July 6, 2016

Dotwav by Mike A. Lancaster 4/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I managed to get my hands on an advanced copy of Dotwav by Mike A. Lancaster.  I really enjoyed his earlier books (the Human.4 series) and wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book but enjoyed it nonetheless.

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows a pair of headphones pumping sound waves into a head.  It's simple and fits the book's theme of mind control by music.  I like it.  A+ cover

Official Description:
“There’s something in that sound. Something bad. Something dangerous.”
Fifteen-year-old Ani Lee is a skilled hacker researching a strange .wav file that she’s downloaded when it behaves as no file ever should.
Joe Dyson is a seventeen-year-old American transplant recruited into a secret teen division of the British intelligence service who’s looking into the disappearance of a friend caught up in an underground music scene that might be more than it appears.
When Ani and Joe’s investigations intertwine, they discover that the .wav file and the music are linked—someone’s embedding the file into tracks to create a mind-controlled teen army.
But who’s behind it? And why? And how do you stop a sound?
An exhilarating sci-fi techno-thriller that blends music, mind control, and conspiracy perfect for fans of Little BrotherBrain Jack, and Proxy. 

My Review:
I loved reading Dotwav.  It was quick, fast-paced, and a truly inventive science-fiction book.   I flew through the story, it wasn't perfect but it was still very enjoyable.

The writing style itself was compelling.  It kept me hooked and entranced in the plot.  It was super descriptive (perhaps too much so during some gross/violent scenes).  It really put you into the scene.

The characters were likable.  Joe & Ani were both complicated characters with their own baggage. However, at times they acted more like adults than the teenagers they were supposed to be.  It may have been a result of their backstories but they seemed a little too grown-up.

The plot was exciting and full of action and adventure.  There were lots of fun fight scenes.  The technology was creative and easy to imagine, some a bit too out-there for me, but still original.

Honestly, the only part of the book I completely disliked was the assumption that the quadratic formula was some kind of complex math.  As a bit of a math nerd, I couldn't get past this.  I doubt that a simple use of factoring could select for intelligence, especially since you only have had to passed Algebra I.  That little assumption distracted me terribly whenever it was mentioned.  Small but inaccurate, in my opinion anyway.

Overall, I liked Dotwav.  I believe that it is the first book in a series and I plan on reading the next book.  Dotwav was inventive and exciting.  The good outweighed the bad, and I would recommend it to science fiction fans.

Dotwav comes out on September 6, 2016.

Phrase:
Worms

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Human.4
Ender's Game
The Dark Side of Nowhere
Speeding Bullet

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

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(Note: This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.)

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