School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-A year after Jordan Bishop's suicide in the cafeteria, Haver High School is still affected. Sophomore Eli Bennett, a coding whiz with little interest in college, observes a memorial for a kid he barely knew. Two of Jordan's friends recruit Eli for a prestigious coding competition, using the project portion of the event to create an anonymous website meant to punish the kids who tormented Jordan. But the lines between right and wrong, revenge and anger become blurred when Eli begins to see the ramifications that their hacked videos of classmates have on people he used to see as simple bullies. Lange finds a fresh perspective on bullying by focusing on all those left behind in the aftermath of the violence that ensues-the bullies and the bystanders. Two subplots, one romantic and the other familial, work to balance Eli's negative qualities. The story is strongest as an exploration of cyberbullying, building tension and momentum and is a fine addition to the crowded field of similar fiction. -VERDICT A general purchase for larger library collections.-Hillary St. George, Los Angeles Public Library © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A teen hacker is recruited for an anti-bully, pro-free speech vigilante project.During freshman year, Jordan Bishop committed suicide by self-immolation in the cafeteria. With online bullying blamed, the fallout for everyone else includes strict monitoring of internet activities. Eli ends up on the radar of Mouse and Seth, two other coders at his school who were friends of Jordan's, and they bring him on as the third member of their team in an annual hacking contest with big prizes. They must find flaws in the student cybermonitoring systembut instead of hacking the monitors, they plan to bring the monitors to them with a site that offers secure anonymity to teens, enabling them to air secrets about bullies like those who targeted Jordan with classist, homophobic, and other taunts. Eli's reluctanthis previous just-to-see-if-he-could hacks caused major damage, and this could land him in huge trouble if he's discoveredbut he is tempted by the challenge. Those targeted by the site face public humiliation and consequences for their misdeeds, but the line between justice and vengeance thins, especially when a mean-girl bully targets Eli's Mexican-American (in a primarily white community) crush with racist nastiness. The morally complex story avoids simple answers and is taut with tension as readers wonder if Eli will go too far or get caughtonly for a third-act twist to complicate things further.Provocative, timely, and intense. (Fiction. 13-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Eli's high school is still haunted by the suicide of computer whiz Jordan, who set himself on fire in the cafeteria after a history of being bullied. One year later, sophomore Eli is completely bored with school and spends most of his time writing code. Then he receives a cryptic coded message from Jordan's friends Seth and Mouse. Jordan had been their third team member for a hacking competition, and they need a replacement. But Eli soon realizes that Seth and Mouse also want to avenge Jordan's death. Meanwhile, Eli builds a relationship with Mexican American Isabel and begins to accept his changing family. For Eli, navigating his shifting power in the unruly "real world" is a new experience, completely different from the satisfying order he creates through coding. Lange's tightly plotted, fast-moving mystery shows great understanding of the power dynamics of social cliques, capturing hierarchies and dialogues of different groups. It's not subtle, but young coders will be thrilled to see themselves portrayed in a strong and positive light beyond the usual stereotypes.--Debbie Carton Copyright 2018 Booklist
