Cover Image: The Chaos of Now

The Chaos of Now

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Member Reviews

This was a thought-provoking read that shows the ambiguous gray areas with topics of bullying/cyber bullying. Specifically, the protagonist receives an intriguing invitation to join a team of hackers to enter a competition, and one of the components is a "real-life" hacking challenge. The two team members proposition their new recruit to help them launch an anonymous website that allows the "underdog" to humiliate those on top of the social food chain (and were complicit in the graphic/public suicide of their friend the year prior). However, the main character wrestles with moral misgivings after seeing the aftermath of the public shamings., as they continue to escalate. What was once billed as "vigilante justice" has now spiraled, and there is a lot more to the story than first appears. Do the two hackers responsible for recruiting the other operate with pure intentions or do they have more sinister deeds to atone for? This story definitely deals with heavy subject matter (bullying, suicide, sexual shaming), and has moments that make you think and even feel uncomfortable. I suppose everyone can find some aspect to relate to, and you find yourself questioning your part in social interactions. The story makes the point that those that are the obvious malicious players aren't the only ones who work toward tearing others down; those that stand by, see it and fail to act are as well.

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