(clicking on the cover will take you to Goodreads!) | Title: The Silence of Six Author: E. C. Myers Published on: November 5th 2014 Publisher: Adaptive Books Genre: Mystery Thriller (YA) Author's blog Part of a series?: No Get a copy: Amazon I Barnes & Noble “What is the silence of six, and what are you going to do about it?” These are the last words uttered by 17-year-old Max Stein’s best friend, Evan: Just moments after hacking into the live-streaming Presidential debate at their high school, he kills himself. Haunted by the image of Evan’s death, Max’s entire world turns upside down as he suddenly finds himself the target of a corporate-government witch-hunt. Fearing for his life and fighting to prove his own innocence, Max goes on the run with no one to trust and too many unanswered questions. Max must dust off his own hacking skills and maneuver the dangerous labyrinth of underground hacktivist networks, ever-shifting alliances, and virtual identities — all while hoping to find the truth behind the “Silence of Six” before it’s too late. |
I was approved for a review copy of The Silence of Six -thank you! -at my request to review the book via NetGalley. My review is written in my own opinion and is uninfluenced by anyone.
Electronics and technology have never been my forte. I only know enough to keep Perusing Bookshelves half-functioning, and while The Silence of Six centers heavily on all that stuff, the fast-paced storyline and sharp-witted characters was what had me falling in love with the story within the first chapter. Here's a little fact about myself: the idea of hacking has always appealed to me. The process - finding loopholes in the system and how to use it to your benefit - requires a great deal of effort but is something that I think I would enjoy. I was equal parts excited and skeptical about The Silence of Six - I mean, it has hacking! And technology - something new to read about. But what if I wouldn't be able to understand a thing? Or what if it was too fast-paced and I couldn't connect with the story, like The Fifth Wave?
All doubts about The Silence of Six were chased away right when I entered the first chapter. The best thing about this book is its ability to capture the reader's attention and hold it firmly until the very last page. I admit to being confused - immensely - while the story progressed but my advice? Just go with it. Because it has so much more to offer.
"What is the silence of six, and what are you going to do about it?"
Those were the words that have plagued Max Stein's mind ever since his best friend, Evan killed himself and broadcasted it live. After witnessing Evan commit suicide, Max is forced to go back to the world of hacking - one that he decided to leave in his past for his safety - to find out what Evan had been up to and why he had killed himself that way.
Kudos to the author for the engaging and fast-paced storyline. I enjoyed every second of reading The Silence of Six as there was just the right amount of suspense without going too far. There were no shortage of puzzling facts that, when pieced together, led right to an amazing plot twist that just blew my mind, even though it made huge sense and was right there all along.
The characters were original and each one had their own quirk, which I enjoyed. I could tell that the friendship between Evan and Max was a genuine one, and was both surprised and delighted to read how they hacked together but later drifted apart. Although Evan had never truly made an appearance in the story, his presence was not to be missed. I learned a lot about him as I did every living character. It's amazing how much of an impact Evan has on Max, even when Max decided to disentangle himself from hacking. The memories Max has of them together is endearing and saddening, because it was not until Evan's death that Max remembered how close they were.
The characters were original and each one had their own quirk, which I enjoyed. I could tell that the friendship between Evan and Max was a genuine one, and was both surprised and delighted to read how they hacked together but later drifted apart. Although Evan had never truly made an appearance in the story, his presence was not to be missed. I learned a lot about him as I did every living character. It's amazing how much of an impact Evan has on Max, even when Max decided to disentangle himself from hacking. The memories Max has of them together is endearing and saddening, because it was not until Evan's death that Max remembered how close they were.
Overall, this is an amazing thriller that I think would appeal to a lot of readers, especially those who are well-informed on technology and computer knowledge. I liked how E. C. Myers kept it real by giving the bad guys what they deserved although still managing to gain a little of what they wanted in the end. There was a lot of character development going on - Max really went through a lot for Evan and I'm glad that he decided not to give up on his search for clues that Evan left for him. I'd also like to read more about Evan, though that would constitute another story.
Readers who have adequate knowledge on computers and programming will love The Silence of Six!