Upload

by Collin Tobin

Someone’s always watching.

Sixteen-year-old Jay Brooks’s life is in chaos. Feeling like a stranger in his own home, he spends all his spare time with his best friend, Bennie, and not just because he had a crush on Chloe, Bennie’s older sister.

A wheelchair-bound hacker, Bennie Welch practically lives in his basement computer lab. Longing to make genuine connections to the outside world, he secretly films people’s precious memories for later sale and surfs the crowds at rave parties, despite the danger to his frail body.

One night, Jay and Benny stumble on a secret video, one that could get them killed. Tracing the origins leads them on an dangerous journey that could change their lives forever.

Genres: Young Adult, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Adventure, Contemporary, Action

Paperback

First published December 12, 2012

About the author

Collin Tobin lives in Rhode Island. He holds a bachelor’s in English and master’s in Education. He has worked in the software industry for the past 20 years.

Reviews

[megHan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting, fun and well written book. With characters that just pull you in and make you want to learn more about them - especially Jay and Benny (and Jay's dad - I was curious about him from the very beginning). From the minute that Jay hears the girl scream, I could not put the book down. In fact, I was up all night reading it. There is so much to say about this book that I honestly have no idea where to even begin, which is not a normal thing for me. The only issue I actually and with it was that the end was so clean and "perfect," but that's not really much of a complaint considering I liked the end. Well done.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. No other consideration was offered, expected or received.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended this book and it was exceptional. Tobin's insightful writing drew me in and I was hooked from the start. If you like suspense novels and the thrill of plot twists and turns, this book is for you.

Jay is devastated by his mom's death and his dad's inability to function normally. To further complicate things, Jay stumbles across a strange video and a murder. He quickly instills the help of his best friend, Bennie to try to solve the mystery using their extraordinary high tech computer skills before he becomes the next victim.

I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to more from this author.

[Bridgette · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read that breaks away from my usual choices. Some good twists to the plot. The characters are well developed, too. I found myself having a hard time putting this book down because I had to see what came next. Good to see another member of the Lander Alumni spreading their wings and succeeding as Collin Tobin has.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would I be saying too much about myself if I admit that one of the things I liked about Upload is that Jay and Bennie, the two main characters, are … pick your word, nerds or geeks. They’re the kids with different interests than the typical teen, maybe not as socially adept, and in Bennie’s case, a disability that sets him apart further. I’ve got nothing against books with teen protagonists who are cheerleaders, jocks, or some other flavor of big-person-on-campus and have enjoyed lots, but, umm, without naming names, some people (maybe a lot of people), may relate easier to the geeks.

Good characters are a good start, but in a thriller you need a story with some thrills. Upload has that too. A mix of technology, both real and slightly futuristic, but not so far into the future as to be unbelievable, some evil villains, and an ending that was a surprise on several levels, all kept the tension building to the end. A good read for adults and older teens.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Brenda Seaberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

High schoolers caught up in an adult world. Although tech savvy, they still have a lot to learn about corruption, greed, and egos. And of course, besides the material things going on around them, there has to be some emotional rides as well.

The only reason I picked up this book was because one of the brokers in my office told me about it - his wife's cousin is the author - so I decided to give it a whirl.

I found it to be quite a good read. The storyline was especially interesting to me because I love computers. The technical side might be a little heavy for some non-computer people, but stick with it - there are some interesting little surprises as you read.

I would read more by this author.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I just couldn't help liking this book. It features a couple of high school geeks and a global conspiracy and some scary dudes and lots of danger. The characters were just so likeable!

One night while out indulging his hobby of looking for unsecured wifi networks Jay stumbles across a murder and a really strange transmission from a cell tower. He manages to copy a bit of the signal and takes it to his friend Bennie to interpret. Bennie is a wheelchair bound hacker extraordinaire and gleefully accepts this challenge. What they find is perplexing to say the least.

Meanwhile there are a couple of scary Russian dudes on their trail and the mystery about the transmission gets deeper and darker. Eventually it all comes to a head in Japan of all places where the good guys take on a global conspiracy of alarming proportions. This was a heartwarming but still action packed story where a couple of geeks get in way over their heads. Will they drown though? Its not all tea and skittles (whatever that means - is that even the right saying)? Anyway, a fun read but with all the emphasis on 'national security' you could see the attraction of what the conspirators were doing.

[Diana (Offbeat Vagabond) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2013/02/red-adept-publishing-presents-indie.html

Upload is a story that follows a teen after he has stumbled on something tragic. He has witnessed a terrible crime and has caught it all on film. He doesn't know where to go with his find, but he shows his best friend Bennie who has great computer skills. As they dive further into the mystery, they find out they have gone too far and end up getting into more trouble than they thought possible. They are now in for the fight of their lives' and must do whatever it takes to save themselves along with those they love.

This was a very thrilling and emotional read. Honestly, how is this not a movie? As a matter a fact, do any of you remember that ridiculous and inane film, Untraceable? It came out back in 2008 and it featured Diane Lane? A film that was also a cyber thriller. It was supposed to be anyway. Well this is a much better and much smarter version of that film. Upload was just one hell of a read that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

Our main characters are Jay and Bennie. They are teenage boys who know a thing or two about computers. Jay is struggling with the loss of his mother and, technically, the loss of his father. Since his mom dies, his father is barely coherent and is in a deep depression. Bennie is a hacker. He loves his computers but doesn't get a lot of human connection. He is handicap. He has been in a wheelchair for most of his life. I love the friendship between Jay and Bennie. They were almost like brothers. They had their quirks, but they were a lot of fun together. When Jay records the tragedy that took place, Bennie is the first person he goes to. They were both very smart and I love how they were able to uncover the mystery of the murder that took place. The villain Sturgeon was scary as hell. He uses his computer skills to catch government officials and respected citizens to blackmail them so they can give him money. He also has no issue killing people who get in his way or just irritate him.

The story was just amazing. It is nice seeing a mystery/thriller through the eyes of teenagers. I love how what seems like a one time murder turns out to be a huge organization. As I said, Jay and Bennie are very smart and tech savvy. Through that they were able to crack and hack through the operation. They didn't know how close to home it would hit though. I love the use of technology in this book. It plays a huge role in this story and it was quite brilliant what Tobin came up with. People could take something that is meant to be helpful and change the way we do things, but decide to use it to play God. I love twist this story takes. It is so hard to talk about mystery reads because any little thing could spoil the story. And boy what a story this was.

Upload is a story worth reading and re-reading. It is fast paced and well written. The mystery was just top notch. The last few chapters of this book had my mouth dragging on the floor. I cried, I laughed and I was in shock. I felt just about every emotion in the last few chapters. I mean that was just incredible. Upload is a wonderful story about two teens learning about loss, love, courage, greed and everything else life throws at us. I highly recommend this read for anyone looking for great mystery, great character development, and just an overall great story.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Jay Brooks has had a bad year. His mom died and his dad withdrew from him, spending most of his time painting and acting strange. Luckily Jay has his best friend Benny Welch to stand by his side. Well, in a figurative sense since Benny is in a wheelchair. When Jay witnesses what he believes to be a murder and something even weirder immediately after that he runs to Benny with the evidence he has recorded. Benny, a wiz at anything computer-related, attempts to figure out what’s going on. They have no idea that what they’ve stumbled upon is so much more than they could ever imagine.

This story is one hell of a ride. Told from mostly Jay and Benny’s POV this fast-paced thriller reminds me of that scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where Indy & Co. take off in a mine cart to escape the big baddies, picking up speed, careening around obstacles and then…the brake handle comes off. Faster and faster this tale took me until the final scene, leaving me not with smoking feet, but with dripping tear ducts.

My only complaint is that the ending fell a little too neatly into place, but it’s a small complaint. The writing is top notch, the characters are wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed myself as I followed Jay and Benny. The twists and turns were appropriately mysterious and kept me wondering what the hell was going on and the end game makes me wonder if this type of technology is all in the author’s head or if it’s actually, even if only slightly, viable. Just the thought makes the hair on the back of my neck rise up. So glad I would never even consider that kind of surgical correction. *shudders* All-in-all a kickass ride.

[Tee loves Kyle Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I would like to say that Upload is a great story about friendship, loss, and finding ones self. I loved how Collin created this world where one curious move lead to a series of things happening to best friends. Curiosity killed the cat is the saying and sometimes it is true. In this case it sends best friends on a journey like no other.

Jay has lost his mother and in the chaos of losing his mother he has lost his father emotionally. His father has decided to shut down after the death of his wife because he just can't handle it. So Jay spends his days surfing the web looking for things to do and spending time with his best friend Bennie. Bennie is wheel chaired bound and stays at home surfing the web looking for a chance to catch people doing things so he can sell it on the web. Bennie loves to party even though he is in his wheel chair it does not stop him from going to raves.

Then one day Jay stumbles upon something on the internet and he brings it to Bennie. Once they unravel the video they realize they have uncovered a murder. Together Bennie and Jay decide they are going to try and solve this murder themselves instead of giving it over to the police. As they delve deeper into the murder they find things are not always as they seem and they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

Will they find the murderer before he finds them? Will they alert the police? Will they learn their lesson and mind their own business? This is a must read adventure story that has twists and turns and leaves you breathless!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very enjoyable read. Jay is a capable, creative and extremely likable. I also loved Bennie; his wheelchair bound geeky friend and Chloe, Bennie’s sister and Jay’s love interest. When I like and can relate to the main characters in a story it is almost guaranteed that I will find the story entertaining, as well. In this case though, the story astounded me with its clever plot twists and unrelenting tension. I read it quickly, even waking up in the middle of the night to continue reading because I felt so invested.

Far-fetched and stretching the limits, for me, of believability, I still found the plot at least plausible (and scary). I personally loved the technical descriptions and explanations - carefully structured so as not to overwhelm any particular segment in the story. The dastardly plot creatively illustrates and challenges us all to be alert to the idea that there should always be balance. Powerful surveillance devices, for example, may have their uses but the drawbacks of overextending the technology may seriously outweigh the benefits of going to such lengths. In that case, even well-intentioned zealous purpose could be horribly misguided.

This is an exciting, contemporary, clean mystery that you will not want to miss.

I received a free digital copy of this book from Red Adept Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Reviewed by Laurie-J

[Bosurmyhome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just loved this book. From the moment I met the main characters Bennie & Jay I was hooked. Intelligently written, this techno suspense thriller delivers.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a techno-thriller about two unlikely high school geeks who stumble onto a deep conspiracy involving a wide range of crimes ranging from invasion of privacy all the way to blackmail and murder. The protagonists are appealing and likeable, and the technology involved is stunningly possible. Kudos to the author, Collin Tobin, for dreaming up this unique and stunning concept; without giving anything away, the villains have tapped in to a commonplace and unlikely device in order to discover and punish evil behavior. I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book a lot, but then it changed: what had been a very tough puzzle to solve, became a comic-book chase between the bad guys and the good guys. If the story had unfolded at the end with the same wit and subtlety as we saw earlier, this could have been a five-star read for me. Unfortunately, I felt let down by the ending. I would try again with this author in hopes that the very clever plotting gets finished with better skill.

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hat mir ziemlich gut gefallen. Der Schreibstil ist locker zu lesen und die Kapitel sind insgesamt weder zu kurz noch zu lang. Der Autor bedient sich zwar einiger Klischees und Wendungen, die meilenweit vorauszusehen sind, immer wieder werden diese aber aufs Neue durchbrochen, was mir ebenfalls sehr gefallen hat. Lediglich den Einwurf von kurzen Kapiteln von "Opfern" fand ich meist nicht so toll, da sie seltenst zum Plot beigetragen haben und damit auch Tempo aus der Story nahmen. Alles in allem ein guter Thriller mit vielen Themen, die mich angesprochen haben.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book

I loved that the author actually knew what he was talking about when he was describing technology. It made the book much more enjoyable. I also thought Tobin did a good job of developing the main characters and revealing the secrets the characters are trying to uncover with perfect peace and timing.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrill-a-minute suspenseful novel of two upper-age adolescents and their unending quest against all odds to puzzle out the mysteries onto which they unwittingly stumble, “Upload” is a technological-heavy but nevertheless fascinatingly written novel. Jay spends his spare hours hunting for “free” wireless sites, locales where the wi-fi network is unprotected and thus available to “drive-by” users. His best buddy Bennie, confined to a wheelchair because of a congenital disorder, is a hacker extraordinaire. Jay stumbles, literally, on the ending moments of a murder, and the boys discover that part of the murder has been captured on video which uploaded to a nearby cell tower.

Jay’s mother, killed a year earlier, was an FBI agent, so perhaps Jay has inherited the desire to solve puzzles and track down criminals. For Bennie, so immersed in technology, figuring this out is imperative. But neither of the boys nor Bennie’s older sister Chloe, a college student, realize to start with how incredibly dangerous-and fatal-a project they are just beginning to uncover.

[Reeca Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start with saying..this is not my type of read. I did finish it but it did not appeal to me like it would some readers.

Jay, by happenstance, finds himself in the middle of a murder, then a conspiracy. All of this leads to a series of superb complications and family discoveries.

I have a soft spot for Jay. His bungling and his insecurities help to make him very appealing. I wanted to jump through the pages and be his guide!! Bennie started out as a character I wanted to hate. But, I ended up respecting his strength and intellect.

The story itself is action packed and moves very quickly. There is way too much technical jargon in this book for me. I was lost most of the time. Now, if this had been medical jargon, I would have been all over it! Therefore, this book may very well be a 5 star read for several tech junkies. I will give it 3 and 1/2 stars. The story and characters made up for the “above and beyond” tech speak!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upload by Colin Tobin is a mystery thriller sci-fi fantasy. And is available to purchase now. All Jay wants is a wi-fi spot and a few hours away from his father, whose behaviour has gotten erratic since Jay's mother died last year. But Jay's solo hobby of hot spot hunting makes him a witness to a violent crime. Very enjoyable read. I liked Jay and Bennie. Lots of action from the start. Could see this as a movie. There was nothing I disliked about this book. Highly recommended. 5* from me. Thanks to net galley for the arc.

[Algot Runeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

At only about 10% into the book, it had me hooked in. Kids (young adults) with geek skills capture some disturbing video. It's like a snuff film, but first person POV. Worse, it doesn't seem at all like acting. The video is like looking through the eyes of a murderer.

The story ramps up from there with goons and emerging connections to events from the hero's past. This is the first novel of the author. I think he's worth watching, even though the climax structure seems a bit contrived.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hacking, medical jargon with an intriguing twist is how I would describe Upload. It was an interesting storyline that kept me intrigued from page one. I enjoyed the way that the story was told from multiple perspectives. That really added to the intrigue and suspense of the story.

[Peg · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too far-fetched for me to enjoy. Monitors embedded in people's eyes or contact lenses! People using that info for good or evil. I like mysteries but not Sci Fi. This was more of the latter.