Networked: Carabella on the Run

by Gerard Jones, Mark Badger

Some alien invasions are loud and bloody...some are quiet and friendly. The blue-skinned girl named Carabella thinks she’s escaping the oppression of her own world, but instead she’s exposing the earth to an invasion so soft and friendly that everyone welcomes it-until Carabella herself sees what’s happening and tries to make someone, anyone see that our websites and our cell phones are being used to steal first the privacy and then the freedom of everyone on earth.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Comics

134 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Gerard Jones is an award-winning American author and comic book writer. From 1987 to 2001, Jones wrote many comic books for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Viz Media, Malibu Comics and other publishers; including Green Lantern, Justice League, Prime, Ultraforce, El Diablo, Wonder Man, Martian Manhunter, Elongated Man, The Shadow, Pokémon, and Batman.

Jones is author of the Eisner Award-winning Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book (2004); Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Superheroes and Make-Believe Violence (2002), and Honey I'm Home: Sitcoms Selling the American Dream (1993). Jones is co-author with Will Jacobs of The Beaver Papers (1983), The Comic Book Heroes (1985, 1996), and the comic book The Trouble with Girls (1987-1993). From 1983 to 1988, Jacobs and Jones were contributors to National Lampoon magazine. He and Jacobs began writing humorous fiction again in 2008 with the online series My Pal Splendid Man and Million Dollar Ideas

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timely book aimed at adolescents but thoughtful enough to be interesting to adult readers too. Using the sci-fi trope of alien invasion, the story examines important issues about identity politics and privacy in today's information based world. The protaganist, Carabella, explains that if "they" know everything about you, "they" can label you, and "they" can control you. It is later explained that "they" are the corporations and governments collecting the information. The counter arguments presented emphasize the convenience social networking and data collection.

What I appreciated the most was that the author didn't just raise paranoid concerns about privacy issues, but the story offers practical ways of responding and protecting yourself. Carabella explains a basic principle for understanding and protecting oneself privacy in the internet age: "The faster and more convenient the tech...the more exposed you are. The less you understand about how it really works...the more they can use it against you." In response her friend laments, "This is insane! What happened to the whole thing about the internet was it was supposed to give power to the people! What happened to this whole "digital democracy" they talked about in politics class?!"

This book would make a great text for a high school (or even undergraduate) class in computer technology. I bought a copy for my niece who got her first cell phone for christmas this year. The story is exciting. The characters are interesting. And the ideas are timely and well articulated.

[Sinai C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

One star for the drawings--they're not my style, but they're very expressive and I really thought it was imaginative. The main character being blue was really cool X)

The story itself had a great set-up--a girl from another dimension from an Earth where the government controlled every aspect of your being and privacy was impossible...like, it really did sound cool. And I was rooting for the characters. I thought they were the right amount of unique to keep me interested. However, my only real issue about the book is how lecturey it got...like...if you're aiming this for teens...we don't need things to be so spelled out for us...it kinda dumbed down everything for us regarding networking, but it was alright--we got the point I think.

I was really doubtful of how good this book was gonna be--an enjoyable, quick read :)

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Social networking shoes are the new hot thing until their inventor discovers that they are part of a plot from another dimension to keep the world under constant surveillance and control. Big Sneaker is Watching You (and even peeking up your skirt, for heaven’s sake!)

Jones and Badger have avoided what could have been a didactic rant on the right of privacy and presented an exciting, colorful and humorous science fiction adventure as the bad guys try to chase down the true blue heroine, while still getting across the point from publisher Privacy Activism about the dangers of identity theft and intrusive Internet surveillance that lurk beneath the surface of social networks.

[Tristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has the feeling of a vanity publication - someone who really freaked out about the privacy issues of social networking and wants to spread "the word" to the teen masses. Hey, it's a modern day Chick Tract! The story has some cute aspects, but the graphic illustrations are pretty bad. Horrendous shading and characters so badly drawn, they don't look like the same person from panel to panel. But kudos for having a dream and putting it all together and getting it published, I guess.

[Shira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The message is what makes this a great book. A lot of people don't realize how much privacy they willingly give up on a daily basis. This book addresses this issue in a fast-paced, action-packed story! This is a good read for someone who is looking for a fun story and not someone looking for a character driven story (the characters are pretty one-dimensional). I would also recommend this for people looking to teach internet etiquette and dangers.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Attempts to be hip while teaching about the importance of online privacy. Fails miserably.
See my whole review here: http://noflyingnotights.com/?p=9688

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

terrific warning about technology overload.