Sunday, March 20, 2011

Debugging Tori Redding by Jason Ancona

Debugging Tori Redding

Author: Jason Ancona

Publisher: Jason Ancona (Create Space)

4 out of 5 stars

Pi: 3.14159265… You could go on, but you’ll stop for now. What was that list of vocabulary words you were supposed to memorize for your test tomorrow? Oh yeah, assimilate, copious, dilatory, laconic... Why go on, you obviously know them all. What was the color of everyone’s shoes in your last class? It was white, blue, teal, black, white, grey, red, and many more. What if you’re brain worked like this all of the time? You could call it photographic memory, but it’s much more than that. You remember every touch, taste, smell, sound, and everything you see. You have the five senses covered. Your brain is a database of information, and you always remember everything. I mean everything. This is it, the upgraded, the latest… Tori 2.0.

Tori Redding has this unimaginable memory that most people would desire more than anything. After a visit to the dentist during which the power suddenly went out, Tori came out with this brand-new brain. She doesn’t have to study anymore and everything she sees, hears, tastes, smells, and feels is stored away in her computer-like brain. She can calculate complex math problems with ease in a fraction of the time it would normally take. Her memory is immaculate. She could memorize every single person in her school, if she wanted to, and more. Tori isn’t exactly normal anymore.

Even without her superhuman brain, Tori isn’t your average teenager. She doesn’t go to dances, doesn’t have many friends, isn’t interested in boys, and could care less about fashion and what others think of her. Instead, she tries to focus on the real issues in life that are of importance. Even if they don’t matter so much to the rest of the kids her age, they definitely mean a great deal to her.

Some of the issues that she focuses on are her Call of Duty gaming skills (I mean, doesn’t everyone?), getting her daily dose of Purk energy drinks, and annoying her older brother and his girlfriend every chance she can get. But Tori’s main focus right now would be her new Not So Fast club. The goal of her new club is to stop teens from being in such a rush to grow up. However, not many of her fellow peers are too happy about Tori giving out “tickets” for breaking the rules when at school and out of school. Will Tori be able to make her club a success, despite all of the criticism she is receiving? And will Tori’s super-human brain last forever or is this just temporary? All is revealed in Jason Ancona’s tale of one not-so ordinary girl as she struggles to succeed against the odds in, Debugging Tori Redding!

As I read Debugging Tori Redding I tried to unravel the complex structure that made Tori who she was. It was obvious that Tori isn’t your average teen, but she never let that stop her! Jason Ancona tells Tori’s story beautifully, and I felt like I was hearing it all from Tori herself. Jason Ancona was so kind to provide me with a copy of Debugging Tori Redding for review. Thank you so much Jason Ancona! I suggest this book for older teens, fourteen and up, as it does deal with high school topics and themes not suitable for younger readers.

By far the most amazing aspect of Debugging Tori Redding is the voice in which it is told. Jason Ancona captured the essence of a teen perfectly in his writing. I can’t express how much I felt as if Tori was telling me the whole story herself. Whether it is the smart-alec replies or the defiant thoughts, Tori is a teen through and through.

I also enjoyed that despite the seemingly careless attitude that Tori keeps up, there is much more to her. Once I peeled back all of the layers, I realized that Tori was struggling with a lot, even if she didn’t always show it. Things weren’t easy for Tori as she tried to build her club, deal with her best - and only - friend, a sudden love interest, and on top of all that, she had to figure out the extent of her brand new memory. This was quite evident as I neared the end of Debugging Tori Redding. Tori was slowly starting to give up hope and her trust in life.

The beginning of Debugging Tori Redding started off a little slow, but as the book progressed new variables were thrown in that had the story taking on new directions. At times it did feel as if the storyline was a bit all over the place, but in the end it was resolved beautifully. The ending was perfect, and it really brought me peace of mind.

It would have been interesting to see an explanation for Tori’s enhanced mind. No reason was really given for the cause of Tori 2.0. In the story we know what triggered it, but not why it happened. I feel that this would have added more of an edge of science fiction to this book, which it didn’t really need since it is more-so a contemporary novel. However, I think it would have been interesting to see how the story changed or played out because of this.

At the end of the day, Debugging Tori Redding is an inspiring read with real issues, the bonds of family, and new revelations about oneself all thrown in. Join Tori as she tries to discover who she truly is, while life throws the unexpected at her in, Debugging Tori Redding!

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf…
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!


Check out Jason Ancona's website at http://www.jasonancona.com/.
Debugging Tori Redding is available from Amazon here.

6 comments:

  1. Never heard of this one before. Sounds interesting. I love how you mention that this one truly captures the essence of being a teenager. I find that that's often lacking in YA novels.

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  2. I've never heard of this before either. Wow - it sounds great! I'll definitely be checking it out.
    Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

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  3. Hadn't heard of this one: looks good. I'd love to have a memory like that! Mine's good, but to remember everything... awesome!
    Brilliant review: loved all your descriptions!
    Glad you enjoyed the book!

    And, cool, I really have to read The Dead soon! Make sure you let me know when you review Through Her Eyes so I can see what it's like!
    Thanks for the comment!

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  4. Aylee- I agree completely. Sometimes it seems that authors try too hard to sound like a teen, but Jason Ancona captured what being a teen is all about.

    Amber Griffiths- I hope you enjoy it! I can't wait to hear what you think of it. Thanks so much for stopping by!

    TheBookAddictedGirl- Me too! A memory like that would be really handy. Haha, no more studying! Plus, I forget things really easily. :)

    Oh, and I'll definitely let you know when I review Through Her Eyes! I hope you enjoy The Dead!

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  5. The title seems to give a little hint to what might happen to the character - I like. I'd certainly be interested in reading this book. Advanced memory is a foreign concept to me!

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  6. The title does have a lot of meaning, and it definitely has a lot to do with the main character, Tori. Tori's memory was one of the coolest parts of this book, and it was really interesting to read about!

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