Little Brother

Doctorow, C. (2008). Little brother. New York, NY: Tor Teens.

Author:
Cory Doctorow

Summary:
Marcus (screen name w1n5t0n) is living the life of a normal teen in San Francisco, until he cuts class and is arrested for being too close to a terrorist attack. He is returned to his home with the warning that the Department of Homeland Security will be watching. But Marcus is not content with sitting by and watching the government take advantage of their power. With the help of his friends, they use their knowledge of technology to rebel and regain their freedom.

Response and Reaction:
This book is definitely an eye opener to how technology can be used by the government to spy on the lives of citizens. Some of the jargon is difficult to understand for the non-tech savvy, but Doctorow does a good job of explaining what Marcus is doing without talking down to the reader. This is a great book for discussions about the PATRIOT ACT and the right to privacy.

Format:
Young Adult Novel

Age Range:
15-18 years old

Themes:
Terrorism, torture, paranoia, power abuse, government control, miss use of power, rebellion, counterculture, computer hackers

Awards:
Locus Awards (WON) 2008
Hugo Awards (NOMINATED) 2009
John W. Campbell Award (WON) 2009
Locus Awards (NOMINATED) 2009
Sunburst Award (NOMINATED) 2009
Book Sense Book of the Year (NOMINATED) 2009
Nebula Awards (NOMINATED) 2009
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year (WON) 2008
Evergreen Young Adult Book Award (NOMINATED) 2011