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FindingJane
Jul 25, 2014FindingJane rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I was expecting more from this book, especially given the blurb on the back cover. Think about it: having illegal computer hardware implanted in your brain has been one of the more terrifying situations imagined by gifted science fiction writers. How long would it be before it starts moving your body against your will, getting you into major crimes to attain money, seizing power from other electronic devices like computer-driven cars and forcing them off the road, demanding more input, i.e. intelligence, from you and pushing you to remain awake when you’d far rather sleep, etc.? Those sound like really thrilling scenarios, don’t they? Well, if that’s what you want from this book, just forget it. This is just a typical YA novel about a pathetic dork who turns himself into a real jerk in order to net a girl and just winds up alienating his friend, family and schoolmates. It’s no different than certain films about teenagers from the 1980s that you may have forgotten. This one is just updated for the modern age. That being stated, there are moments of genuine humor along with noteworthy glimpses into the adolescent male’s psyche. Jeremy is a very typical teen, terrified of talking to girls, wanting them and hating them in equal measure because they bewilder him so, focusing on body parts and masturbating to pornographic images on his computer. He condones his behavior by claiming that he’s young and stupid (boy, is he ever) but manages to be so much a likable character that we’re ready to forgive him. So the author succeeds in creating a genial character, if not a particularly deep one. Mr. Vizzini also manages to surprise the reader along the way. It’s not a great book but it’s good enough of its type.