A high-tech DaVinci Code
5 out of 5 stars
Crash Alive is a story about an amateur high school hacker who seems to get in over her head once she realizes that her brother has been trying to solve a seemingly unsolvable internet puzzle. What comes next will lead Haylie on a high-stakes adventure and uncover a sinister plot.
The narration for Crash Alive was done by Amanda Dolan who is perfect. I read a short interview on Kerns’ website with her and I can definitely see why he picked her. It just worked perfectly. Dolan had the right edge to her voice that allowed her to become Crash.
The cover of this book is really awesome. I know, I know, don’t judge a book by its cover — but who really does that. I also dabble in design having designed a few covers myself. The cover for Crash Alive is perfect.
Crash Alive was a really well-done technothriller. There was the perfect amount of action mixed in with a lot of other interesting parts. Kerns writes like a seasoned pro. Jumping from a slow paced library scene into a high-stakes chase scene. It was really well done.
As my title suggest, Chris Kerns writing style reminded me a lot of Dan Brown. Crash Alive felt like a high-tech version of The DaVinci Code. With puzzles, secret societies, and dark, sinister plots.
Overall, Crash Alive was incredibly enjoyable. It was one of those books that the pages just flew by. I couldn’t believe that I was almost finished with it when I checked on it last night. I wanted to be up for another 11 minutes or so with 45 minutes left in the book. Needless to say, the book won.
I will be eagerly awaiting the next Haylie Black book — I really liked her as a character. You could tell that she was still young (a 17 year old senior in high school if I remember correctly), but she had an edge to her that brought out a ton of interesting characteristics.
Written by: Christopher Kerns
Narrated by: Amanda Dolan
Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date: 09-13-16
Publisher: Old Ballard Press, LLC
Crash Alive is the first book of the new, award-winning YA tech adventure series introducing Haylie Black – a heroine for the digital generation.
Seventeen-year-old Haylie Black is a hacker with a chip on her shoulder, trying her best to find a place in the world. But when her brother goes missing trying to solve a mysterious Internet puzzle, she knows she’s the only one that holds the key to track him down. The race is on as she uses real-world hacks to solve puzzles, sneak into secret locations, and race around the world to try and solve “the greatest mystery on the Internet” before the clock runs out.
A heart-stopping tech thriller that doesn’t let go until the very end.
©2016 Christopher Kerns (P)2016 Christopher Kerns
Christopher Kerns has spent more than twenty years advising top companies throughout the world on technology strategy. His thoughts and opinions on tech and data have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Mail, CNBC, and USA Today. He lives with his family in Austin, TX.
