacker or in the public eye anymore, Penny needs his help with an outrageous plan. The action keeps you turning the pages as Max is once again forced to choose which path he wants to follow. A thriller that will appeal to your reluctant readers. Hopefully, there will be a book 3!

[Emily Loewen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main story line was a little confusing in the beginning. As it unfolded the motivation became clear, but was a little out of left field. I mean, canceling the internet? I kept expecting there to be a solution, a twist to the story, somehow Max would find a solution. It was a lesson that sometimes our heros fail us. It was realistic in its resolution, but the solution to the problem was just so extreme. There were no steps between doing nothing and shutting down the internet?

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book created a really compelling picture of young hackers affecting the government through social media. In other words, completely timely. The story didn't feel as personal this time out, though. Maybe it was the foreign intrigue? It would have been cool to see the kids at home. But this was still good writing and a good tale.

[Taylor Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sequel! I thought it was a little slow at times and sometimes I could not keep myself reading but overall I really enjoyed it. I wish this author would write more books because I love his writing style.

[abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book!!! I prefer the first to this one but I still give it the same, amazing praise. Love this author.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A teenager is a hacker. He finds himself intwined in the cyber world again when he is in Europe.

Probably a good teen book.

[Laura Kohler · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 would hack again

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed what more can i say

[Kavitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I L O V E IT.doesnt beat the first one but still a good read.

[Isabella Seychel · Rating 5 out of 5]

All dystopia is awesome and always highly recommended by me.

[Jarod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first. Sequel wasn’t really needed either but it did have stuff that furthered the continuity.

[Jackie Tarrant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max is a major simp

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story.

[Makana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good book and I love the characters and the action. It also fits very well with the goal of the duology.

[Allison Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic sequel! I enjoyed both reads and give Myers props for making a language I do not speak, so easy to follow in this book I could not put down. Perfect for reluctant readers.

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've been reading Devin's Book Hub for a while now, you may recall me reviewing The Silence of Six by E.C. Myers about a year and a half ago, after winning a copy of the novel via a Goodreads giveaway. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of the upcoming sequel, Against All Silence, which will be available next week.

Just like the first book in the series, it is jam-packed with action. This time, however, the stakes are even higher. The story takes place where the previous one ended: after everything that went down with Panjea, Max went on a trip to France to get away from the media and let things cool down for a bit.

While waiting in line at the airport to go home a few days before Christmas, he decides to check his private email, which is where he sees a several day old email from his friend Penny, one of the members of his hacking group, Dramatis Personai. She says that she is in Berlin and would like him to meet her new friend, Ada Kiesler, who is a whistleblower. Instantly I thought of Edward Snowden and his whistleblowing, which I'm guessing heavily influenced Myers when writing this. Ada had leaked thousands of confidential documents relating to Verbunden Telekom, an internet provider, to Den Fenster, a popular news website. Verbunden Telekon, or VT for short, had the documents wiped from the internet and the news story retracted within 24 hours. In fact, VT owns 73% of the internet and 45% of cloud storage, an obvious monopoly. Ada thinks that there is even more to the picture, such as both funding or running a dangerous website on the deep web known as “The Curtain”, which is sort of like an eBay but for instead of your everyday items you can purchase exploits, hire hitmen, sell women for sex, or even for buy drugs amongst other things. The Curtain has over $80 billion annual revenue, so it's definitely a hot spot for criminals. Ada wants Max and Penny to figure out what exactly is going on, who is behind it, and also put an end to VT controlling such a vast majority of the internet, as the telecom is abusing its power with censorship on the internet.

After checking the email and getting ready to board the flight, Max is detained at the airport on suspicion of being a cyberterrorist, which doesn't make much sense to him because he had sworn off that after all that happened in the previous book. By “coincidence”, he misses his flight, meaning he can now meet with up Penny and Ada in Berlin and see what's going on rather than simply flying home and forgetting he was even asked to come visit.

One thing I really like about the Silence of Six series is that Max and I share a lot in common. We're both computer geeks and the book states he is considering an IT major which is what I just recently changed my major to. The book also nailed why I had decided to change my major from computer science to information technology:

Computer science in college is like the difference between reading a book for fun and having it assigned in class.

Seriously, he hit the nail on the head with that quote! You have no idea how much that sentence spoke to me.

There's also few other cool and somewhat unique aspects to Against All Silence:

-The host family Max stayed with is comprised of two mothers and their son Enzo. And no, the two mothers thing isn't being shoved down your throat. I actually didn't catch it the first time, partially because I had no idea if Ophélie is a male or female name.

-It references Reddit AMAs (ask me anything), Silk Road, I2P, and there's even a doge reference: "Much hot, very kissing. Wow."

- I didn't know what a flame cake (tarte flambée) was until reading this book. Now I want one. Badly.

As for what actually happens with VT in the book, I'll let you read it and see for yourself. Once you start it, just like with the first book, you're not going to want to put it down.

I feel like I did enjoy the first book a little more, however don't get me wrong, the sequel doesn't fall flat in the least bit. It's still extremely thrilling and places you directly in Max's world from the get-go.

Against All Silence does end at a good spot, meaning it could possibly be the end of the series, (not that I want it to be) however I'd say there is potentially room for a third book, but not that it's exactly needed, as there aren't any major loose ends needing to be tied up still. Max's and Penny's adventures are, after all, far from being over.

Also, it's worth noting that if Amazon is your go-to for books, you're out of luck. Adaptive Books, the publisher, has a deal with Barnes and Noble where they get exclusive distribution of their titles for the first six months, meaning it cannot be ordered from Amazon until February 2017. And trust me, you do not want to wait that long to get this book.

Like what you see? You can read more of my reviews over at Devin's Book Hub.

[Terry Longstreth crom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am beyond disappointed! I LOVED the first book but the sequel didn’t do it for me. It was soooo slow. Literally nothing happens! I’ve read some similar reviews and some su that it picks up but I felt like I was forcing myself to read it to the point that I didn’t want to read at all anymore so I put a stop to that feeling and DNF this book. I miiiiight pick it up again in the future but who knows