Playing With Fire by Sherry D. Ficklin #Hacker

                Happy Monday.  I hope you all had a pleasant weekend and are surviving Monday.  Today I’m excited to discuss a book I mentioned recently on my Waiting on Wednesday post and I’m excited as it comes out officially October 27^th, aka tomorrow, and that book is Playing With Fire by Sherry D. Ficklin.  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) 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.

                That’s all for today.  Until next time…