The Jazz / Melissa Scott

The Jazz

category: science fiction, author:

Melissa Scott

original copyright 2000

read in June 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10, well worth reading

This is an enjoyable book with some surprises. Well, not so much surprises. More, I was surprised when some stereotypes failed to materialise...

Which is good !

First up, the conflict of the story is set up by a teenage hacker. Or, rather, a teenager who uses a tool which was hacked by a friend. The heroine is a smart web user with a past. She helps the teenager.

I kept expecting the teenager to come out of his shell, to develop, to use his skills to somehow solve some of the stories problems. But... he remained a teenager: sometimes surly, sometimes scared, sometimes suitably chastened. Which is fine, really... I suspect that my expectations were set by my recent readings of teen-boy-saves-world-and-gets-the-girl wish-fulfilment stories.

Then there's the heroine with the past...

At one point she thinks, Is this all a long-term plot aimed at me? Then she dismisses the idea as being worthy only of conspiracytheory.com... Which is a pity, since I was looking for a deeper plot. A major conspiracy plot, perhaps.

The Jazz is a straightforward story of nice people versus nasty. No great conspiracies, no nasty surprises. Just a looming threat, a few good friends and fast evasive manoeuvres. With the heroine using her special skills -- right at the last minute -- to save the day.

No great plot complexity but an interesting world. And nice characters except for the one, chief villain.

A pleasantly enjoyable book.

..o0o..

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