Mona

by Dan T. Sehlberg, Karolína Kloučková (translator)

Eric Söderquist, stockholmský profesor informatiky, vymyslel systém, který za pomoci přenosu myšlenek umožňuje handicapovaným lidem používat internet. Jeho žena Hanna upadá do kómatu poté, co vynález svého manžela testovala. I když se to všem jeví jako šílený nápad, Eric je přesvědčený, že se nakazila počítačovým virem známým pod názvem Mona, který pustoší ekonomiku celého světa, především Izraele. A že jediný způsob, jak ji vyléčit, je vystopovat jeho tvůrce, Libanonce Samíra Mustafu, který býval předním odborníkem na počítačové viry v MIT Cambridge a jehož rodinu zabili právě agenti Izraele. Pátrání ho za dramatických a čím dál nebezpečnějších okolností zavádí na Blízký východ a izraelská rozvědka Mosad, FBI i Hizballáh střeží každý jeho krok na cestě vedoucí přes Francii a Izrael do pásma Gazy.

Debutový román Dana T. Sehlberga Mona dovedně propojuje témata vysoké politiky, mezinárodního terorismu a vědeckého pokroku v oblasti neurologie a počítačových technologií.

Genres: Thriller, Science Fiction, Fiction, Crime

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Mohikanos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ουφ, επιτέλους τελείωσε! Αφού βρε δόλιε συγγραφέα έχεις σπουδάσει μουσικός και ασχολείσαι με τη μουσική τόσα χρόνια, γιατί δεν γράφεις καμιά σονάτα και θέλεις να γράψεις βιβλίο;;; Τι σου φταίμε;;;
Απαράδεκτο βιβλίο, με μια ιστορία που είναι πιο υπερβολική και από άρθρο της "Εσπρέσο" και με περισσότερες ευκολίες στην εξέλιξή της από όλα τα τεύχη του "Σεραφίνο" και του "Ποπάυ" μαζί!!! Τόσο εξωπραγματική που από ένα σημείο και μετά καταντάει αστεία και γελοία! Οι χαρακτήρες είναι καρικατούρες, χωρίς κανένα βάθος και ουσία στον χαρακτήρα τους, όλοι χτυπημένοι από την άδικη κοινωνία που άλλους τους ανεβάζει και άλλους τους ρίχνει στα τάρταρα, που φέρονται και κινούνται μέσα στο βιβλίο σαν ζόμπι! Και η γραφή είναι παντελώς κουραστική, με σελίδες επί σελίδων (ω σελίδες!) χωρίς ουσία και με ατελείωτες περιγραφές, που παρακαλάς να τελειώσουν για να πας πιο κάτω μπας και προχωρήσει λίγο η ιστορία.
Το αστείο είναι ότι ο άνθρωπος (γίγαντας!!!) έχει καταφέρει να χωρέσει μέσα στο μύλο (που χαρακτηρίζει βιβλίο) το FBI, το Ισραήλ, τη Χεζμπολάχ και την Αλ Κάιντα, τη Μοσάντ, τεχνολογικές εξελίξεις, τα πάντα όλα, μόνο οι Τζιχαντιστές του λείπουν!!! Δεν πειράζει, στο επόμενο ίσως, που μπορεί να βάλει και τις ανακαλύψεις για το διάστημα...
Στο οπισθόφυλλο, πάντως, αναφέρεται ότι τα δικαιώματα του βιβλίου έχουν αγοραστεί από στούντιο του Χόλιγουντ! Ήδη φαντάζομαι για πρωταγωνιστή τον "ατσαλάκωτο" Στίβεν Σίγκαλ ή τον "Θεό" Τσακ Νόρις!!! Εκτός αν το κάνουν κωμωδία και παίξει ο Μπεν Στίλερ!!!
Συμπέρασμα; Ανακύκλωση άμεσα μπας και πιάσουν τόπο τα €6 που έδωσα!
Λυπάμαι, αλλά δεν μπογώ να βάλω παγαπάνω από τγία!!! (3/10)

[Mish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mona is a techno thriller that follows a Lebanese Technology Professor, Samir Mustaf, and his revengeful attack on the whole of Israel, for the killing of his wife and daughter from a cluster bomb that was planted near his home. Samir teams up with a group of terrorists, who assist and direct his project in creating the most powerful and indestructible computer virus, called Mona, and releasing it into the Israeli’s banking network.

When Mona is released the results is catastrophic, eating up all the Israel financial data and is spreading globally. Thus creating worldwide panic and disorder, and a decline in economic growth and activity.

Unbeknown to Samir, his Mona also travels to Stockholm. Infecting the computer of a Professor of Science Technology, Eric Soderqvist, and undoing years of work being carried out on his invention called Mind Surf. Mind Surf a high tech, sophisticated program that enables people with disabilities to operate and maneuver the web using brain waves. When Mona, unnoticeably, enters Eric’s computer, his wife Hanna is testing out Mind Surf. That night Hanna was rushed to hospital with a life-threatening virus, which the doctors could not contain. Eric’s adamant Hanna’s condition is the result of Mona infecting her body. Eric then travels across globe in search of answers – an anti-virus or the creator...anything that will/could save Hanna’s life.

I really tried my damn hardest to like this novel, but it just wasn’t hitting the right nerve. And I don’t I believe it was purely the fault of the book, it had a lot to do with my mood, timing and perhaps not selecting the right kind of Sci-fi for me.

I read a book just prior to Mona, in similar vein, where a group of terrorist take revenge on the government due to global warming and the effect it’s having on their people. The human suffering was distressing and realistic. In Mona, the entire concept of bringing a country financial system to its knees, as an act of revenge, felt so impersonal and weak. If there was an even balance of human revenged and suffering combined with the technology, then perhaps it would’ve fully held my attention. And to some degree yes there was – small sections of the book that involved a suicide bombing, and the devastation to Samir’s family at the beginning - but I didn’t feel as though it was consistent. Mona is more heavily based on technology and economics, which are two topics I don’t have a vested interest in. And it was hard slog to get through - due to my lack of interest in topic - and felt the plot travelling at a terribly slow pace.

There were an abundance of characters introduced and developed within the different groups, and their dialogue and personalities were so dry and unemotional. Made it extremely difficult to keep track of who’s who and to bond with. And I believe half of them could’ve been brushed on briefly or perhaps left out, as I didn’t think they had an important role to play in the end result.

Mona has received some positive reviews of late, so as I mentioned earlier, it could be just me - my mood and my taste. So if you think you might like this type of techno based thriller, then I suggest trying it out for yourself...don't take my word for it

[Auntie Terror · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've hardly ever been this annoyed and disappointed by a book. The idea sounded fascinating, and I'm sure the story could have been intriguing and clever. But the way it was told was so horribly boring and predictable (as were the cliché-laden characters) that I actually started skimming after the first quarter of the book. I'd give minus stars here if that were possible.
And I left the book in a public bookcase, which might actually have been a mean move because now someone else might be plagued by it. But I just can't destroy books.

[Φίλιππος ²³ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Επιστήμονες, κατάσκοποι, τρομοκράτες και ρουφιάνοι, συναντιούνται σε ένα βιβλίο που ακροβατεί μεταξύ επιστημονικής φαντασίας και κατασκοπευτικού θρίλερ, και το οποίο παρά τις υπερβολές, τις ανακρίβειες και τις τρύπες στην πλοκή του, το απόλαυσα αρκετά!

7/10

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried, more than once to get into this book. Cyberpunk, thriller, all the elements sounded right but they just never jelled for me. The revenge plot seems unlikely, unemotive and uninspired. Our leading man, Eric just had nothing that made me want to continue reading about him. This last attempt I made it to page 54 before realising I needed to give up permanently on this one.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πριν λίγες μέρες κυκλοφόρησε στα ελληνικά το Μόνα του Νταν Τ. Σέλμπεργκ και τόσο η περίληψη όσο και το εξώφυλλο ήταν δυο από τους σημαντικότερους λόγους που αγόρασα δίχως δεύτερη σκέψη το βιβλίο, το οποίο και άρχισα άμεσα. Μιλάμε για ένα ενδιαφέρον και σχετικά πρωτότυπο τεχνολογικό θρίλερ που αγγίζει την επιστημονική φαντασία και με τις σχεδόν πεντακόσιες σελίδες του, γεμάτες δράση και σασπένς, θα αφήσει, πιστεύω, τους φαν του συγκεκριμένου λογοτεχνικού είδους, χορτασμένους. Το θέμα είναι ότι δεν θα κρατήσει και πολύ, μιας και είναι απίστευτα εθιστικό και ευκολοδιάβαστο.

Πως έχει η ιστορία: Ένας προηγμένος ιός υπολογιστών, ο Μόνα, χτυπάει τα συστήματα του Ισραήλ και είναι ικανός να καταστρέψει ανεπανόρθωτα την οικονομία της χώρας. Δημιουργός αυτού του ιού είναι ο Σαμίρ Μουστάφ, Λιβανέζος και απόφοιτος του MIT, που είδε την κόρη και την γυναίκα του να σκοτώνονται από βόμβα διασποράς των Ισραηλινών. Η Χεζμπολάχ εκμεταλλεύεται την οργή του Σαμίρ για την χαμένη του οικογένεια, δίνοντας του την ευκαιρία να εκδικηθεί. Την ίδια στιγμή, στην Σουηδία, ο Έρικ Σέντερκβιστ, ερευνητής και καθηγητής στο Βασιλικό Τεχνολογικό Ινστιτούτο της Στοκχόλμης, τελειοποίησε την πρόσφατη δημιουργία του, το Mind Surf, ένα πρόγραμμα που επιτρέπει στον χρήστη να σερφάρει σε ένα τρισδιάστατο διαδίκτυο με την δύναμη της σκέψης. Η Χάνα, υπεύθυνος ασφαλείας δεδομένων της Ισραηλινής τράπεζας TBI και γυναίκα του Έρικ, δοκιμάζει το Mind Surf και δεν αργεί να αρρωστήσει και να πέσει σε κώμα. Είναι δυνατόν να έχει μολυνθεί από έναν ψηφιακό ιό; Ο Έρικ αυτό πιστεύει και θα μπλέξει σε μια περίπλοκη και άκρως επικίνδυνη περιπέτεια και θα βρεθεί αντιμέτωπος με φονταμελιστές τρομοκράτες, πράκτορες της Μοσάντ και το FBI, με σκοπό να βρει τον δημιουργό του ιού και να σώσει την γυναίκα του, πριν να είναι αργά.

Αρκετά ιντριγκαδόρικο δεν φαίνεται το σενάριο; Σίγουρα και λίγο μη ρεαλιστικό και κάπως τραβηγμένο, αλλά έτσι είναι τα περισσότερα θρίλερ που συνδυάζουν τις νέες τεχνολογικές και επιστημονικές ανακαλύψεις με την διεθνή τρομοκρατία και τις πολιτικές ίντριγκες. Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι με την δράση του, το σασπένς και τις ιδέες του θα κρατήσει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη στο μάξιμουμ, από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος. Όσον αφορά την γραφή, είναι σίγουρα πολύ καλή, ευκολοδιάβαστη και άκρως εθιστική. Οι χαρακτήρες είναι αρκετά ενδιαφέροντες στην πλειοψηφία τους και η ατμόσφαιρα αγωνιώδης.

Αυτά τα ολίγα. Ποιοτικά δεν φτάνει το άριστο, όμως από την άλλη πρόκειται για ένα ιδιαίτερα ψυχαγωγικό θρίλερ που θα κρατήσει καλή παρέα στον αναγνώστη που λατρεύει τα τεχνολογικά και κατασκοπευτικά θρίλερ. Απ'όσο βλέπω, μέσα στα επόμενα δυο-τρία χρόνια, θα γίνει και ταινία. Σίγουρα θα έχει ενδιαφέρον και ελπίζω να προχωρήσει το πρότζεκτ.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samir Mustaf, a Lebanese MIT Professor knows heartache and pain, having lost his family due to a devastating cluster bomb brought into his home by his young daughter Mona, he vows for revenge if only to satisfy a deep seeded urge for violent retaliation. Knowing he can’t bring his daughter back from dead, he uses his education and skills in information technology to aide a terrorist organisation in disrupting the world’s economical balance brining chaos and fear into the homes of innocents across the globe.

Eric Soderqvist is a professor of computer science in Stockholm and his wife Hanna, an employee at TBI, the most internal of Israel’s banks – both unwilling find themselves pawns in Samir’s plight.

Eric, having created Mind Surf, a radical new technology which blurs the lines between AI and biology to bring the wonders of the World Wide Web to the blind by virtue of the ability to surf the net by thought alone has his worst fears realised when Hanna and Mind Surf investor Mats Hagstrom enter into a coma after testing the tech.

Hanna, for her part, happens to be looking at the TBI’s website, ground zero for Samir’s evolutionary computer virus, Mona, whilst testing Mind Surf. The computer virus infects Hanna sending Eric on a spiralling mission across continents in search of the anti-virus that only Samir has.

MONA is an engrossing and addictive tech-fi thriller that infects the readers’ imagination from the heartbreak prologue through to the satisfying epilogue.

Author Dan Sehlberg has written a true readers’ delight, think Michael Crichton (author of NEXT) or Daniel Suarez (author of DAEMON) – only better.

Review first published on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...

[Madam Bovaread · Rating 5 out of 5]

MONA este aparent doar un virus informatic care a atacat sistemul bancar din Israel și se împrăștie rapid în întreaga lume, ca parte a unei operațiuni teroriste bine planificată. Însă MONA este mai mult de atât pentru creatorul virusului, libanezul Samir Mustaf, care i-a pus numele fiicei lui ce a pierdut-o, împreună cu soția lui, într-o explozie, fiind forma lui de răzbunare. Totul este coordonat din umbră de o organizație teroristă ce l-au recrutat pe Samir să lucreze pentru cauza lor împotriva Istraelului.

În același timp, în Suedia, profesorul Eric Söderqvist lucrează la un software avansat (MindSurf) care poate accesa neinvaziv creierul uman, doar cu ajutorul unei căști conectată la program. Printre primii care testează MindSurf este Hanna, soția evreică a lui Eric, dar și directorul IT al filialei bancii israeliene din Suedia.

Se produce un lucru ciudat și Hanna ajunge să fie infectată cu MONA, adică este infectată cu un virus pe calculator. (Da, ați citit bine.) Totul se transformă într-o cursă contra cronometru pe viață și pe moarte, din care nu lipsesc serviciile secrete, organizațiile teroriste, fanatismul religios, atentate, spioni infiltrați, lupta dintre bine și rău. Deși aparent se pare că binele câștigă o bătălie, e greu de câștigat războiul pentru că virusul se răspândește rapid și neobservat.

[Ief Stuyvaert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Een thriller met een actueel tintje (deze week nog in de krant en in het nieuws: http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/992/Wete...), gekoppeld aan (al even actueel) (moslim)terrorisme. Vergezocht uitgangspunt (computervirus gaat over op mens) en ongeloofwaardig uitgewerkt verloop. Geen complete miskleun, maar als je dit jaar een (veel spannender) thriller wilt lezen, kies je beter voor 'I am Pilgrim'.

[Margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok! Some things can't happen and some things CAN'T happen. Everything in this book CAN'T happen. And It's not about the science fiction part. Everything is ridiculously impossible. So at the beginning it was fun but then it became funny, the type of " get out of here ", so sorry , but I wouldn't recommend it!

[Foteini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!The way it was written,the theme,the plot,but most importanly the ending.Many good books have non satisfactory endings.Mona is not one of them!

[Ella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Verteltechnisch rampzalig, politiek/medisch/it-technisch/journalistiek/überhaupt hoe normale mensen een gesprek hebben-technisch lachwekkend en/of diep ziekelijk reactionair. Uitgelezen voor de lols

[Vojtěch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Když už nemáte chuť na severské detektivky, můžete sáhnout po severském techno-thrilleru. Mona je totiž napsaná dobře. Začátek je poněkud delší a zasloužil by si zkrátit (stejně tak i některá další pasáže, které byly na mne až moc popisné), ale pak vás čeká jedno velké napínavé vyprávění o muži, který procestuje půlku světa, aby zachránil svoji ženu před biologickým (a zároveň počítačovým) virem.

[Andrea Alvarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Siento que este libro duró una eternidad.

Honestamente no conecté con la historia, me pareció irreal el papel y la personalidad atribuida a las mujeres en el libro. Una de las peores es que Rachel esté flechada por Eric, cual adolescente y por qué si, desarrolla una necesidad sexual por él con apenas conocerlo y sin ninguna motivación, que se piensen de esa manera es absurdo... No es propio de Rachel que se ha ganado su posición profesional .

Me fastidió el constante uso de muletillas o estereotipos culturales, nacionalistas, religiosos. Sobretodo, sentí el libro desconectado de la emoción, de la misma historia... como si intentara llevar un relato histórico detallado de hecho, de repente salta una emoción o una escena que permite emocionarse, y luego desaparece en absoluto, no hay transversalidad en ese aspecto, la historia sí que la requería. Falta profundidad, transversalidad, relieve en los personajes, en el contexto...

Lo que si me gustó fue el intercambio de perspectivas entre Eric y Samir, las escenas con Mona como niña y la descripción del mundo onírico de Hanna con Mona. Me gusta la idea de cuestionar e imaginar mundos posibles con tecnología que es muy probable desarrollar, aunque disfruto más las historias de mediano a largo alcance, Mindsurf parece un proyecto posible de los próximos 10-20 años... demasiado cercano y poco retador para mí gusto en SciFi .

En fin, no seguiré la historia por todas las razones mencionadas. No creo que el estilo del escritor sea para mí.

[Parisi Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read, definitely worth reading if you are into viruses, crime novels with suspense and a little scientific fiction. Of course, it is not a classic novel, the plot and the characters aren't perfect, and I agree that there are some plot holes here and there. But overall I enjoyed reading it.

Hezbollah inserts a computer virus into Israel's banking system, which threatens the whole economic system. We follow Eric, a computer scientist from Sweden, who developed a software called Mind Surf, which enables the user to experience a 4D browsing of the internet. After using his invention, his wife, who happens to work in the Israel bank, seems to be affected by an unknown virus.
Will Eric be able to find a cure for his wife? How is it possible that a human is infected by a computer virus?

[Jonas Toftefors · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boken handlar om Eric som lyckats skapa MindSurf - en mjukvara för telepatisk kontakt mellan människa och dator. Samtidigt har Samir skapat det fulländade datorviruset, Mona, som kan slå ut Israels bankväsen genom att bete sig som biologiska virus. Eric testar MindSurf på sin fru Hanna som jobbar på den israeliska bänken IBS som blivit smittad. Hanna blir snabbt rejält sjuk. Är det verkligen datorviruset som smittat henne? Eric tror det och ger sig ut på en resa över halva världen för att hitta Monas skapare.
Boken känns som ett svenskt försök till Dan Brown men får aldrig mig riktigt engagerad. Svårt att sätta fingret på vad det är, men engagemanget rinner helt enkelt inte till...

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received the book 'Mona' by Dan Sehlberg through Goodreads 'Firstreads' over two years ago.
Firstly I want to sincerely apologise for the reading and the reviewing taking years instead of days.

I found 'Mona' to be a complex book to read but also I found it strangely compelling. It almost felt like I was watching current worldly events unfold in real time before my eyes. And the emotions that came with it were almost unbearable to endure... but somehow I got through it!
I can safely say that 'Mona' will set the bar far higher for all the books I have read and will continue to read and I doubt I will find it's equal... yet...

[Bren · Rating 3 out of 5]

El libro realmente tiene un buen argumento, entretenido, pero me costo lo mío leerlo y creo que el problema radica en que se me hizo demasiado lento, si bien es cierto que la segunda mitad del libro avanza mucho mas rápido ya estaba cansada de dar vueltas sobre lo mismo.

Además de ser un thriller tiene un punto de ciencia ficción y aunque la historia queda completamente cerrada, deja ver que habrá una segunda parte

Argumento bueno, narración buena pero lenta, buen thriller, dejo en sus manos la decisión de leerlo.

[Evgenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Μέτριο, χωρίς μεγάλες ανατροπές, πολύ καλό για ταινία βέβαια. Περιγράφει την εξάπλωση ενός ψηφιακού ιού σε ανθρώπους, χωρίς να στηρίζεται σε επιστημονικά δεδομένα. Σκόρπιες έννοιες πληροφορικής για εντυπωσιασμό του αναγνώστη, και σε πολλές περιπτώσεις εντελώς ακατανόητες (πιθανόν να έφταιγε η μετάφραση, θα ήθελα να δω και το πρωτότυπο, μήπως καταλάβω σε τι αναφερόταν). Αρκετά επιφανειακό, παρόλο που ασχολείται με σοβαρά προβλήματα, τα περνάει πάνω πάνω. Κρίμα, θα μπορούσε να ειχε γίνει πολύ καλύτερη δουλειά από πλευράς του συγγραφέα.

[Aida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me parece increíble cómo está escrito el libro. Hace que en ningún momento dudes de que lo que pasa es real, incluso podría pasar en la vida real, fuera de la historia.
La trama en sí me parece muy buena, aunque hubiera veces que era fácil perderse entre tanto nombre.
El final me parece una tortura a la gente que, como yo, no nos gusta quedarnos con la duda, pero a la vez creo que es parte de la esencia de este libro. Te deja con ganas de seguir leyendo y con la sensación de que esas 458 páginas no son suficientes para una historia con tanto que contar.

[Izabela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Handling & Tema : 4/5
Karaktärerna: 3/5
Miljöbeskrivning: 3/5
Språk & berättar konst 3/5 :

Mona stark 3 i helhetsbetyg. Handlingen är riktigt bra, ett datavirus som även sprids till människor. En del av handlingen utspelar sig i Jerusalem och Gaza.
boken har potential men något fattas. jag hade svårt att komma in I handlingen, fasnade först i mitten av boken.
Det är ingen dålig bokoch jag rekommenderar att läsa den.

[Berna Atak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kuzey ülke yazarlarını seven birisi olarak çok beğendiğimi söylemeliyim;kurgusu kahramanları&ayrıntılar okuyucuyu sürekli merakta bırakıyor;farklı coğrafyalarda geçmesi;bilim kurgu öğelerini polisiye ile harmanlaması çok başarılıydı;bir çırpıda bitirilecek bir roman;ikinci kitap ‘Sinon’u okumayı sabırsızlıkla bekliyorum

[Mephistopheles Manson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aunque la idea principal de traspasar un virus de computador a una persona me pareció espectacular, todo el libro esta lleno de cliches y situaciones absurdas que me aburrieron. Lo termine porque tenía curiosidad en como iba a cerrar la historia y me decepciono.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling sci-fi story, actually pretty realistic in a certain sense. Perfect!

[. · Rating 4 out of 5]

9.5/10

[Flavius Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

nu a fost neapărat stilul meu la inceput, dar m-a prins pe parcurs, o carte foarte bună

[Dark Matter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nalini Haynes reviewed this book; for more reviews by Nalini, see Nalini Haynes on Dark Matter Zine.

Mona is a little girl playing in her yard in Lebanon while her mother and grandmother prepare for a family celebration. She pretends a can is a cat; a harmless game until the family realises her ‘can/cat’ is a live grenade.

Eric Soderqvist is an IT professor developing prototype technology to allow people to surf a virtual internet. His relationship with his wife, Hannah, is ambivalent, seesawing from violent, coercive sex to intimate moments. Eric wonders if he’d prefer to live alone to dedicate his life more fully to his research and yet he fears losing Hannah.

Then Hannah falls into a coma.

Eric realises Hannah’s coma was caused by his prototype technology bringing Hannah into contact with a computer virus. Propelled by guilt, Eric abruptly flees Hannah’s hospital bed to seek an anti-virus to cure her. Thus begins Eric’s quest to find Samir, who created the computer virus, while the Western world hunts Samir and his terrorist group.

Samir’s Mona virus becomes the worst internet virus ever, causing untold damage to monetary systems and Israel while gradually spreading to other, unforseen computer systems. Hezbolla, the Lebanese terrorist group Samir joined, keep Samir very close while preparing devastating attacks on Israel.

Although Mona definitively falls into ‘thriller’ and ‘science fiction’ categories, it is also consciously Literary. Sehlberg runs his story in parallel with Nobel Laureate Le Clezio’s Wandering Star, going so far as to mention Wandering Star in Mona for the less Literary of Mona’s readers. Additionally, Sehlberg appears influenced by Game of Thrones with his multitude of point of view characters and an apparently intentional misquote.

Mona is written in third person although from the perspective of numerous characters. To a point this is necessary to convey Eric’s quest, Samir’s motives and dilemma, the workings of Hezbolla and the hunt for the terrorists. Sehlberg goes somewhat overboard, however: early on the point of view switches in the middle of a meeting between characters we’ve barely met. This was confusing; I had to read the account of the meeting twice. Later a point of view character is introduced for one or two scenes.

Every character should be the centre of his or her own world, feeling justified in his or her actions; some of Mona’s characters seemed intent on destruction with insufficient self-righteous motivation. Only Eric and Samir seemed to have real depth in this story, most other characters were two-dimensional.

Mona is very ‘straight white guy’ with Eric’s point of view overriding Hannah’s; hotel staff and Eric’s judgement of a transvestite; a woman agent, motivated by childhood abuse of herself and her sister, currently used by the Mossad although diagnosed as mentally unstable. I am concerned about the use of the term “autistic state”, applied to someone apparently suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Hollywood clones come and go at a rate of knots so Mona is a refreshing change, focusing on Sweden and the Middle East rather than the United States. Very different from Transcendence, Mona focuses on personal relationships and terrorism. Mona is recommended as a thriller, science fiction and Literary novel; this is a good debut novel from Dan Sehlberg.

[Kim Kimselius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mona av Dan T Sehlberg var verkligen en superspännande bok. En vild chansning, en bok jag inte hade hört talas om, författarens debutbok.

Inledningen fångade mig inte, men det tog inte många sidor innan jag var helt fast i berättelsen.

Berättelsen börjar med ett litet barn som plockar upp något hon leker är en tigerunge. Flickans namn är Mona. Tigerungen visar sig vara något riktigt, riktigt farligt och dödar Mona och hennes familj. Pappan bestämmer sig för att hämnas och skapar ett datorvirus som ska slå ut världens ekonomi. Han börjar med att lägga in viruset på en av de stora världsbankerna.

Eric Söderqvist är forskare vid KTH i Stockholm, han är på gränsen till ett genombrott för sin banbrytande uppfinning, Mindsurf, ett tredimensionellt internet som kontrolleras med tankekraft och som visas direkt i människans hjärna. Den första person han provar systemet på är sin fru, Hanna. Hon loggar in på sin bank och hamnar oförklarligt i koma efter en tid av hög feber och fasansfulla hallucinationer. Det liknar en virusinfektion, kan hon vara smittad av det datavirus som samtidigt hotar att slå ut Israels och hela västvärldens banksystem?

En riktig nagelbitare, en bok du inte lägger ifrån dig i första taget. Fråga min käre make, han tyckte jag var oändligt tråkig som till och med på nyårsafton var tvungen att lyssna på boken. "Den är snart klar!" sa jag medan jag förberedde nyårsmiddagen. Efter ett tag undrade min käre make om inte boken var klar snart. "Det är upplösningen nu!" svarade jag och lyssnade vidare... Till slut var boken klar och jag ville bara läsa mer av samma författare.

Boken tog mig med till platser jag aldrig tidigare hade besökt, till en värld jag knappt anade fanns. Läs den!

[Stina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Så kom jeg igennem Mona - og lad mig bare slå fast: Det var til tider en kamp. Den er sine steder velskrevet, problemet er, at den er utrolig tung sine steder, for mange og lange faglige termer og fyld udenfor handlingen. Den har utrolig mange personer i spil og forskellige steder i verden - selv om det løbende fremgår hvor vi er, tabte jeg flere gange tråden og koncentrationen pga. de mange skift og personer. Plottet er faktisk utrolig spændende, kan en computervirus smitte mennesker? Jeg havde bare svært ved at fastholde plottet, fordi historien faktisk hurtigt slipper virussen, og drejer i bedste Daniel Silva stil, ind på konflikten Israel-Palæstina. Det bliver for søgt og for urealistisk for mig, og det ødelagde læseoplevelsen. Jeg kunne faktisk også godt lide de svenske personer, og vil måske læse den efterfølger, der lægges op til i slutningen af denne. Dog vil jeg håbe på meget mere realisme og færre tunge IT termer. Potentialet er der, så er det blot at vente på om det blomstrer.
Mary_humb

[Scott Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the more interesting books I have read this year. It takes relevant subjects in computer virus' and terrorist and mixes it with an up and coming technology, virtual reality, and gets the reader to thinking about what ifs.

This was an intense thriller with fully likeable characters, and very detailed geographical locations. As the reader you may even find yourself relating to the bad guys and why they do what they do.

You will not look at emerging VR technology the same after reading this suspenseful novel. This is a top 5 book for me this year.


One recommendation to the publisher, when this book is published in the United States you may want to change Pierre Balzac's name....