Brainjack

 

Brainjack
Brian Falkner

“On Friday, on his way to school, Sam Wilson brought the United States of America to its knees.

He didn't mean to. He was actually just trying to score a new computer and some other cool stuff, and in any case the words "to it's knees" were the New York Times' not his. (And way over the top in Sam's view.) Not as bad though as the Washington Post. Their headline writers must have been on a coffee binge because they screamed

National Disaster

in size 40 type font when their presses finally came back online.

Anyway it was only for a few days, and it really wasn't a disaster at all, not compared to what was still to come."

Sam Wilson is a genius. An expert at computer hacking. A 16 year old teenager. When Sam gets arrested by the authorities for hacking into the White House's 'supposedly' air-tight security, he gets offered a deal. Work for the government, or go to prison and get the key thrown away.
With the massive introduction of Neuro-Technology into society, where people plug their brains into the computer, a threat is unleashed that threatens to destroy the entire world and destroy all computer systems. Sam has to use all his smarts to work against an enemy that can see into the brains of the people around him, and is determined to delete the threat from the computer systems of the world…for good.

Another well written book by a really amazing NZ author. Is perfect for older young adults and adults that are looking for a slightly simpler book to read. This book really makes you question your own values, because when the world it turning to hell in a hand basket and when someone goes neuro, you aren't sure if you can trust them, who can you trust? And what do you believe?
 
Review TWO of FOUR for NZ book month. Sorry if they are intresting but hard to get hold of in other countries. Try Amazon perhaps?

Until next time,

Atra du evarinya ono varda,
(May the stars watch over you)

Samantha.

Little Secrets #4

Little Secrets

Chapter #4

Lacy decided that he probably didn’t have his swimming trucks with him at the present time.

“Maybe a swim another time?” She asked, wrapping her towel around her hair and grabbing her dress off the lounger and throwing it over her arm.

“Did you want to some in for a drink? Or something? Dad should be back soon.” Lacy asked, giving Christopher a backwards glance.

Christopher looked at her with a smile. “Of course, Miss Addington. I’d be delighted.” There was a touch of humor to his voice.

 

As Lacy led the way towards the house, Christopher following behind her, she realised that he was probably watching her and the way she walked, and that made her blush down to her toes and gave a secret smile to the ground. She led the way inside and dropped her dress on one of the barstools along with the towel that had been wrapped around her head. As Christopher walked in, she made sure to put the kitchen island in the middle of the kitchen between her and him.

“What do you want to drink?” She asked, keeping her voice even and level, almost robot like. ‘Please don’t  notice,’ she thought, hoping and wishing.

“What are you having?” Christopher replied, as equally even and level as she had been. Then flashed her a bright smile, letting her know he was on to her.

Lacy quickly got out two glasses, and some ice, and topped up the glasses with the organic apple juice that had been made the day before from the garden.

“Freshly made.” She said, handing one across to him, “Well, yesterday anyway.”

Christopher just smiled at her and held up his glass in mock ‘cheers’ to her.

“Here’s to you.” He said, and put his glass down, after taking a sip.

 

“How do you know my dad?” Lacy asked, him, curiosity in her voice.

“Well....” He paused, “Your dad is well known for the work he does, landscaping and things like that. I just found him on a recommendation from one of my colleagues, and it’s just taken off. Mostly just little things about the garden I’ve been consulting him on, like which flowers will go best, and if the rock wall is stable enough to plant behind it. “There seemed to be an edge to his voice; as if daring her to ask more.

Lacy let the subject drop and they fell into an awkward silence, drinking juice around the kitchen island.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook either.” Christopher’s voice intruded on her thoughts.

“What?” Lacy replied, startled.

“Off the hook for me showing you around the history of this place.” Came the reply, from a very bemused Christopher, “You haven’t been listening to a word I’ve been saying have you?”

“What?” There was a pause, “No....” She said, and blushed.

“Well, I said I was hoping to show you around tomorrow,” He looked at her intently, “If that is okay with you of course.”

“Well, um.... I think so....” She trailed off. She had planned to go to the movie tomorrow to see one of the new films that was on but realised that he wasn’t asking her, he was telling her. Besides, the sooner she did it, the sooner he would be away from a while.

 

He took a step around the counter faster than she realised, caught up in her thoughts and within seconds he was right beside her, her hands in his, pulling her closer into an embrace. She buried her face in his shirt, and realised it smelt nice, and his hands and arms were providing just enough pressure to keep her still, to let her know that he was there for her, without being smothering. “I’ll be here when you need me.” He murmured, kissing the top of her head. She blinked hard, and her eyes swam back into focus.

“....We can even go see the old sailing ship, and go on board if you want. I know the man who owns it, and I can get us onboard....” He trailed off, “You weren’t listening to me again. I can tell in your eyes.”

Lacy was trying to keep her thoughts to herself, after realising that what she has just experienced had just been a day-dream. He was dangerous. She wanted him, that much was obvious, even to her; but she had to keep her distance.

“I’m sorry.” She smiled, blushing, “My mind is somewhere else today.”

“I hope it’s somewhere good, somewhere nice.” He said, with a twinkle in his eye.

“One would hope.” She replied. “I don’t mean to be rude and all but...”

“But you have to kick me out.” He finished the sentence for her, “I understand.

“Thank you...” She said, showing him to the door, “I’m really sorry.”

Lacy was aware of the scent of him, the same scent she smelt in her day dream, and how much she’d felt the longing.

“Don’t apologise. Really.” Christopher replied, looking at her. “Tomorrow, we can either start at the museum, or down by the docks and take a sailing ship cruise. I can show you the old lighthouse on the opposite point, and the history of the wreckers’ around there if you want.”

Lacy was acutely aware of the lack of clothes on her body, after all she was only wearing her bikini, and looked at the ground.

“Lacy? It’s up to you? Really, it is.”

 

What should Lacy choose? The land based exploration of the town’s history or the more interesting sea-voyage across the harbour and the lighthouse tales?

 

 

© Samantha Millar

Until next time,

Atra du evarinya ono varda,
(May the stars watch over you)

Samantha.

The Halfmen Of O

 The Halfmen Of O
Maurice Gee



(Sorry for the terrible picture.
My copy is too battered,
ripped and torn to share.
It's a second hand book I still love.)

"Our story begins one Lodestone Creek one summer holiday. Or at least, Nick's part in it starts there. Susan had been involved for her whole life, though she did not know it. And Jimmy Jaspers, with his nose for an easy dollar, had been working for the Halfies since he came to the creek in spring."
The Halfmen Of O is a young adult book, mainly for 11-15 year olds, and if you don't mind a quick easy read, can be read by all ages 11 and up. And the moral of the story is still the same.

The story focuses on Susan Ferris, a teenage girl who lives in Lodestone Creek, south of Collingwood, Golden Bay, New Zealand and her cousin Nick, whom she doesn't really get along with. Susan has a strange birthmark on her wrist, two parts, two teardrops. One bright red, the other golden brown, put together like a yin-yang symbol, two halves of the same shape. The birthmark was given to her by a strange old man when she was a baby, and he was found dead the next day, and nobody in the family understands what it is supposed to mean.

When Susan is taken from her home in New Zealand and thrust into the world of O, she is given a choice. After seeing the evil cruelty or the half men, and the kindness of the other creatures in the land, Susan must decide her fate.

Given the choice of accepting her birthmark and finding, and rejoining the halves to make the Halfmen whole again, or returning to her own land, Susan embarks on a journey that teaches her the true meaning of friendship, forgiveness and family, bringing her not only closer who her true purpose but also to Nick.
However there is a greater evil in the land, one who seeks to stop Susan and to bring destruction to all of O, and once complete, even to Earth. Susan faces a race against time, against the otherworldly forces, and against herself. For in doubting herself and her strength, risks the lives of all the creatures in O.

A book whose morals and values make you question your own, it is a read for all ages, even if it is just a day or two of light fluffy(ish) reading in between the likes of The Inheritance Cycle (Christopher Paolini) and Lord Of The Rings (J.R.R Tolkien), it is well worth checking out.

Review ONE of FOUR for NZ book month. Sorry if they are intresting but hard to get hold of in other countries. Try Amazon perhaps?

Until next time,

Atra du evarinya ono varda,
(May the stars watch over you)

Samantha.

Apologies

One thing you'll learn about me pretty quickly, is that I can't keep to a schedule. Not for my life. The only things I can keep together is school and work.
And that's it.

So if I miss one, I am truely sorry. I will try and keep to the schedule. But no promises. I have a few short book reviews that I will upload as one big post, (All NZ authors as it's NZ book month at the moment) and I will mean this as a sorry.

There will be more coming. But I figure this may be more of a writing blog than anything else. I enjoy books, and I'll continue doing books, no problems.

There may be a small shift in the way I do things. Tell me if you don't like it.

And if you do like it, I only ask one small thing in return. Tell people you know about this blog, because I want to start a community of like minded people who celebrate books from all around the world. So my friends, lets get together and get reading and writing.

Until next time,

Atra du evarinya ono varda,
(May the stars watch over you)

Samantha.

Little Secrets #3

Little Secrets
Chapter #3

Lacy decided that the best thing to do was to just ignore him. He was going to be a nuisance anyway, and no matter how much she wanted to wave back, he was just a little too creepy for her liking. At least until she got to know him better.
She reached up and pulled the curtains shut, and climbed into bed. Lacy fell into a restless sleep, full of eyes that followed her.

She woke up in the morning to a knock at the door.

“Lacy? Sweetheart?” Her father’s voice came from the other side of the door, “Can I come in?”
Lacy lifted her head from the pillow and her eyes blearily opened to see the bright white light of the sun through her open curtains onto the white wall and door.
“Sure...I guess.” She mumbled, barely coherent. She struggled to a sitting position and faced the window. The sun was shining though the open curtains and into her eyes as the door opened and her dad backed in with a breakfast tray.
“I came to say sorry.” He paused, “About yesterday. I didn’t think.”
Lacy just looked at him as he sat on the end of the bed and put the tray over her knees.
“Dad, it was wierd.” She wasn’t sure how to continue, “I’d never met him before. You were just passing me off, and I wasn’t given a choice.”
“I’m sorry.” Her father replied, “Eat your pancakes.”
 
Lacy smiled and enjoyed her pancakes, the special sauce her father made making them all the more scrumptious. After she finished, she  put down her knife and fork and just patted her belly.
“You’re forgiven dad.” She said, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so strongly towards your special pancakes before.”
“That’s good.” Her father said. He picked up the breakfast tray and  held it against one hip. The other hand brushed her hair and he kissed her forehead, like her mother used to do. “Have a lazy day. Go for a swim in the pool. Do whatever. I’ll be working all day. Join you later.” He left the room and Lacy sat there for a moment basking in the sun. She then remembered she had to ask her dad whether he’d opened the curtains that morning. Lacy sighed, ‘Later.’ She thought, ‘Later.

She got up and got dressed into her favourite, summer maxi dress, with her electric blue bikini underneath. As she walked out of her bedroom, she grabbed her well read favourite book, ‘I Shall Wear Midnight’ by Terry Pratchett. After reading most of the book while lying in the hammock connected to the two willow trees in the backyard, she decided to go for a swim.

Lacy put down her book, smiling over one of her favourite moments and noticed twitching curtains upstairs, as if somebody had just stepped away from them. Confused, she turned towards the pool and puzzled over it before slipping into the cool waters and diving off the diving board for the weighted dive sticks at the bottom. Her record was 8 in one dive, ranging from 2 to 10 metres away. As she came up from one of her dives, she noticed Christopher standing near the edge of the pool.

Lacy stood in the shallows, the water only coming up to her waist and looked at him.

“Watching me again are you?” She asked, half serious, half joking.
“I wish.” Christopher replied, “I actually came looking for your dad. Is Paul around at all?”
Lacy frowned then recalled her father’s words. “He said he was working all day. Didn’t say where. Have you tried calling him at all?”
The reply came quickly, “Several times, both his cell-phone and then the home phone. You didn’t pick up either.” Christopher looked at her, “Been avoiding me?”
“Not at all. Was reading outside, and didn’t hear it. Or if I did, my brain filed it under useless noise. Unimportant information.” Lacy laughed and Christopher joined in.
“I hope you don’t think I’m wierd. I just think you’re really interesting, from what I’ve heard from your dad. As well as the fact that you seem interesting.”
“I don’t think you’re wierd.” The words came out effortlessly, easily, as if they were the only truth. Lacy was getting out of the water, and he was standing on the opposite side of the pool to her. She was embarrassingly aware of her body as she walked over to the lounger and picked up her towel.
“Don’t get out on my account.” Christopher said, “I rather liked watching you swim. Not that I was doing that for long. I mean, I’d only just got here, and I was looking for your dad and...” He trailed off, “That wasn’t meant to come out as creepy as it sounded.”
Lacy laughed, nervously. “Good to know.” She replied, cautiously, “I wasn’t finished diving, I still had a few more laps to do, but I don’t like being anti-social, that’s all.”

There were a few options running though her mind right now, like invite him inside, invite him for a swim, or say that she was busy and leave his presense, which part of her really wanted to do, but at the same time, would hate it if that happened.

What should Lacy do? Invite Christopher inside the house, OR invite him for a swim, OR make her excuses and leave?

 

 

© Samantha Millar

 

Until next time,

Atra du evarinya ono varda,
(May the stars watch over you),

Samantha