FROM THYSHELF - Running Through
It has been raining all day and what better to do when you can't go out? Read of course!
Anyway, I got a copy of this novel from a giveaway sponsored by Diversion Books and Style Reader. It's the first time that I won a book in a giveaway so I was so excited when I learned that I won. I won't make this introduction longer, here is my review for Sam A. Patel's Data Runner.
In a futuristic world where computers and program codes are the primary means of communication and living, a young man tries to fit in with skills that no machine could ever have calculated. Jack Nill, an ordinary teenager with a dream and passion for parkour, just wants to make it through high school and college. But when his Dad gets into a shifty place due to gambling, Jack finds himself in the middle of a bigger problem. He becomes a data runner, a member of highly skilled individuals who deliver program codes embedded into their arms. Jack then receives a transaction that puts his and everyone he knows at risk. He is to deliver a program code that could possibly bring down one of the biggest companies in their country.
The first thing that came to me when I was reading this novel is how properly constructed is its setting. It was very clear that it was set in a not too distant future which very much reminds me of The Matrix. Though The Matrix was in a much distant one, the condition was quite the same; a world where computer programs control almost anything. Also, they both have a resistance group that the young protagonist knowingly or unknowingly joins. Also, just like The Matrix, Data Runner has a clear setting which I think is the whole point of any story. A story is good if it is able to transport the reader into a definite place, whether fictional or not.
Also, one thing I like about this novel is how it has its own backbone but it leaves with a cliffhanger. You know how some books are able to carry themselves as its own without the need for a sequel. And there are some books that are just cliffhangers that sometimes you feel that the whole point of it was just to introduce a bigger story line. With Data Runner, I think it can stand alone as a single book but would have readers think " Oh I wonder what happened to Jack?" or "What would be Jack's next adventure?" However, we were left with a cliffhanger that almost instantly said that there would be a second book to answer questions from the first one. I think it's genius to put a story that could stand alone by itself then end with a cliffhanger that would really entice readers to wait for the next book.
Another thing I would like to point out in this book which I really liked was when Carrion was explaining to Red Tail why he love parkour. Carrion said true parkour is when you push your limits, you try to reach for the sky, you jump up high and try to fly and you don't succeed but still you love the feeling that you tried to defy gravity. Those were not the exact words but it was something like that. Or it least what it meant to me. And I think sometimes we just need to do it. Push ourselves to the our limits and enjoy whatever result it may bring. Push ourselves to our boundaries and just enjoy doing it. I think it's one of the most beautiful things I learned from this novel.
I had a wonderful time reading this novel. It is highly recommended and I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment.
A penny for your thoughts? Post your comments below or on twitter @iamthebluedevil
Anyway, I got a copy of this novel from a giveaway sponsored by Diversion Books and Style Reader. It's the first time that I won a book in a giveaway so I was so excited when I learned that I won. I won't make this introduction longer, here is my review for Sam A. Patel's Data Runner.
In a futuristic world where computers and program codes are the primary means of communication and living, a young man tries to fit in with skills that no machine could ever have calculated. Jack Nill, an ordinary teenager with a dream and passion for parkour, just wants to make it through high school and college. But when his Dad gets into a shifty place due to gambling, Jack finds himself in the middle of a bigger problem. He becomes a data runner, a member of highly skilled individuals who deliver program codes embedded into their arms. Jack then receives a transaction that puts his and everyone he knows at risk. He is to deliver a program code that could possibly bring down one of the biggest companies in their country.
The first thing that came to me when I was reading this novel is how properly constructed is its setting. It was very clear that it was set in a not too distant future which very much reminds me of The Matrix. Though The Matrix was in a much distant one, the condition was quite the same; a world where computer programs control almost anything. Also, they both have a resistance group that the young protagonist knowingly or unknowingly joins. Also, just like The Matrix, Data Runner has a clear setting which I think is the whole point of any story. A story is good if it is able to transport the reader into a definite place, whether fictional or not.
Also, one thing I like about this novel is how it has its own backbone but it leaves with a cliffhanger. You know how some books are able to carry themselves as its own without the need for a sequel. And there are some books that are just cliffhangers that sometimes you feel that the whole point of it was just to introduce a bigger story line. With Data Runner, I think it can stand alone as a single book but would have readers think " Oh I wonder what happened to Jack?" or "What would be Jack's next adventure?" However, we were left with a cliffhanger that almost instantly said that there would be a second book to answer questions from the first one. I think it's genius to put a story that could stand alone by itself then end with a cliffhanger that would really entice readers to wait for the next book.
Another thing I would like to point out in this book which I really liked was when Carrion was explaining to Red Tail why he love parkour. Carrion said true parkour is when you push your limits, you try to reach for the sky, you jump up high and try to fly and you don't succeed but still you love the feeling that you tried to defy gravity. Those were not the exact words but it was something like that. Or it least what it meant to me. And I think sometimes we just need to do it. Push ourselves to the our limits and enjoy whatever result it may bring. Push ourselves to our boundaries and just enjoy doing it. I think it's one of the most beautiful things I learned from this novel.
I had a wonderful time reading this novel. It is highly recommended and I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment.
A penny for your thoughts? Post your comments below or on twitter @iamthebluedevil
Yay! I'm so happy you've read and liked it like I did! :)
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