Tag Archives: Hacking

YA – These Deadly Games

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Urban, Diana. These Deadly Games. Wednesday Books, 2022. 978-1-250-79719-3. $18.99. 416 p. Grades 9-12.

Crystal loves getting lost in the world of multiplayer game Mortal Dusk. Her team is so skilled that they could even overtake a local gaming celebrity in an upcoming tournament. Crystal hopes to do well in the individual contest, as the prize money would go a long way in helping her single mother pay the mortgage. The team of six basically lives in the game world to increase their scores and determine which five players will earn a spot in the team competition. But they all have to go to school too… During class Crystal gets an odd text with a video of Caelyn, her younger sister (who is supposed to be away for a weekend field trip), gagged and bound. The message is clear: “You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies.” Initially, filled with shock and disbelief, Crystal flees her classroom to make sure she read the message right. But each new message replaces the last, and she quickly realizes she will go to any lengths, will do anything to rescue her sister. Besides, the game seems fairly harmless at first. When Crystal realizes she has to choose saving her sister or her friends, her desperation increases. Told over a rapid, deadly game with brief flashbacks to a hidden secret, Crystal races against the clock to win what seems like an unwinable game.

THOUGHTS: Thriller and gamer fans will devour this mystery, desperate to uncover who is behind the anonymous messages. If you have April Henry and Karen McManus fans in your library, you’ll want to add Urban’s titles (All Your Twisted Secrets, 2020) too.

Mystery          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD

Viewpoints…Cybercrime, Hacking,

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cybercrime

Berlatsky, Noah Ed.  Cybercrime: Global Viewpoints. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2014.  978-0737769074. 209p. Gr. 9-12.

This compilation of articles about cybercrime is full of information that is also timely and thought provoking.  Written by experts in the field, it also contains very useful ideas and information for related research projects. The articles do an excellent job of defining what cybercrime is today and how it is affecting people here in the United States and around the world.  Topics include vulnerability to cybercrime, law and cybercrime, organized crime and cybercrime, and cyber espionage and cyberterrorism. This book is a must have for high school libraries.

Cybercrime  364.16         Marian Kohan, Erie School District

 

hacking

Haerens, Margaret and Lynn M. Zott Eds.  Hacking and Hackers: Opposing Viewpoints. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2014.  978-0737766578. 211p. Gr. 9-12.

This compilation of articles about hacking and hackers is full of articles that probably most know very little about. All of the articles are timely, thought provoking, and written by experts in the field. It also contains very useful ideas and information for related research projects. The articles do an excellent job of defining what hacking is today and how it is or is not a threat to individuals, companies, and government agencies. Topics include cybersecurity, wikileaks, cyberwarfare, scandals,  and hactivists. This book is a must have for high school libraries.

Hacking 364.16.8            Marian Kohan, Erie School District