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User Error
“You broke the rules tonight, Glitch. I want to know why.”
Glitch is short on options. Funds are low and an old enemy is hunting her. When she’s offered a job that could buy her some time, Glitch jumps at the opportunity. Unfortunately, jobs aren’t ever easy for Runners in a city like Neosaka, and Glitch’s personal code of rebellion may make an already hard job impossible.
When Glitch chooses principles over pay, the only way to salvage the mission is for her to go undercover at Genocom University, an elite school for the children of the rich who run the city. Choices from jobs past return to haunt her, and she becomes entangled in the secrets of powerful people who will not hesitate to kill her. Worse yet, Glitch begins to suspect that this isn’t an honest run. Someone is playing her and her team.
Standing her ground against insatiable corporate machines and her jaded fellow Runners has served Glitch well before, but this time it may cost her everything — and everyone — she cares about.
Glitch is short on options. Funds are low and an old enemy is hunting her. When she’s offered a job that could buy her some time, Glitch jumps at the opportunity. Unfortunately, jobs aren’t ever easy for Runners in a city like Neosaka, and Glitch’s personal code of rebellion may make an already hard job impossible.
When Glitch chooses principles over pay, the only way to salvage the mission is for her to go undercover at Genocom University, an elite school for the children of the rich who run the city. Choices from jobs past return to haunt her, and she becomes entangled in the secrets of powerful people who will not hesitate to kill her. Worse yet, Glitch begins to suspect that this isn’t an honest run. Someone is playing her and her team.
Standing her ground against insatiable corporate machines and her jaded fellow Runners has served Glitch well before, but this time it may cost her everything — and everyone — she cares about.
255 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 25, 2020
You know a series is getting good when you get your hands on the next book and are absolutely delighted to see it's even longer than the previous one!
Changing gears a bit, User Error finds our socially awkward hacker extraordinaire, Glitch, on an undercover mission, facing down the biggest challenge of all: college. Specifically, a private college for the rich and powerful, far from the neon grit and grime of the world Glitch is from. Her mission is to find out as much as she can about a bubbly new student with plenty of question marks in her past, and Glitch is, rather unwillingly, the person who can get them out of her. Soon it becomes clear that this is a very different mission than the one Glitch signed up for, and may cost her far more than she's willing to pay.
The thrills are back, and Glitch spends plenty of time in action, both in cyberspace and the real world, as well as navigating the particular social pitfalls of being around society brats, fancy dinners and all. Along the way, more is revealed about Glitch and her past than ever before, but presented tantalizingly, always keeping just enough close to the chest to keep you guessing. This is a more personal and interpersonal novel than the previous installments in the series, but Beck manages to balance this well with excellent expanded world-building and, as I said, the action we've come to expect from the series.
The end result is the best of the Glitch Logs yet, one that answers as many questions as it asks, leaving you hungry for even more and––dammit––it's a cliffhanger too. Beck has certainly managed to craft a world I can't get enough of, and I can't wait for the next installment.
Changing gears a bit, User Error finds our socially awkward hacker extraordinaire, Glitch, on an undercover mission, facing down the biggest challenge of all: college. Specifically, a private college for the rich and powerful, far from the neon grit and grime of the world Glitch is from. Her mission is to find out as much as she can about a bubbly new student with plenty of question marks in her past, and Glitch is, rather unwillingly, the person who can get them out of her. Soon it becomes clear that this is a very different mission than the one Glitch signed up for, and may cost her far more than she's willing to pay.
The thrills are back, and Glitch spends plenty of time in action, both in cyberspace and the real world, as well as navigating the particular social pitfalls of being around society brats, fancy dinners and all. Along the way, more is revealed about Glitch and her past than ever before, but presented tantalizingly, always keeping just enough close to the chest to keep you guessing. This is a more personal and interpersonal novel than the previous installments in the series, but Beck manages to balance this well with excellent expanded world-building and, as I said, the action we've come to expect from the series.
The end result is the best of the Glitch Logs yet, one that answers as many questions as it asks, leaving you hungry for even more and––dammit––it's a cliffhanger too. Beck has certainly managed to craft a world I can't get enough of, and I can't wait for the next installment.
April 26, 2022
Fabulous
The adventures of Glitch get better and better. This is the mos taut, most tense, most high-stakes run yet. The collateral damage is shocking, but Glitch keeps powering through with integrity and spirit. She is absolutely the kind of heroine I root for. Can’t wait for the next one!
Highly recommended.
The adventures of Glitch get better and better. This is the mos taut, most tense, most high-stakes run yet. The collateral damage is shocking, but Glitch keeps powering through with integrity and spirit. She is absolutely the kind of heroine I root for. Can’t wait for the next one!
Highly recommended.
January 20, 2024
For more reviews, check out my other posts over on Cozy with Books!
At the end of book 1 and going into and through book 2, Glitch is just having a rough time. Through most of Defrag (book 1), she’s clinging onto threads, hoping to get out of the run, alive. Maybe not in one piece, but alive would be nice. But that’s normal for runners. Danger is just part of the job. In book 2, she’s zipping and dodging some crazy trials, but things leave on a better note towards the end. And now, despite the more cheery and “ordinary” setting we have this time around, a university (with real plants!) things have only gotten more explosive. It’s not like she could afford to turn down the gig. Having paid off someone’s debt, Glitch is back to being broke. Low on creds, she’s ready to take whatever next job lands on her lap and her fixer, Handle, does just that. She accepts before he even finishes telling her what the job is about.
Handle mentions that the person leading this run is, was, a crewmate of her deceased ex-teammate from another run, and to be trusted. She’ll be fine and safe so long as she sticks close to him. She might not trust these guys right away, but she trusts Handle, and so she’ll make do. With the book being longer, and we spend a lot more time with these characters, we get to explore more character development from Glitch’s team. Which means, I’m very much committed to the health and success of this team. Like, emotionally invested in these guys.
The job that Glitch agreed to without even letting Handle finish his sentence on? Asset recover,: to gather intel at a university, disguised as a student. Our awkward, needs a smooth talker and an AI to guide her next sentence over comms, favorite hacker, as a student, in a university, attempting to be a normal human being and not circuits for brains. Glitch is as eager as you can imagine. With an ex-friend and teammate turned enemy, actively hunting her down, what she really wants is to go into the ground and lie low until his interest (hopefully) fades for the moment, but her cred account begs her to think differently and she’s no choice. Even if this campus for rich people has a million cams that he can hack into to find her? Again, no choice.
We may be off the streets of Neosaka, but that doesn’t make this run any less dangerous. It’s a thrill to read and heart pumping to experience. This time, even Glitch can’t deny feeling at least a little scared, even when she’s in the Matrix, a place that usually washes away emotions as soon as she jacks in. If you thought she’s had a few rounds of bad luck in the first two books? Wait until you see this dumpster fire she’s gotten herself into. When luck becomes suspicion that someone is playing her and her team, things start to fall into place and your blood runs cold as you piece everything that’s happened so far, together. It’s gritty to read. There’s danger at every corner, and the fancy bright and lively campus full of civilians doesn’t temper any nerves.
I always thought that Rachel has some of the best Matrix and cyberspace descriptions that I’ve ever read, and once again, she doesn’t disappoint. The action is quick, in bursts, and endless in the real world, offline, in meatspace. With heavy campus security, she can’t even have her usual weapon on her, and needs a good few rounds of physical training from one of her new teammates to help her if she were to ever find herself in a tough spot with no backup coming to help. But even in the Matrix, she’s got a handful of enemies to deal with, from other runners and hackers to campus security holding gate. Once again, no break for Glitch on or offline. The descriptions of the action scenes are fantastic to read and easy to follow. The world-building grows with every book, and now we see more and more of the nasty side of the corporate world.
The characters are more developed in this book. We spend more time with this team than with Glitch’s team from Defrag (and she mostly worked solo-ish in Overclocked). There’s our ex-drill sergeant of a man, Graft, friends with one of Glitch’s ex-team member from Defrag; Quiet, strict, and stoic. Then, there’s the annoying West, whose role in this job apparently is to literally be a ladies’ man and gather intel that way; a guy with a mohawk who almost immediately gets under Glitch’s skin. But don’t let his appearance or act fool you, his sharp thinking has gotten the team out of many tight situations, and he quickly became one of my favorite characters. Oh, and the little AI, Scuttlebutt (I love you Scuttlebutt. I need you in my life). I’m far more invested in these guys as their personalities are way more fleshed out. Aannnd, an enemy, my favorite character from Defrag, is back and his and his team’s agenda and history are revealed in this book as well.
Yet another phenomenal read. From start to finish (whether we’re talking about this book or the series as a whole), it’s been one rollercoaster of a ride. Captivating writing and world, fantastic and likeable characters, both allies and enemies, and a plot bursting with action and danger. We end with yet another cliffhanger, the biggest one yet. I’m at the edge of my seat here. The first two were already great books, but User Error hit a high in my adrenaline and has been the best, most packed with thrills book, yet. The climax was heart pounding, with the engagement and exchange with an enemy character towards the end, being my favorite scene, and let’s not forget about the last chapter and ending, either. If you like cyberpunk books that’s full of thrills, great world-building, and a nice roster of characters to follow and fall in love with, The Glitch Logs series is one I’d highly recommend.
I’m eagerly awaiting book 4! (No pressure, no rush!)
At the end of book 1 and going into and through book 2, Glitch is just having a rough time. Through most of Defrag (book 1), she’s clinging onto threads, hoping to get out of the run, alive. Maybe not in one piece, but alive would be nice. But that’s normal for runners. Danger is just part of the job. In book 2, she’s zipping and dodging some crazy trials, but things leave on a better note towards the end. And now, despite the more cheery and “ordinary” setting we have this time around, a university (with real plants!) things have only gotten more explosive. It’s not like she could afford to turn down the gig. Having paid off someone’s debt, Glitch is back to being broke. Low on creds, she’s ready to take whatever next job lands on her lap and her fixer, Handle, does just that. She accepts before he even finishes telling her what the job is about.
Handle mentions that the person leading this run is, was, a crewmate of her deceased ex-teammate from another run, and to be trusted. She’ll be fine and safe so long as she sticks close to him. She might not trust these guys right away, but she trusts Handle, and so she’ll make do. With the book being longer, and we spend a lot more time with these characters, we get to explore more character development from Glitch’s team. Which means, I’m very much committed to the health and success of this team. Like, emotionally invested in these guys.
The job that Glitch agreed to without even letting Handle finish his sentence on? Asset recover,: to gather intel at a university, disguised as a student. Our awkward, needs a smooth talker and an AI to guide her next sentence over comms, favorite hacker, as a student, in a university, attempting to be a normal human being and not circuits for brains. Glitch is as eager as you can imagine. With an ex-friend and teammate turned enemy, actively hunting her down, what she really wants is to go into the ground and lie low until his interest (hopefully) fades for the moment, but her cred account begs her to think differently and she’s no choice. Even if this campus for rich people has a million cams that he can hack into to find her? Again, no choice.
We may be off the streets of Neosaka, but that doesn’t make this run any less dangerous. It’s a thrill to read and heart pumping to experience. This time, even Glitch can’t deny feeling at least a little scared, even when she’s in the Matrix, a place that usually washes away emotions as soon as she jacks in. If you thought she’s had a few rounds of bad luck in the first two books? Wait until you see this dumpster fire she’s gotten herself into. When luck becomes suspicion that someone is playing her and her team, things start to fall into place and your blood runs cold as you piece everything that’s happened so far, together. It’s gritty to read. There’s danger at every corner, and the fancy bright and lively campus full of civilians doesn’t temper any nerves.
I always thought that Rachel has some of the best Matrix and cyberspace descriptions that I’ve ever read, and once again, she doesn’t disappoint. The action is quick, in bursts, and endless in the real world, offline, in meatspace. With heavy campus security, she can’t even have her usual weapon on her, and needs a good few rounds of physical training from one of her new teammates to help her if she were to ever find herself in a tough spot with no backup coming to help. But even in the Matrix, she’s got a handful of enemies to deal with, from other runners and hackers to campus security holding gate. Once again, no break for Glitch on or offline. The descriptions of the action scenes are fantastic to read and easy to follow. The world-building grows with every book, and now we see more and more of the nasty side of the corporate world.
The characters are more developed in this book. We spend more time with this team than with Glitch’s team from Defrag (and she mostly worked solo-ish in Overclocked). There’s our ex-drill sergeant of a man, Graft, friends with one of Glitch’s ex-team member from Defrag; Quiet, strict, and stoic. Then, there’s the annoying West, whose role in this job apparently is to literally be a ladies’ man and gather intel that way; a guy with a mohawk who almost immediately gets under Glitch’s skin. But don’t let his appearance or act fool you, his sharp thinking has gotten the team out of many tight situations, and he quickly became one of my favorite characters. Oh, and the little AI, Scuttlebutt (I love you Scuttlebutt. I need you in my life). I’m far more invested in these guys as their personalities are way more fleshed out. Aannnd, an enemy, my favorite character from Defrag, is back and his and his team’s agenda and history are revealed in this book as well.
Yet another phenomenal read. From start to finish (whether we’re talking about this book or the series as a whole), it’s been one rollercoaster of a ride. Captivating writing and world, fantastic and likeable characters, both allies and enemies, and a plot bursting with action and danger. We end with yet another cliffhanger, the biggest one yet. I’m at the edge of my seat here. The first two were already great books, but User Error hit a high in my adrenaline and has been the best, most packed with thrills book, yet. The climax was heart pounding, with the engagement and exchange with an enemy character towards the end, being my favorite scene, and let’s not forget about the last chapter and ending, either. If you like cyberpunk books that’s full of thrills, great world-building, and a nice roster of characters to follow and fall in love with, The Glitch Logs series is one I’d highly recommend.
I’m eagerly awaiting book 4! (No pressure, no rush!)
February 14, 2020
I really enjoyed the first 2 glitch books; they've got all sorts of action, world building, and intrigue. User Error leaps from that foundation and hits home. It's like Rachel has been dying to get to the heart of why any of this matters--and it cuts deep. It's so good. I can't wait to read the next one.
April 5, 2020
Incredible! From start to finish, Rachel Beck kept me captivated with round the clock twists and turns in this engaging cyber punk mystery thriller. The third book in her series, Back continues to impress with her keen eye for worldbuilding and gripping storytelling. With the stakes rising in every book, I'm dying to get my hands on Glitch Logs #4!
May 13, 2025
With great characters (new and old), a rich setting and expertly crafted plot, User Error has a lot to love. It’s substantially longer than the previous installment (perfect: more Glitch) and dials back the pacing without ever feeling slow. It also delivers big on some really powerful moments that reveal the woman behind the username.
December 19, 2020
Truly excellent! An exciting read with captivating characters. Can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews