Mind Hack (A Cyberpunk Saga #4) by Matthew A. Goodwin

Mind Hack (A Cyberpunk Saga #4) Reviews

• 
  Darth Dragonetti

  Fourth in Matthew A Goodwin's Cyberpunk Saga is "Mind Hack," a 2021 publication. With "Mind Hack," Goodwin brings yet another sterling outing to his excellent series.
  
  After a daring mission to steal important Carcer technology (as relayed in the previous book, "Digital Walls" - which you should most definitely read!), Moss and company must track down one of their friends in order to utilize this newly acquired tech. Meanwhile, Moss continues to explore the program in his mind and fend off nefarious digital attackers intent on conquering his mind.
  
  "Mind Hack" is a lean, mean, thriller king of novel. This entry is a little shorter than the others, but contains some of the best content of the series. As always, the plot moves quickly, without the ponderous lethargy often present in the genre. At this point in the series, the reader already has a good grasp of the setting, which leaves the author free to focus on moving the plot along, which he surely does. I was happy to see the rain soaked urban sprawl of BA City as the setting once again for this novel. Although a cyberpunk staple, this kind of setting is still my favorite and will make any fan of the genre feel right at home. The tower scene at the end of the book was sci-fi action gold, and is my favorite sequence thus far in the series. The digital setting of Moss' mind is also compelling and incredibly well-rendered; it is a boon to the book.
  
  Each book in the series contains better and better quality of writing. Author Goodwin is developing a sure and original voice, and "Mind Hack" exemplifies this amelioration on every page. The writing flows very well and is brimming with great description and the best dialogue of any of the books thus far. Characterization is also shaping up nicely. "Mind Hack" makes some important strides in the relationship between Moss and Issy, which was allowed to languish a bit in previous books. The relationship between Moss and his grandmother is strained ever more, as Moss wrestles with her murky sense of ethics. The character of Judy is also explored in more detail, and continues to be developed. New characters Zip and Belle are a nice addition to the crew, and I do hope they stick around. I also enjoyed seeing some behind-the-scenes wrangling amongst the corporate baddies. While there wasn't much from the perspective of the villains, the little that was there helped give some nuance to the sometimes one dimensional antagonistic corporations.
  
  "Mind Hack," like the other books in the series, really shines in the arena of ideas. Cyberpunk needs to have compelling ideas of the future, and this novel brings those ideas in spades. "Mind Hack" explores concepts of what it means to be human, virtual/augmented reality, corporate control, whether the ends justify the means, and more. The idea that the real and the virtual can become intermingled, and lines between the two can start to blur is a provocative idea that continues to be developed in this book. You only have to look at today's headlines to see that the ideas from "Mind Hack" are not at all far-fetched, and are not far off on the horizon. The book seems astutely prophetic in what it brings to the table, and it's this weighty substance that really propels it from "good" to "great."
  
  All this to say, "read the book already!" If you've enjoyed the other books in the series, "Mind Hack" is sure to please. Matthew A Goodwin continues to wow and I can't wait to devour the next outing.
• 
  Jaimie

  Another book well done! It’s not your usual action packed book but I respect that the author took a step back from introducing more worlds and characters and focused on the original crew and extended the plot of trying to understand this crazy program Moss has in his head. I also want to say thank you for throwing in that little recap near the middle of the book to solidify that I did remember the trail of events properly. Also how can you hate a book with patchwork in it!? All I know is that I can’t wait to see where the author goes with the plot line in his other books! I’m going to be a little heartbroken when this series ends.
• 
  Madi Goodrow

  Rating: 3 Stars
  This is the fourth book in the Cyberpunk saga. The previous three books had a YA tone to them and were also simplistic, but they were fun to read. The fourth book seemed to be a filler book and I found it to be a slow read. I find this to be typical when it appears that a series that goes past the initial trilogy has a slow fourth book. There is some character development in this book, but some of it felt forced.
  
• 
  Martin

  So much better than Digital Walls and Deadly In Pink. I really hope this series is back on track with all the things I liked in the first two books. Sandra is finally a much more believable character. Issy is pure joy :) Also, all the action and dialogues are pretty solid again. Good work.
• 
  Mark Everglade

  Cyberpunk that combines time-tested nostaglia with the spirit of the new generations. The writing is unpretentious and straightforward and consistent plot wise with the series. Nice work!
• 
  Matthew Angelo

  Good read
  
  This one was definitely one of the best in the series. A lot of inspiration from past cyberpunk movies and stories but still worth the read.
• 
  Mr. J

  Overall, an enjoyable book, but starting to feel like a formula. I really enjoy the world. It's a great treatment of cyberpunk.