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Geek Girl Mysteries #1
Playing With Fire
One brilliant young hacker.
One experimental government aircraft.
One chance to keep it all from going up in flames.
Still recovering from her troubled past, Farris is no stranger to change. But when the military transfers her father across the country to an experimental aircraft squadron, settling in to a new life is the least of her problems. As a series of apparent computer glitches threaten the security of the fleet and the blame falls on her father, she decides to put her computer skills to use digging up the truth. Soon she’s drawn into the perilous world of a hacker who is determined to ground the fleet—at any cost.
When all signs lead to someone close to her as the mastermind, Farris will have to burn more than bridges to get to the truth. She will have to risk her fragile new life to uncover the identity of the cyber criminal before they can escalate from harmless tampering… to all out murder.
One experimental government aircraft.
One chance to keep it all from going up in flames.
Still recovering from her troubled past, Farris is no stranger to change. But when the military transfers her father across the country to an experimental aircraft squadron, settling in to a new life is the least of her problems. As a series of apparent computer glitches threaten the security of the fleet and the blame falls on her father, she decides to put her computer skills to use digging up the truth. Soon she’s drawn into the perilous world of a hacker who is determined to ground the fleet—at any cost.
When all signs lead to someone close to her as the mastermind, Farris will have to burn more than bridges to get to the truth. She will have to risk her fragile new life to uncover the identity of the cyber criminal before they can escalate from harmless tampering… to all out murder.
290 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2015
About the author
Sherry D. Ficklin
47 books671 followersSherry is the author of over a dozen novels for teens and young adults including the best selling Stolen Empire series. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she's on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.
Sherry also writes contemporary romance under the pen name SJ Noble. You can find her at her official website, www.sherryficklin.com, or stalk her on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin.
Sherry also writes contemporary romance under the pen name SJ Noble. You can find her at her official website, www.sherryficklin.com, or stalk her on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
January 26, 2016
I started this wanting something full of mystery, fun, and just plain and simple, something different. I got all those things with this read and I'm happy to report, enjoyed this so much more than I was expecting too.
This really was well written and held so true to what I feel someone like Farris should be with the way she grew up and the challenges and struggles that she has had in her life. Not only that but can I just say, yay for a parent being very prominent in the YA genre for a change? It was so nice to see Farris and her dad not only having real conversations, but that he played such a huge role in her life, even after the death of her mother where in some many YA reads, the parent shuts down.
It was so darn refreshing and may have been my most favorite aspect of this whole read, besides the fun characters, fast paced plot and the mystery that kept me turning the pages, not to mention the swoon worthy love interest, this was everything I was hoping it would be in a fun weekend stay at home getaway.
This really was well written and held so true to what I feel someone like Farris should be with the way she grew up and the challenges and struggles that she has had in her life. Not only that but can I just say, yay for a parent being very prominent in the YA genre for a change? It was so nice to see Farris and her dad not only having real conversations, but that he played such a huge role in her life, even after the death of her mother where in some many YA reads, the parent shuts down.
It was so darn refreshing and may have been my most favorite aspect of this whole read, besides the fun characters, fast paced plot and the mystery that kept me turning the pages, not to mention the swoon worthy love interest, this was everything I was hoping it would be in a fun weekend stay at home getaway.
May 14, 2015
This is my book, so of course I love it. I appreciate all honest reviews! Hope you enjoy Playing With Fire!
July 27, 2020
Enjoyable mystery story.
After the death of her mother, Farries and her father move to another base. Both need a fresh start in their life and Farries’s conversations with her father, on this ground, is beautiful.
There at the new base, Farries starts making new friends with people who are like her. That is when the mystery starts. The way Farries solves the mystery and even starts suspecting her new friends and her feelings at that, are so beautifully brought out that I felt that the scenes were natural.
Loved the quick paced spy story.
After the death of her mother, Farries and her father move to another base. Both need a fresh start in their life and Farries’s conversations with her father, on this ground, is beautiful.
There at the new base, Farries starts making new friends with people who are like her. That is when the mystery starts. The way Farries solves the mystery and even starts suspecting her new friends and her feelings at that, are so beautifully brought out that I felt that the scenes were natural.
Loved the quick paced spy story.
July 9, 2018
Farris and her Dad are in dire need of a new beginning. Especially since last year her mum died, her friends turned her back on her, and her dad has been living in his job. Farris's dad is in the military, and they are moving to a new base. When Farris arrives, she meets a group of misfits and for the first time in a long time finds herself fitting in. If only it were that easy, as her Dad is feeling the pressure at work and someone is trying to mess with the base and the planes. Farris knows she can help as computers are her thing, but what happens when she starts to dig and finds out her new friends could be suspects. When one of the threats causes harm to her Dad, Farris steps up her game and skills to find the real #hacker and person behind the threat? What will happen though when she soon learns that she can't trust anyone especially not the nerd next door - Reid? Can Farris save the day and her father's job at the base? Find out in Playing with Fire. A fun, fast-paced YA novel filled with hacking, computers, and adventures and not to mention an awesome spy girl feel. Fans of Shannon Greenland's Spy Specialists and Ally Carters Gallagher Girl series will love Sherry D. Ficklin's #Hackers.
December 1, 2015
I enjoyed this story because I could really relate to having two amazing boys fight over me in high school. Oh no...wait! That wasn't me! Even so, it's certainly a fantasy many can appreciate. What I actually DID relate to was the way Sherry presents military life. It's spot-on, and the details of the housing situation and the pressures and uncertainty of a life filled with change and worry made it feel real.
As with other reviewers, I also figured out who the bad egg was pretty early on, but it didn't stop my enjoyment of reading to the end. There was always that possibility of a "what if" switcheroo, so that kept me on my toes. Also, there was just enough tech talk to make it believable without being boring.
I loved the development of the relationship between Farris and her dad and the fact that she knew more about the tech world than he did. Pretty realistic, I think.
Playing With Fire is a fun, fast read, with just enough snark in the dialogue to make me giggle.
As with other reviewers, I also figured out who the bad egg was pretty early on, but it didn't stop my enjoyment of reading to the end. There was always that possibility of a "what if" switcheroo, so that kept me on my toes. Also, there was just enough tech talk to make it believable without being boring.
I loved the development of the relationship between Farris and her dad and the fact that she knew more about the tech world than he did. Pretty realistic, I think.
Playing With Fire is a fun, fast read, with just enough snark in the dialogue to make me giggle.
March 6, 2024
This kept me well entertained. It was all very reminiscent of my Wattpad days but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It was highly predictable and our main character had NLOG disease but it served its purpose well enough. The ending was a tad painful, I could live with the predictability but certain parts felt unnecessary. Also, this was kinda sus when it came to talking about mental disorders, definitely could have done with a bit more grace.
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May 10, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/10/2019)! 🎁
October 16, 2015
I'd like to thank Clean Teen Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.
I have long been a fan of Sherry Ficklin's writing. I truly have enjoyed her Extracted series and The Stolen Empire. So, of course, given the opportunity to read more of her work, I jumped on board.
I haven't ever read a hacker type novel before. So I was interested to see where this one went. I thought there would be more computer stuff in it, but it wasn't as much as I thought and I was happy about that. I'm not completely technical and didn't want to be lost.
I like how Ficklin did the world building in this one. I'm not very familiar with the military and how they live. I've heard bout families moving around a lot, so it was interested to see it from the perspective of a teen. I guess you would call Farris a military brat, from what I understand. She's moved around a bit during her life, with her father being a high ranking officer and all. And Farris has known tragedy in her life: losing her mother at a young age and also being a victim of some bullying. So she has some baggage that she carries with her.
I love the friends she makes at school. Such a large range from cheerleaders and football players, to goth dressers and geeks. She doesn't care who her friends are as long as they are her friends.
I will say that I figured out early on who the person causing the glitches was. But it didn't stop me from wanting to see how things played out. And I liked the way Farris pieced the puzzle together.
Of course this wouldn't be a teen book without some romance. I will say I felt like the romance jumped in a bit too fast. I would have liked a bit more of a slow burn. And there is the hint of a love triangle, which I'm not really a fan of. Overall, the romance was really more of a side bar for me. If it hadn't been present and the guys had just been her friends, I would have been ok with that.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a short and quick read (I finished in less than 24 hours). Even those who don't understand the technologies of the computer world will appreciate Farris' abilities with the computer, and the friendships she forms during this book.
I have long been a fan of Sherry Ficklin's writing. I truly have enjoyed her Extracted series and The Stolen Empire. So, of course, given the opportunity to read more of her work, I jumped on board.
I haven't ever read a hacker type novel before. So I was interested to see where this one went. I thought there would be more computer stuff in it, but it wasn't as much as I thought and I was happy about that. I'm not completely technical and didn't want to be lost.
I like how Ficklin did the world building in this one. I'm not very familiar with the military and how they live. I've heard bout families moving around a lot, so it was interested to see it from the perspective of a teen. I guess you would call Farris a military brat, from what I understand. She's moved around a bit during her life, with her father being a high ranking officer and all. And Farris has known tragedy in her life: losing her mother at a young age and also being a victim of some bullying. So she has some baggage that she carries with her.
I love the friends she makes at school. Such a large range from cheerleaders and football players, to goth dressers and geeks. She doesn't care who her friends are as long as they are her friends.
I will say that I figured out early on who the person causing the glitches was. But it didn't stop me from wanting to see how things played out. And I liked the way Farris pieced the puzzle together.
Of course this wouldn't be a teen book without some romance. I will say I felt like the romance jumped in a bit too fast. I would have liked a bit more of a slow burn. And there is the hint of a love triangle, which I'm not really a fan of. Overall, the romance was really more of a side bar for me. If it hadn't been present and the guys had just been her friends, I would have been ok with that.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a short and quick read (I finished in less than 24 hours). Even those who don't understand the technologies of the computer world will appreciate Farris' abilities with the computer, and the friendships she forms during this book.
Read
December 22, 2015 Sherry's new series is just plain amazing! I love that this series is full of technology. I love technology, and its the field I work in, besides books. So two in one is perfect for me!
Anyhow....Farris and her dad has just moved, once again. She is used to moving, after all its a common thing with the air force. But this time its different. This time its just her and her dad. She's still dealing with the loss of her mom, a new home, a new school, its all a lot for Farris. And to make it harder, she's still trying to get the trust back from her dad. So hopefully, everything will become better soon.
They arrive at their new home, start unpacking, and get ready for tomorrow. In the morning, Farris goes to school and her dad heads off to work. Right away things get moving. She makes friends quick. This guy has an interest in her, but she can't really figure him out just yet. She's making plans to hang out with these new friends, and school seems to be going pretty well.
Then technical issues have been happening. All the blame has gone onto her dad. So Farris has decided she is going to get to the bottom of things. She will put her skills to use and figure out whats going on and hopefully stop them.
Overall I just loved this book. I ate it all up within a day and a half. (Work got in the way) And I just can't wait to dive into the next book!
Anyhow....Farris and her dad has just moved, once again. She is used to moving, after all its a common thing with the air force. But this time its different. This time its just her and her dad. She's still dealing with the loss of her mom, a new home, a new school, its all a lot for Farris. And to make it harder, she's still trying to get the trust back from her dad. So hopefully, everything will become better soon.
They arrive at their new home, start unpacking, and get ready for tomorrow. In the morning, Farris goes to school and her dad heads off to work. Right away things get moving. She makes friends quick. This guy has an interest in her, but she can't really figure him out just yet. She's making plans to hang out with these new friends, and school seems to be going pretty well.
Then technical issues have been happening. All the blame has gone onto her dad. So Farris has decided she is going to get to the bottom of things. She will put her skills to use and figure out whats going on and hopefully stop them.
Overall I just loved this book. I ate it all up within a day and a half. (Work got in the way) And I just can't wait to dive into the next book!
April 22, 2016
This YA novel centers on Farris Burnett, a teenage hacker whose father is a Marine Corps officer. The story begins as he assumes command of Cherry Point air base and she enrolls in a new high school. When someone hacks the base computers and begins wreaking havoc, Farris sets out to find the culprit.
Farris has a strong voice, and the secondary characters are complex and interesting. Overall the writing is good, but the book could have used better editing. The author uses principal in a context that calls for principle, and there are a few confusing sentences.
The main problem with the novel is the plot structure. The hacking problem begins almost halfway into the story. Everything up to that point involves Farris's life—her dead mom, her somewhat distant relationship with her father, the unfair ostracism she faced at her last high school, the challenge of making friends at the new one, the dilemma of liking two guys who hate each other. The characters introduced in the first half do play important roles in the hacking plot, but the author could have told readers what they needed to know in half the space.
The upshot is that Playing With Fire is more teen high school drama than it is thriller. This might not be a problem for the novel's teen audience, but the book description led me to expect more suspense and less romance.
Farris has a strong voice, and the secondary characters are complex and interesting. Overall the writing is good, but the book could have used better editing. The author uses principal in a context that calls for principle, and there are a few confusing sentences.
The main problem with the novel is the plot structure. The hacking problem begins almost halfway into the story. Everything up to that point involves Farris's life—her dead mom, her somewhat distant relationship with her father, the unfair ostracism she faced at her last high school, the challenge of making friends at the new one, the dilemma of liking two guys who hate each other. The characters introduced in the first half do play important roles in the hacking plot, but the author could have told readers what they needed to know in half the space.
The upshot is that Playing With Fire is more teen high school drama than it is thriller. This might not be a problem for the novel's teen audience, but the book description led me to expect more suspense and less romance.
October 29, 2017
So, this was one of those books that I enjoyed, but it really didn't capture me. You know, the ones that you just don't quite connect with the MC, and the pacing just doesn't quite work for you. I'm more than a little certain this is just me, as I can imagine any kid who grew up on base would enjoy this quite a lot. Just, for me, it didn't hit the right points to make me engrossed. Plus, there was a love triangle and some almost insta-crushing that made me a little less interested. But, Farris was well drawn and I particularly liked her relationship with her dad, which felt comfortable and protective. In the end, this wasn't exactly my type of novel, but I can definitely see others enjoying it.
February 29, 2016
I am absolutely, positively IN LOVE with Sherry's new series, #Hackers, featuring teen computer genius (and my new favorite YA character) Farris. I loved every single second of this reading experience! I knew I was in for something good when I read about Farris and her father, in the car approaching what would be their latest "hometown," passing the "Welcome to Havelock" sign. I thought for sure I had read it wrong, so I did a double and triple-take to make sure it really did say "Havelock," and even then I convinced myself this must be some other Havelock. It couldn't possibly be Havelock, NC, not far from where I grew up, home of the Marine Air Station Cherry Point. Imagine my surprise when the base was named and I realized Sherry had, indeed, set this novel in this teeny tiny town in eastern NC! From that point on, I was enamored.
Being a military brat myself (my father is career Air Force), I will tell you that Sherry got everything right. She absolutely nailed the mentality of a kid who's used to being moved around to new places on a regular basis, unable to make deep, lasting friendships, wary of getting too terribly close to other people. (After I finished the book, I asked Sherry if she grew up as a military brat herself, because everything was so perfect, and she said she did.) Although I wasn't a computer genius growing up - okay, full disclosure, there wasn't even really such a thing as "computer genius" when I was growing up, which was before the time of personal computers being in every home, much less in every pocket or purse!! - anyway, although I wasn't a computer genius growing up, I identified so readily with Farris it was a little scary. She is an awesome character and I love everything about her. She is not your "typical" girly-girl, not a cheerleader or one who seeks out popularity. She's just smart and independent and yet still flawed. She sees that someone is causing trouble for her dad in his new command, and she does whatever she can to help him figure out what's going on, even when he explicitly tells her she can't get involved. (We are talking about military secrets, after all!) She has kind of a tough time when two boys in whom she's interested each try to warn her away from the other, insisting she not get too close without giving her explicit reasons why. I liked both of the male leads, Oliver and Reid, for different reasons, and I could understand why she wasn't quite sure about one or the other! They have a history that she doesn't really know about and she's not sure why they hate each other so much. But eventually she is able to choose, so if you're wary of love triangles, don't worry! It's not a really intense triangle, I promise. I also enjoyed the other kids with whom Farris makes friends, especially the goth couple :)
I loved the mystery behind what was going on, the kind of ominous sense of danger underlying everything, and although I figured out "whodunit" before the big reveal, it wasn't too much before. I definitely was never bored or saw through everything! I loved the entire story and every bit of it worked so well together to make one coherent and compelling story. Perhaps the best part of this is that even though I knew it was a series at the outset, it's clear that this particular part of the story is COMPLETELY WRAPPED UP by the end of the book. There aren't a lot of threads left hanging, and there certainly isn't a cliffhanger the likes of which we see so much these days. You could read Playing With Fire and not move on to In Too Deep, the second book, and be perfectly content in knowing that THIS story is wrapped up. But that's just crazy talk... because I can almost guarantee that you will be itching to read #Hackers #2 just as much as I was when I finished this book!!!
Sherry became an author that I knew I would follow to the ends of the earth to read every single thing she's written as soon as I read the first two books in her new adult vampire series under her pen name Ranae Glass. Since that time I have read Haunting Zoe and Losing Logan and this book, Playing With Fire, all of which are vastly different from each other, and I swear she just gets better and better. I will continue to read every single thing that she writes... even her grocery list, if she'd let me!!
Being a military brat myself (my father is career Air Force), I will tell you that Sherry got everything right. She absolutely nailed the mentality of a kid who's used to being moved around to new places on a regular basis, unable to make deep, lasting friendships, wary of getting too terribly close to other people. (After I finished the book, I asked Sherry if she grew up as a military brat herself, because everything was so perfect, and she said she did.) Although I wasn't a computer genius growing up - okay, full disclosure, there wasn't even really such a thing as "computer genius" when I was growing up, which was before the time of personal computers being in every home, much less in every pocket or purse!! - anyway, although I wasn't a computer genius growing up, I identified so readily with Farris it was a little scary. She is an awesome character and I love everything about her. She is not your "typical" girly-girl, not a cheerleader or one who seeks out popularity. She's just smart and independent and yet still flawed. She sees that someone is causing trouble for her dad in his new command, and she does whatever she can to help him figure out what's going on, even when he explicitly tells her she can't get involved. (We are talking about military secrets, after all!) She has kind of a tough time when two boys in whom she's interested each try to warn her away from the other, insisting she not get too close without giving her explicit reasons why. I liked both of the male leads, Oliver and Reid, for different reasons, and I could understand why she wasn't quite sure about one or the other! They have a history that she doesn't really know about and she's not sure why they hate each other so much. But eventually she is able to choose, so if you're wary of love triangles, don't worry! It's not a really intense triangle, I promise. I also enjoyed the other kids with whom Farris makes friends, especially the goth couple :)
I loved the mystery behind what was going on, the kind of ominous sense of danger underlying everything, and although I figured out "whodunit" before the big reveal, it wasn't too much before. I definitely was never bored or saw through everything! I loved the entire story and every bit of it worked so well together to make one coherent and compelling story. Perhaps the best part of this is that even though I knew it was a series at the outset, it's clear that this particular part of the story is COMPLETELY WRAPPED UP by the end of the book. There aren't a lot of threads left hanging, and there certainly isn't a cliffhanger the likes of which we see so much these days. You could read Playing With Fire and not move on to In Too Deep, the second book, and be perfectly content in knowing that THIS story is wrapped up. But that's just crazy talk... because I can almost guarantee that you will be itching to read #Hackers #2 just as much as I was when I finished this book!!!
Sherry became an author that I knew I would follow to the ends of the earth to read every single thing she's written as soon as I read the first two books in her new adult vampire series under her pen name Ranae Glass. Since that time I have read Haunting Zoe and Losing Logan and this book, Playing With Fire, all of which are vastly different from each other, and I swear she just gets better and better. I will continue to read every single thing that she writes... even her grocery list, if she'd let me!!
October 27, 2015
Full review and more available at: http://oneguysguidetogoodreads.blogsp...
*****
My Thoughts:
Sherry Ficklin. Oh my dear Queen of Literary Greatness. You’ve graced us with nearly every genre imaginable and crafted each passing tale to near perfection. With so many absolutely incredible stories under her belt, I found myself so excited to see what she could craft next. Coming off of the massively successful award-winning and best-selling Stolen Empire series, I was worried that her next work may not quite hit the bar. When I was first told the latest release would be a YA Science Fiction/Mystery novel, I won’t even lie and say I wasn’t a bit hesitant, but with Ficklin at the helm, I had no doubt it’d find a fan in me.
So how did it hold up?
I’ll go ahead and admit outright that this wasn’t my favorite Ficklin story to-date and it took me much longer to dive into Farris’ world than I would have liked. This story is a bit different than anything we’ve seen from Ficklin previously, but I promise if you stick with it, you definitely won’t regret it. The first novel in a series is always a rough one, creating the world, introducing the characters; it takes time. With the world laid out and the characters in play, once Ficklin was finally able to lay out the details and get the plot rolling, I couldn’t set this one down!
When Farris and her military father are transplanted to a new base on the east coast, Farris is anything but thrilled about the idea. As a high schooler, Farris only wants stability after hitting an extremely rough patch in her life. Struggling with the loss of her mother, Farris and her father settle into their new lives as a two-person family. Alone in a new place with nobody to turn to, Farris opens herself up for the first time since her mother’s passing and allows herself to be a teenager again. That in itself is an extremely emotional side of the story that Ficklin wrote beautifully. Putting these feels aside, we learn that Farris is about as nerdy as it comes and an absolute computer whiz to boot. A skilled Hacker, Farris is so much more than your average teenager girl. Full of brains, snark, and enough street smarts to be dangerous, Farris can be added to the list of amazing female characters crafted by Ficklin.
When strange happening begin around the base, it’s up to Farris and her new group of friends to crack the case before their world falls apart. In an environment when you never know what will happen tomorrow, Farris knows full well the weight of the task at hand. Her tech-savvy knowledge and crime-busting skills come in handy when she finds herself in the center ring of happening. Can she find her way out of trouble and find the culprit threatening their way of life in time?
With an incredible cast of characters, Ficklin really does an incredible job of capturing the contemporary present-day daily life of a teenager. Farris and her friends are written to near perfection and I found myself relating to them in so many ways (even if I’m no longer a teenager myself). I am really excited to see what Ficklin is able to accomplish with the next installment of this series.
I won’t ruin the plot for anyone, but I will say that this one kept me guessing from the very first page. Every time I thought I had the culprit figured out, Ficklin threw another wrench in my plan. It isn’t often that I find myself surprised by a plot twist in a novel, but Ficklin certainly got me with this one. It was one of those finales where I had to go back in the book and re-read certain passages to see how I missed it. The shock factor and action-packed finale is enough to satisfy any reader!
Action-packed and full of suspense and thrills, Ficklin has crafted a truly original work of young adult greatness. Playing with Fire is a much needed breath of fresh air to the genre.
With all of this being said, I am so excited to be granting Playing With Fire a well-deserved 4-star review. While it may not be my favorite Ficklin story to-date, I still was extremely impressed with the finished product and it left me begging for more! I highly recommend this novel to readers of science fiction, mystery, and young adult novels. Add this series to your TBR today, you will not be disappointed!
*****
*****
My Thoughts:
Sherry Ficklin. Oh my dear Queen of Literary Greatness. You’ve graced us with nearly every genre imaginable and crafted each passing tale to near perfection. With so many absolutely incredible stories under her belt, I found myself so excited to see what she could craft next. Coming off of the massively successful award-winning and best-selling Stolen Empire series, I was worried that her next work may not quite hit the bar. When I was first told the latest release would be a YA Science Fiction/Mystery novel, I won’t even lie and say I wasn’t a bit hesitant, but with Ficklin at the helm, I had no doubt it’d find a fan in me.
So how did it hold up?
I’ll go ahead and admit outright that this wasn’t my favorite Ficklin story to-date and it took me much longer to dive into Farris’ world than I would have liked. This story is a bit different than anything we’ve seen from Ficklin previously, but I promise if you stick with it, you definitely won’t regret it. The first novel in a series is always a rough one, creating the world, introducing the characters; it takes time. With the world laid out and the characters in play, once Ficklin was finally able to lay out the details and get the plot rolling, I couldn’t set this one down!
When Farris and her military father are transplanted to a new base on the east coast, Farris is anything but thrilled about the idea. As a high schooler, Farris only wants stability after hitting an extremely rough patch in her life. Struggling with the loss of her mother, Farris and her father settle into their new lives as a two-person family. Alone in a new place with nobody to turn to, Farris opens herself up for the first time since her mother’s passing and allows herself to be a teenager again. That in itself is an extremely emotional side of the story that Ficklin wrote beautifully. Putting these feels aside, we learn that Farris is about as nerdy as it comes and an absolute computer whiz to boot. A skilled Hacker, Farris is so much more than your average teenager girl. Full of brains, snark, and enough street smarts to be dangerous, Farris can be added to the list of amazing female characters crafted by Ficklin.
When strange happening begin around the base, it’s up to Farris and her new group of friends to crack the case before their world falls apart. In an environment when you never know what will happen tomorrow, Farris knows full well the weight of the task at hand. Her tech-savvy knowledge and crime-busting skills come in handy when she finds herself in the center ring of happening. Can she find her way out of trouble and find the culprit threatening their way of life in time?
With an incredible cast of characters, Ficklin really does an incredible job of capturing the contemporary present-day daily life of a teenager. Farris and her friends are written to near perfection and I found myself relating to them in so many ways (even if I’m no longer a teenager myself). I am really excited to see what Ficklin is able to accomplish with the next installment of this series.
I won’t ruin the plot for anyone, but I will say that this one kept me guessing from the very first page. Every time I thought I had the culprit figured out, Ficklin threw another wrench in my plan. It isn’t often that I find myself surprised by a plot twist in a novel, but Ficklin certainly got me with this one. It was one of those finales where I had to go back in the book and re-read certain passages to see how I missed it. The shock factor and action-packed finale is enough to satisfy any reader!
Action-packed and full of suspense and thrills, Ficklin has crafted a truly original work of young adult greatness. Playing with Fire is a much needed breath of fresh air to the genre.
With all of this being said, I am so excited to be granting Playing With Fire a well-deserved 4-star review. While it may not be my favorite Ficklin story to-date, I still was extremely impressed with the finished product and it left me begging for more! I highly recommend this novel to readers of science fiction, mystery, and young adult novels. Add this series to your TBR today, you will not be disappointed!
*****
October 26, 2015
http://functioninginsanity.blogspot.c...
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion. Also thank you Sherry for telling me about your work when I saw you at UtopYA and making me want to check it out!
Rating: 4 Stars
Playing With Fire is the first book in the #Hacker series. We follow Farris, a girl still dealing with her less than pleasant past as she relocates with her dad to a military base so he can run an experimental aircraft squadron. Aside from the usual settling in and starting from scratch, Farris who is rather good with computers, is drawn into the series of glitches and mishaps that threaten the security of the fleet and falls at her fathers feet to resolve. When solving the mystery and getting close to uncovering the truth brings her closer to the new friends she has found herself is she willing to risk it all to get to the truth? Before the cyber-criminal escalates from glitches to more dangerous methods?
So this was a pretty fast read. It read in a pace that was fast and engaging which keeps you turning each page wanting to find out more. Farris is a military brat, constantly moving around and restarting her life each time. As my parents were military I related to that aspect, though I admit we never lived on base. Thank goodness! It is always a hit or miss with the moves, sometimes it was nice starting over fresh but it also sucked when you had to leave all your friends. Farris is a strong character who has been through some things and while she’s made some questionable choices in the past she also has strong moral character and common sense. Again while growing up I had very few rules or limits because the ones my parents set were the big ones and for the rest they trusted me to use the common sense they gave me. While I don’t see it in the vast majority of people around me, seriously I work at a college and the complete lack of common sense will blow your mind, I appreciate when characters in stories have it. Do characters, or anyone really, make perfect and well thought out decisions 24/7 especially when hormones are involved…no but the ratio is solid!
She is good at computers, really good, at finding things and uncovering things in the lines of code that look like a jumbled mess to me. Seriously while I might know how to use a computer and teach my parents and grandparents how to use features on their phones or computers I’m not the whiz she is. Plus I use Google for everything to answer questions, just the other day Google with YouTube showed me how to change the belt on my vacuum. Still she uses her powers for good and she loves her family. She comes to a new school and while adjusting does something I believe every person who was ever bullied or teased has wanted to do but was too scared to do, decide you’re going to not care what others think and stand up for those being picked on.
Farris instantly finds herself exchanging sharp wit with 2 very opposite guys. They can’t be friends and are all but hostel towards one another but as she gets to know them separately she finds she enjoys both their company. I was a bit leery at first of insta love and love triangles but just give it a chance because it’s more an insta-attraction/connection which I think is real. The other part, well just trust me it’s not like that, it doesn’t play like a love triangle, so for those I know who see a small whiff of one and turn tail give it a chance. Just wanted to give that heads up there, I enjoyed how it played out. I liked how the personal things Farris goes through blend into the overall issue of the story and that is what is happening on base and her determination to try and help even if her dad doesn’t want said help.
Now for me the only real issues I had with it that somewhat got to me involve spoilers so I can’t go into detail. Just that punishments for actions seemed a bit unrealistic (the only part really) given everything else but it was just a minor thing and didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story itself. Just a pesky little personal thing. Still really enjoyed it and would recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion. Also thank you Sherry for telling me about your work when I saw you at UtopYA and making me want to check it out!
Rating: 4 Stars
Playing With Fire is the first book in the #Hacker series. We follow Farris, a girl still dealing with her less than pleasant past as she relocates with her dad to a military base so he can run an experimental aircraft squadron. Aside from the usual settling in and starting from scratch, Farris who is rather good with computers, is drawn into the series of glitches and mishaps that threaten the security of the fleet and falls at her fathers feet to resolve. When solving the mystery and getting close to uncovering the truth brings her closer to the new friends she has found herself is she willing to risk it all to get to the truth? Before the cyber-criminal escalates from glitches to more dangerous methods?
So this was a pretty fast read. It read in a pace that was fast and engaging which keeps you turning each page wanting to find out more. Farris is a military brat, constantly moving around and restarting her life each time. As my parents were military I related to that aspect, though I admit we never lived on base. Thank goodness! It is always a hit or miss with the moves, sometimes it was nice starting over fresh but it also sucked when you had to leave all your friends. Farris is a strong character who has been through some things and while she’s made some questionable choices in the past she also has strong moral character and common sense. Again while growing up I had very few rules or limits because the ones my parents set were the big ones and for the rest they trusted me to use the common sense they gave me. While I don’t see it in the vast majority of people around me, seriously I work at a college and the complete lack of common sense will blow your mind, I appreciate when characters in stories have it. Do characters, or anyone really, make perfect and well thought out decisions 24/7 especially when hormones are involved…no but the ratio is solid!
She is good at computers, really good, at finding things and uncovering things in the lines of code that look like a jumbled mess to me. Seriously while I might know how to use a computer and teach my parents and grandparents how to use features on their phones or computers I’m not the whiz she is. Plus I use Google for everything to answer questions, just the other day Google with YouTube showed me how to change the belt on my vacuum. Still she uses her powers for good and she loves her family. She comes to a new school and while adjusting does something I believe every person who was ever bullied or teased has wanted to do but was too scared to do, decide you’re going to not care what others think and stand up for those being picked on.
Farris instantly finds herself exchanging sharp wit with 2 very opposite guys. They can’t be friends and are all but hostel towards one another but as she gets to know them separately she finds she enjoys both their company. I was a bit leery at first of insta love and love triangles but just give it a chance because it’s more an insta-attraction/connection which I think is real. The other part, well just trust me it’s not like that, it doesn’t play like a love triangle, so for those I know who see a small whiff of one and turn tail give it a chance. Just wanted to give that heads up there, I enjoyed how it played out. I liked how the personal things Farris goes through blend into the overall issue of the story and that is what is happening on base and her determination to try and help even if her dad doesn’t want said help.
Now for me the only real issues I had with it that somewhat got to me involve spoilers so I can’t go into detail. Just that punishments for actions seemed a bit unrealistic (the only part really) given everything else but it was just a minor thing and didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story itself. Just a pesky little personal thing. Still really enjoyed it and would recommend it.
January 4, 2016
I was pleasantly surprised with Playing With Fire. It's been awhile since something in the contemporary genre has really grabbed me. I haven't ever read a teen book that takes place on a military base so the novelty of that was intriguing, as I'm not at all familiar with that lifestyle. I was really impressed by the technical jargon but also relieved that it was all worded in a way that someone like me, who's head is consumed in a fantasy world, can understand. Sort of, anyway. I think I understood it. Something about digital portals and codes, and stuff. Either way, it made sense enough for me to follow the plot and Ferris's clever line of thought. The voice of the story was everything I've come to expect from Ficklin after reading Queen of Someday. Even though the genre could not be more different, she did not disappoint.
Military brat Ferris is a typical outcast as it comes with her calling, but the author made sure to round out her character with just the right amount of punk and girlishness. Instead of scoffing at the prospect trading in her Vans for homecoming heels, she embraced her inner princess and does a great job at being the social butterfly, which I haven't seen a lot of lately with teen rebels. I hope this means rebel and girly are starting to get along again.
I'm not really sure if what I didn't like about the book would bother very many other people. Some of the language was a bit too colorful and too frequent for me. The actual story and conflict took a long time to get going. Too much of your basic high school drama between characters and not enough intrigue and hacker hi-jinks. If it wasn't for Sherry D. Ficklin's voice that I love, I might have put it down for a bit. Thankfully, at the exact line I was thinking, I'm a little bored, things picked up immediately. The pace from there was excellent.
There's a great love triangle to follow. I personally was rooting for the guy that turned out to be a jerk-face, but I think that testifies of Ficklin's storytelling. She doesn't always follow the rules. Most of the rest of the characters are interesting enough to care about and I'm looking forward to getting more of their stories in the sequels. I'll definitely be reading the next book, partly because I won it in a Facebook giveaway! (I'm telling you, it really pays to follow your favorite authors) But honestly, I would have read the next book In Too Deep, anyway.
Military brat Ferris is a typical outcast as it comes with her calling, but the author made sure to round out her character with just the right amount of punk and girlishness. Instead of scoffing at the prospect trading in her Vans for homecoming heels, she embraced her inner princess and does a great job at being the social butterfly, which I haven't seen a lot of lately with teen rebels. I hope this means rebel and girly are starting to get along again.
I'm not really sure if what I didn't like about the book would bother very many other people. Some of the language was a bit too colorful and too frequent for me. The actual story and conflict took a long time to get going. Too much of your basic high school drama between characters and not enough intrigue and hacker hi-jinks. If it wasn't for Sherry D. Ficklin's voice that I love, I might have put it down for a bit. Thankfully, at the exact line I was thinking, I'm a little bored, things picked up immediately. The pace from there was excellent.
There's a great love triangle to follow. I personally was rooting for the guy that turned out to be a jerk-face, but I think that testifies of Ficklin's storytelling. She doesn't always follow the rules. Most of the rest of the characters are interesting enough to care about and I'm looking forward to getting more of their stories in the sequels. I'll definitely be reading the next book, partly because I won it in a Facebook giveaway! (I'm telling you, it really pays to follow your favorite authors) But honestly, I would have read the next book In Too Deep, anyway.
February 9, 2016
When Farris and her father move to a military base in North Carolina, she knows it’s her opportunity to rebuild her life. But soon the challenge of navigating high school cliques becomes the least of her problems when a series of computer glitches threaten the security of her father’s aircraft squadron. Farris soon finds herself on a mission to discover the truth, a mission that puts her on the hunt fora dangerous hacker determined to ground the squadron at any cost.
I downloaded Playing with Fire after finishing the first book of Sherry D. Ficklin’s Stolen Empire trilogy a few months ago (I read the second book first last summer). The premise of a teen computer whiz going toe-to-toe with a hacker piqued my interest, but the book ended up having too much high school drama/teen romance for my taste. That’s not to say it’s not well done. It just wasn’t the right book for me.
As Farris tried to figure out who was behind the computer glitches, I struggled alongside her. I fell for the red herrings just as much as she did and even had a few suspects that she left off her list. Perhaps the best part of the mystery was that I only figured out the bad guy when Farris made the connection for me.
Not only was Farris an excellent narrator, all of the other characters jumped off the page. I loved their complicated relationships, how they played off one another, and their personalities. Pretty much all of them had very real world problems. Though I found a few characters to be a hair cliche: the jock’s sweet sister, the goth couple, and the love interest with a big secret.
Cliches seemed to happen a whole lot in this book. Farris was “not like other girls” because she ate corn dogs instead of salads, could hold a conversation on football, and drove a Mustang that she and her father restored. Plus Farris was the new girl in the center of a love triangle with two guys who just couldn’t get along.
Overall, I liked Playing with Fire and I’m not opposed to picking up another of Sherry D. Ficklin’s books. It just didn’t work for me, so I don’t think that I’ll be reading any more of this series.
Playing with Fire would be a great read for someone interested in a YA high school drama mixed with high-stakes computer hacking.
Rating: 4/5
Playing with Fire by Sherry D. Ficklin is published as an eBook and in paperback by Clean Teen Publishing.
I downloaded Playing with Fire after finishing the first book of Sherry D. Ficklin’s Stolen Empire trilogy a few months ago (I read the second book first last summer). The premise of a teen computer whiz going toe-to-toe with a hacker piqued my interest, but the book ended up having too much high school drama/teen romance for my taste. That’s not to say it’s not well done. It just wasn’t the right book for me.
As Farris tried to figure out who was behind the computer glitches, I struggled alongside her. I fell for the red herrings just as much as she did and even had a few suspects that she left off her list. Perhaps the best part of the mystery was that I only figured out the bad guy when Farris made the connection for me.
Not only was Farris an excellent narrator, all of the other characters jumped off the page. I loved their complicated relationships, how they played off one another, and their personalities. Pretty much all of them had very real world problems. Though I found a few characters to be a hair cliche: the jock’s sweet sister, the goth couple, and the love interest with a big secret.
Cliches seemed to happen a whole lot in this book. Farris was “not like other girls” because she ate corn dogs instead of salads, could hold a conversation on football, and drove a Mustang that she and her father restored. Plus Farris was the new girl in the center of a love triangle with two guys who just couldn’t get along.
Overall, I liked Playing with Fire and I’m not opposed to picking up another of Sherry D. Ficklin’s books. It just didn’t work for me, so I don’t think that I’ll be reading any more of this series.
Playing with Fire would be a great read for someone interested in a YA high school drama mixed with high-stakes computer hacking.
Rating: 4/5
Playing with Fire by Sherry D. Ficklin is published as an eBook and in paperback by Clean Teen Publishing.
November 24, 2015
I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Originally, I thought Playing with Fire would be the book that filled the Eye Candy void in my heart since MTV canceled the series. It was not what I was expecting, but still a nice read. I am a tech geek so I was very excited to have a book about the hacking world to read. It started out a bit slow. By a third of the way through there has been absolutely no hacking (only mention that Farris likes to build computers and doesn't like hackers) We've been introduced to the love triangle and we've learned Farris is an military brat who has just moved to a new base. Half way through the book we are introduced to the reason hacking is a part of the story: someone has hacked the base's system and has been sending failure warnings from all of the planes, along with a threat to make it real next time. This, of course, is when Farris decides to get involved against orders. The book is definitely focused on the love triangle, with bits of other things thrown in for some excitement. If you love to read love triangles, this one has two seemingly wonderful candidates for you to fall for. I pegged the villain from the second we find out someone has been hacking the base and had a pretty good idea it would end up being this person from earlier on. I found it interesting that there happened to be so many teenagers who hung out on the deep web. I also find it interesting that the school had no dress code and they’re allowed to carry bags around in school with them (this is my inner teacher kicking and screaming about safety regulations) There is a lot of swearing; more than I hear from my teenage students when they don’t realize I’m in the hallway walking behind them. I did appreciate the scene where the football team celebrated the day after their victory by having a cookout with their teammates, something they do whenever they win. Books almost always portray teen get togethers as alcohol-filled parties, and I really really liked this portrayal of celebrating a win without throwing a rager. It’s a very quick read, I knocked it out in a day around work. I think it will be interesting to see where the next book takes us.
September 13, 2015
NetGalley. Thanks for the copy.
Wow. Playing With Fire. I have seen a lot of hacker novels. There is Little Brother (which is probably the most accurate cracker/hacker novel I've seen yet), Model Spy (which is more spy than hacking but does occasionally involve hacking), and Double Digit (main character's sudden hacking ability makes present-me's eyes narrow, because coding involves more than just math; then again, her memory does come in handy).
Playing With Fire is a mixture of both reality and fantasy. The hacking aspect of the story involves name-dropping operating system and types of viruses and other bugs. But the book also goes beyond name-dropping (well, at least for the viruses, not the operating systems). The author's research of hacking and cracking is more in depth than any other "hacker" books out there.
Farris is a military brat. Moving from place to place, she never stays too long. Weighted down by her last attempt at queen bee (okay, maybe not queen bee, but that is the closest word I can come up with while being deadbeat and tired), she has a second chance at another military base. But she may become an outsider once again when she gets between the rivalry of two boys (who both like her; cue love triangle).
The plot is incredibly slow. It sets up Farris' character, her social status (and sudden hotness at school), and the setting, but the actual disaster doesn't happen until halfway through the book. When it does happen, Ferris has the mystery (and possible murder) down to one suspect. But the book overshoots good foreshadowing into the territory of "way too much info." I can already tell who the villain really is...
I have to applaud Ferris of being accepting of someone's mental issues. No spoilers on that particular character's identity.
Overall, Playing With Fire is a decent novel. A good clean up would make the book even better (like shortening the beginning and less foreshadowing and more intrigue and more character development in the not-evil love interest). Entertaining towards the end. Possesses a good main character.
Rating: Three out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
Wow. Playing With Fire. I have seen a lot of hacker novels. There is Little Brother (which is probably the most accurate cracker/hacker novel I've seen yet), Model Spy (which is more spy than hacking but does occasionally involve hacking), and Double Digit (main character's sudden hacking ability makes present-me's eyes narrow, because coding involves more than just math; then again, her memory does come in handy).
Playing With Fire is a mixture of both reality and fantasy. The hacking aspect of the story involves name-dropping operating system and types of viruses and other bugs. But the book also goes beyond name-dropping (well, at least for the viruses, not the operating systems). The author's research of hacking and cracking is more in depth than any other "hacker" books out there.
Farris is a military brat. Moving from place to place, she never stays too long. Weighted down by her last attempt at queen bee (okay, maybe not queen bee, but that is the closest word I can come up with while being deadbeat and tired), she has a second chance at another military base. But she may become an outsider once again when she gets between the rivalry of two boys (who both like her; cue love triangle).
The plot is incredibly slow. It sets up Farris' character, her social status (and sudden hotness at school), and the setting, but the actual disaster doesn't happen until halfway through the book. When it does happen, Ferris has the mystery (and possible murder) down to one suspect. But the book overshoots good foreshadowing into the territory of "way too much info." I can already tell who the villain really is...
I have to applaud Ferris of being accepting of someone's mental issues. No spoilers on that particular character's identity.
Overall, Playing With Fire is a decent novel. A good clean up would make the book even better (like shortening the beginning and less foreshadowing and more intrigue and more character development in the not-evil love interest). Entertaining towards the end. Possesses a good main character.
Rating: Three out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
September 14, 2015
Farris Barnett and her father have just moved to a new military base. Although she is used to being the new kid, Farris hopes to avoid the kind of problems she had at her last school. Before she knows it, Farris finds herself firmly lodged between two different social circles, and two entirely different boys, each of whom swears that the other is bad news. As if navigating a new high school wasn't enough pressure, a hacker has infiltrated the new flight program that her dad is in charge of, and the threats are getting serious. Farris is determined to help her dad, and prevent a deadly attack.
PLAYING WITH FIRE was a fun and exciting read. I read this book over the course of a weekend, which is fast for me. It had a good pace and plenty of action to keep my attention and pull me to the end. The main character is funny and snarky--my favorite line involves a tooth-pick, and I'm totally going to use it someday!-- as well as having mad computer skills. I can't speak to the accuracy of the computer and hacking terminology as that is so far above me, but it did seem well researched, and even if you aren't that knowledgeable about computers, the terminology isn't so in-depth that it'll leave you floundering. The characters, as well as the hacking risk, were relatable and realistic. I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review
PLAYING WITH FIRE was a fun and exciting read. I read this book over the course of a weekend, which is fast for me. It had a good pace and plenty of action to keep my attention and pull me to the end. The main character is funny and snarky--my favorite line involves a tooth-pick, and I'm totally going to use it someday!-- as well as having mad computer skills. I can't speak to the accuracy of the computer and hacking terminology as that is so far above me, but it did seem well researched, and even if you aren't that knowledgeable about computers, the terminology isn't so in-depth that it'll leave you floundering. The characters, as well as the hacking risk, were relatable and realistic. I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review
January 24, 2016
Playing with Fire is technically my second introduction to Sherry Ficklin’s work and the life of Farris. However after reading book 2 and discovering that Book 1 is currently available on the author site for FREE, (http://sherryficklin.com), well, I couldn’t resist the world that I had discovered in Book 2.
Playing with Fire is more of an introduction to the cast of the Hacker series. The pace is slower, the stakes are lower but it’s still very good. The main character, Farris, is definitely tech savvy but in reality, she just a great problem solver which is why she’s so good with computers. This books takes on more of a teen sleuth feel since Farris knows how to lift digital fingerprints and much of the mystery takes place offline, at home, her dad’s work and at school.
It wasn’t hard to deduce who the bad guy was but the way Sherry wrote left room for a potential whodunnit switcheroo. Even still, I enjoyed the suspense of that potential, waiting to see what the author and characters would do.
The quick wit, banter, sarcasm and general snarky dialogue of the characters is probably what I love the most. There is enough technical jargon to feel like the character knows what she’s doing but not so much that it’s over my head.
After reading this book, I actually went back and re-read book 2, In Too Deep and loved it even more. I’m itching to get my hands on book 3, Digital Horizons.
Playing with Fire is more of an introduction to the cast of the Hacker series. The pace is slower, the stakes are lower but it’s still very good. The main character, Farris, is definitely tech savvy but in reality, she just a great problem solver which is why she’s so good with computers. This books takes on more of a teen sleuth feel since Farris knows how to lift digital fingerprints and much of the mystery takes place offline, at home, her dad’s work and at school.
It wasn’t hard to deduce who the bad guy was but the way Sherry wrote left room for a potential whodunnit switcheroo. Even still, I enjoyed the suspense of that potential, waiting to see what the author and characters would do.
The quick wit, banter, sarcasm and general snarky dialogue of the characters is probably what I love the most. There is enough technical jargon to feel like the character knows what she’s doing but not so much that it’s over my head.
After reading this book, I actually went back and re-read book 2, In Too Deep and loved it even more. I’m itching to get my hands on book 3, Digital Horizons.
November 1, 2015
Anyone who knows me knows that I a reader of YA Paranormal, but sometimes I have a tendency to step out of my comfort zone and read other genres and especially if the synopsis catches my attention and this one really caught my attention. I am a huge fan of Clean Teen Publishing and I love reading anything their authors put out there for our enjoyment in the art of reading.
This is the first time that I have actually read a novel by this author and I am pleasantly surprised by her writing style. I absolutely love Farris and her wittines and spun throughout the book. She is a strong character and one that I fell in love with quickly. I all the twists and turns that the author put into the story to capture my attention and keep me entertained for a few hours of reading. I love the suspense and humor in the book too. I did kind of have the traitor figured out within about the middle of the book but it didn't deture me from reading it. It's a great Teen/YA story that I highly recommend any age to read.
Teenage drama on an military base with an awesome twist and some crime scene investigating and detective work. I loved it and I give it a five book review.
The author provided me with a digital ARC copy of the book for review purposes only as part of a blog tour. No remuneration was exchanged.
This is the first time that I have actually read a novel by this author and I am pleasantly surprised by her writing style. I absolutely love Farris and her wittines and spun throughout the book. She is a strong character and one that I fell in love with quickly. I all the twists and turns that the author put into the story to capture my attention and keep me entertained for a few hours of reading. I love the suspense and humor in the book too. I did kind of have the traitor figured out within about the middle of the book but it didn't deture me from reading it. It's a great Teen/YA story that I highly recommend any age to read.
Teenage drama on an military base with an awesome twist and some crime scene investigating and detective work. I loved it and I give it a five book review.
The author provided me with a digital ARC copy of the book for review purposes only as part of a blog tour. No remuneration was exchanged.
May 31, 2016
Ahhhhh - what to say about this amazing book!?!? I wasn't sure that I would enjoy it as I am not a super knowledgeable computer person, but that really didn't affect me enjoying the story, the characters or the way that I was instantly hooked and in love with Farris, Ollie, Kayla and friends. I started reading this one knowing that I had book 2 waiting for me and boy am I glad that I did! While book 1 doesn't end in a cliffhanger, it does end with the reader wanting more!
The story starts with Farris and her dad making another move for his career, but it is a fresh start for Farris after losing her mom. The readers love Farris right from the start and can't help but root for her throughout the story. They want her to succeed, to be happy and to find a way to move on with her life. Enter Reid and Ollie and at first the reader doesn't know who they want Farris to end up with....but that problem is quickly solved for them!
This book has plenty of drama, plot twists, excitement and fun that the reader can't find a good place to stop reading! They want to continue on reading until the very end and even after that they don't want the story to end!! Go grab this amazing story now! It is perm-free on all ebook retailers! You won't want to miss a minute of this non-stop, roller coaster of a ride! #Hacker
The story starts with Farris and her dad making another move for his career, but it is a fresh start for Farris after losing her mom. The readers love Farris right from the start and can't help but root for her throughout the story. They want her to succeed, to be happy and to find a way to move on with her life. Enter Reid and Ollie and at first the reader doesn't know who they want Farris to end up with....but that problem is quickly solved for them!
This book has plenty of drama, plot twists, excitement and fun that the reader can't find a good place to stop reading! They want to continue on reading until the very end and even after that they don't want the story to end!! Go grab this amazing story now! It is perm-free on all ebook retailers! You won't want to miss a minute of this non-stop, roller coaster of a ride! #Hacker
November 11, 2015
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/p...
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's been about a year since I first read a Sherry Ficklin book, and a little over six months since I discovered that I have enjoyed everything I've read by her.
This was no exception.
I'm always up for a main character being a computer genius, so I was quite interested in this one when I saw it was coming out.
Farris is pretty cool and she's got great taste in nerd culture, so that's a major plus as well. For the most part, I was a fan of her and her actions in this story. There were a few times that things felt a little too stretched. I don't want to say, because spoilers, but I don't even think teenage hormones would be able to override certain situations.
I was really impressed with some of the twists, and I can't say what it is because spoilers ... But it was definitely one of the reasons that boosted this a star rating for me.
Looking forward to reading book 2!
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's been about a year since I first read a Sherry Ficklin book, and a little over six months since I discovered that I have enjoyed everything I've read by her.
This was no exception.
I'm always up for a main character being a computer genius, so I was quite interested in this one when I saw it was coming out.
Farris is pretty cool and she's got great taste in nerd culture, so that's a major plus as well. For the most part, I was a fan of her and her actions in this story. There were a few times that things felt a little too stretched. I don't want to say, because spoilers, but I don't even think teenage hormones would be able to override certain situations.
I was really impressed with some of the twists, and I can't say what it is because spoilers ... But it was definitely one of the reasons that boosted this a star rating for me.
Looking forward to reading book 2!
November 28, 2016
This was quite an interesting read. Though I wasn't all that impressed, I was entertained. The book does start off slow and takes a little bit of encouragement to continue reading. However, there is far more hacking lingo within this book than others that I have read in the past.
Unfortunately, the book only goes down hill from here. Besides the incredibly slow start, there were many missed opportunities to create more complex and realistic scenes. Everything felt too rehearsed and unnatural. There were definitely too many instances where we received more information than we should have to either 1) prolong the mystery or 2) coincidentally because of an idea or hunch to the character.
Another reason why I may not have enjoyed this book as much as I would have liked was due to Ruby's voice. Don't get me wrong, it was believable as any teenager's tone would be. However, I don't necessarily like reading from those character's perspective.
Unfortunately, the book only goes down hill from here. Besides the incredibly slow start, there were many missed opportunities to create more complex and realistic scenes. Everything felt too rehearsed and unnatural. There were definitely too many instances where we received more information than we should have to either 1) prolong the mystery or 2) coincidentally because of an idea or hunch to the character.
Another reason why I may not have enjoyed this book as much as I would have liked was due to Ruby's voice. Don't get me wrong, it was believable as any teenager's tone would be. However, I don't necessarily like reading from those character's perspective.
November 1, 2015
I really enjoyed this start to a great new series hackers novels are new to me type of genre i tend to stick to the more fantasy realm of sci fi but i like to shake things up now and then and it helps when it an author i all ready adore writes it. I like how Sherry built up the story for us and we really got to learn quite a bit about the characters in this novel. The mystery and intrigue of who was causing the problems that our main character was using her hackers skills to solve was a great way to start this series off. I am excited to read the next book and see what else Sherry has in store for us.
November 22, 2015
http://www.platypire.com/keagan-rae/p...
**I received this book in exchange for an honest review**
I was really excited for this book. I love anything to do with hackers and coders, good or bad. Farris is a great protagonist and pretty relatable. Like Farris, I liked both Reid and Oliver and for different reasons. They both have history and she's caught in between and I liked that drama between them.
I would have liked to have seen more of the 'hacking' side of things, but aside from that it was a really solid book, and I'm looking forward to book two!
4/5 Platypires
**I received this book in exchange for an honest review**
I was really excited for this book. I love anything to do with hackers and coders, good or bad. Farris is a great protagonist and pretty relatable. Like Farris, I liked both Reid and Oliver and for different reasons. They both have history and she's caught in between and I liked that drama between them.
I would have liked to have seen more of the 'hacking' side of things, but aside from that it was a really solid book, and I'm looking forward to book two!
4/5 Platypires
November 21, 2015
I enjoyed this book very much!! Farris, I love her, she is witty and quirky. I love her relation with her father. They are cool! Then I suspected who could be behind the problems happening at her father's base. Lol! I was excited when it was confirmed cuz yes I was right :P
The starting felt a little slow but that's cool as the story progressed I got hooked. Then her relation with Oliver/ Ollie( which is a cute nickname and also nickname of other fav character which I adore) was cute.
Liked it and am looking forward for the next book in series.
The starting felt a little slow but that's cool as the story progressed I got hooked. Then her relation with Oliver/ Ollie( which is a cute nickname and also nickname of other fav character which I adore) was cute.
Liked it and am looking forward for the next book in series.
October 31, 2015
I feel so inadequate with technology, but the main character of this book excels at using it to gather information. She has a tendency to run towards danger, not away from it, mainly from a need to solve a mystery. Farris is an Army Brat, one who on the outside exudes her individualism, but on the inside is a bit battered from the past year of loss and disruption from moving to a new base. Even so, she just can't step away from a mystery. This is a fast paced book that is hard to put down, not your mothers Nancy Drew, but an edgy, smart, and a bit irreverent mystery/adventure read.
March 16, 2016
Well-written YA mystery
This has a well-plotted big mystery & good character mysteries. Farris is a believable teen-detective & smart. Character & plot development get equal attention.
And bonus: a person of color is a leading secondary character (and not a cliché) & a person with a mental illness is treated well.
A good read. I look forward to more of this series & this author.
This has a well-plotted big mystery & good character mysteries. Farris is a believable teen-detective & smart. Character & plot development get equal attention.
And bonus: a person of color is a leading secondary character (and not a cliché) & a person with a mental illness is treated well.
A good read. I look forward to more of this series & this author.
November 8, 2015
Love this story! Farris knows technology and how to use it, balancing on the sharp edge of legality when she uses it, striving to solve a mystery that involves the people closest to her. She is a military brat, used to relocating, and this time she hopes to start fresh in this new location. A fun read, tension throughout, with twists I did not see coming.
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