Firewall

by Sean Rodman

Josh is a gamer. After his parents' divorce and his move from Chicago to a small town where he doesn't know anybody, he copes by staying up way too late playing Killswitch online. Then he discovers a "mod" version of the game that is an exact reproduction of his new town. Strange things start to happen in the game, and they are somehow connected with events in the real world.

Genres: Young Adult

144 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2017

About the author

I live and work in Victoria, British Columbia. I am the child of two anthropologists, which gave me a keen eye for observation and a bad case of wanderlust. My interest in writing for teenagers came out of working at a number of interesting schools around the world. In the Snowy Mountains of Australia, I taught ancient history to future Olympic athletes. Closer to home, my family and I lived and worked with students from over 100 countries at a non-profit international school.

Reviews

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and original story that evolve between the real world and the virtual world, a series that is relevant in the context of today's world and which may be very well interesting for young teenagers/preteens. Easy to read, decent storyline, the characters are a bit clichés but still good. Nothing of a master-piece here, but an above average teens novels with a bit of reflexion and moral in it. It deserve it's place!

[CWDarcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot when I started it

This book was a very good book for me because of how simple the language was. I saw other reviews that said it was bland but I’m not much of a book person. The book had a very good storyline about a boy close to the same age as me and in a similar situation. I have a mom though and don’t have a hacker friend across the country. He is like me because he plays games all the time, his parents get mad if he plays to much, and that I’ve met modding people too. I would recommend this book to any avid gamers, or people with family problems. In this book the boy had a bad relationship with his father but in the end they both changed and were very happy. As things got worse in the game things got worse in real life for him but then the game got better because of his friend and life got better because of his dad.

[Sheri Radford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teenagers who are reluctant readers will enjoy this story about a boy struggling to make friends in a new school after his parents get divorced and he moves with his father halfway across the country. He immerses himself in a video game, and that's when things get strange. The ending is a bit too easy, but the story is still enjoyable.

[David Natiuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little confused by the title, since very little in this book had anything to do with breaking through a computer firewall. It was a neat little story about a typical gamer, Josh, who is struggling to find himself and his social network in a new high school. Also struggling with friendship, both past and present. But our gamer finds a strange mod on his favorite game where his entire town is modeled in fairly exacting detail.

So the mystery is who did this, why, and will they ever come back? When a friend hacker gives admin abilities to Josh, he begins adding and messing around with the town mod, creating a castle with impervious automated-defense systems (is THIS the firewall of the title?). Until the original creator comes back and is not pleased, and mysteries begin to unfold.

A nice, short, young-adult book with a bit of computer knowledge, a bit of teenage angst, and some lessons to be learned. Josh is learning to deal with his police officer Dad, and how to fit in in high school. This should appeal to many teenagers in similar situations. Well-written, overall, if somewhat abrupt in how the story wraps up. But it also certainly doesn't drag on, and might be a good way to get your gaming youth into a quick book reading.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

After his parents split Josh has found himself in a new town and at a new school where he just doesn’t fit in. He spends his free time gaming online, staying up too late and fighting with his Dad. When he accidentally discovers a game mod that turns his virtual world into a replica of the town, he is intrigued. Although he has fun in the new world, things start to get a little weird and when the virtual and physical words collide he must figure out who is behind it all and stop him before someone is really hurt .... Once again Rodman hits the right note of creepy!

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this hi-lo book, Josh has just moved from Chicago to a small town. He stays up late playing video games. The one he likes is called Killswitch; it gets creepy when one of the mods seems to be a microcosm of his new town. Things that happen in the game are starting to come true in real life and they are not good.
Gamers will enjoy and understand the references. Personally I found the writing to be lackluster and characters flat.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a hi-lo book. I get it. But this was just not a very good book. It was predictable, flat, and filled with uninteresting people and lackluster writing. I didn't hate it. Honestly, there wasn't even enough here to hate. It was just boring. And the ending was so very abrupt that it lost anything it may have gained. Books like this aren't likely to make people love reading, which, in my opinion, defeats the purpose.

Content Advisory: violent video games, teen violence

[jenna · Rating 1 out of 5]

that was way too short.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes

I really like the book and it is good.
I just wish the ending wasn't as sudden and there was more to the story.

[Ashleigh Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick book with a weird twist in the last 10-15 pages. I wish there was less build up and more explanation or exploration of the actual plan being laid out.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird one.