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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Government detention and some physical confrontation in the thriller tradition
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild romantic content at a YA level
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
The psychological experience of a teen detained without cause, then surveilled in his own city, is the novel's sustained discomfort
What this book is about
Cory Doctorow's YA thriller follows Marcus, a tech-savvy San Francisco teen who is detained by Homeland Security after a terrorist attack and released into a city that has become a surveillance panopticon. The novel is simultaneously a techno-thriller, a civics lesson, and a coming-of-age story about what freedom costs. Doctorow packs in real technical detail about privacy and security. The themes are serious and the stakes are high. A rare YA novel that trusts its audience completely.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Government surveillance and detention of teens
Post-terrorism civil liberties themes
Reader Verification
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