Genre: Realistic Fiction
# of Pages: 382 p.
RAC: Yes
Marcus and his friends choose to skip school and go downtown in order to participate in a tech savvy scavenger hunt type game and are caught in the middle when terrorists blow up the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. Marcus and his friends pull out of the crowd running for cover in order to get medical attention for their friend, Darryl, who was injured after the blast. Instead of going to a hospital, however, they were transported by Homeland Security to a facility in which they were detained, questioned, and tortured for information on the terrorist attack. Marcus had several items on him that they wanted access to and when he refused to give them passwords they would use terrible tactics to get him to talk. His parents were not notified of his whereabouts and he was not allowed to consult with an attorney. When they finally released him a few days later he was warned not to tell anyone what had happened or else they would come for him again. Marcus vows to wage war on any government who thinks they can take away the rights of its citizens in the name of security.
This story asks the reader to think about what he or she would do in some difficult situations that are only slightly exaggerated. The book portrays this world of suspicion and doubt in a way that anyone could see it actually happening. The question is what would you do if you felt your rights were being stripped illegally? Marcus’s story encourages communication and discussion about government control and inalienable rights. Students who like espionage novels will like the technology and creative plans Marcus uses in order to try and reveal the truth. Highly recommended.
Young Adult Book Reviews 
I really enjoyed this book… a lot to think about. I hope Doctorow writes another YA book sometime.
I loved the book, it made me angry at the unjust treatment the government can perform on people. Again I loved the book and I’m considering reading it again.