Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Digital Horizon (#Hacker #3) by Sherry D. Ficklin Review

Hey readers! Ethan here tonight with another review for you guys. I've been closely following this series since the very beginning and it keeps getting better with each passing novel. Plus the author is one of my all-time favorites, win-win right? On the hopping block tonight? Digital Horizon, the third novel in the #Hacker series by the incredible Sherry D. Ficklin. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the novel and our author:


One wants justice. 
One wants redemption. 
One just wants revenge. 

Still reeling from her devastating loss, Farris is barely holding it together when she’s approached by a covert government agency. The IDC is recruiting the best hackers in the country to form a team capable of tracking down and thwarting cyber terrorists. When they make her an offer she can’t refuse—a shot at catching the people responsible for the death of her father—she’s all in. But success will mean forging new alliances, betraying the people she loves, and trusting an old enemy. If she succeeds, she might finally get the closure she needs. If she fails, the digital world will crumble at her feet, putting thousands of lives at risk and exposing the world’s most dangerous secrets. In the dark web, where anything can be bought and sold, this talented young hacker just might have to sell her soul to get what she’s after. The question is, who’s buying?

          


ABOUT SHERRY D. FICKLIN:

Sherry-Ficklin


Sherry is a full time writer from Colorado and 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 New Adult fiction under the pen name Ranae Glass and is a contributing writer for fangirlish.com.




*****
My Thoughts:

As my readers well know, Sherry D. Ficklin is one of my all-time favorite young adult authors. Her works transcend across genres and shatter boundaries, leaving only awe in their paths. Back in the fall she released her newest series, a YA mystery sci-fi thriller that set the stage for a saga I wasn't too sure about. While book one and I may not have seen eye to eye, book two really upped the ante and had me singing its' praises. But could Ficklin continue the trend?

Absolutely!

Digital Horizon is my favorite in the series thus far, by-far! Wow!

Rather than rehash the events of the previous two novels, I'd like to jump right in with my thoughts on this one.

First and foremost, HOLY YA. Woah people. Ficklin didn't play around this time. This is one mature YA novel, definitely pushing the boundaries in only the way Ficklin can. Adult themes, situations, and language are prevalent, but in such a way that make this YA hard hitting and so much more realistic from others we see int he same genre. I continue to be absolutely astounded by Ficklin's writing style.

Anyone who is following this series will well remember than book two, In Too Deep, ended on one of the most emotional notes imaginable, changing Farris' life forever. That heartbreak and emotion aided Digital Horizon in becoming one of Ficklin's most well-written stories to-date.

When it comes to the plot of Digital Horizon, I was thoroughly impressed. I'll be honest, I'm not much for the spy/James Bond-esque novels, but Ficklin changed thoughts with this one. Unlike the previous two novels, this 'mystery' isn't quite the same. While we're definitely still hunting a villain, the stakes are much higher. And our girl Farris definitely has some work to do. Not even old enough to drink and Farris is handling matters of international security like a champ. She's truly the perfect heroine! Digital Horizon packed such a huge punch in terms of the plotline that I couldn't set it down. I absolutely devoured this one. It's action-packed and fast-paced so any reader will fly through this one.

Not only did Digital Horizon see a much more mature plot, it also so a much more mature Farris. The biggest issue I had with the beginning of this series was the immaturity I saw in our main characters and their struggles, it wasn't the type of writing I was used to from Ficklin. Through three amazing stories now, Farris has grown and really come into her own. She's fierce in every aspect of the word and truly an incredible character role model for an entire generation of readers. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Farris in future installments of this series.

As I've already mentioned several times now, this novel is definitely more for the mature-YA readers. Sex, violence, and language are all present here and help to contribute to some of the novel's most hard-hitting themes. While definitely something to take note of, it definitely did not hinder my reading experience in the least bit. In fact, I was loving every second. It's authors like Ficklin who understand the capacities of our youth who are moving the industry forward by not sugar coating the realities of young adult life in the twenty-first century.

This story really touched me in an awesome way and left me with incredible hope for the remainder of the series. I absolutely cannot wait to see what we can expect in book four of the series. It should come as absolutely no surprise that I am granting Digital Horizon by Sherry D. Ficklin a near-perfect 5-star review. I couldn't recommend this series more highly if I tried. To anyone looking to add something a bit different to your TBR, look no more! Check out the #Hacker series today!

*****


Don't miss out on book one, available now for FREE!
Click the cover below for more info and to read my thoughts!


Alright folks, that's all I have for you on the topic of Digital Horizon by the incredible Sherry D. Ficklin. You guys all know she's one of my all-time favorite authors and this read only cemented that even further! Don't miss it! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

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