Review: CTRL Z: By Danika Stone

Reviewer: John
Rating: 5 out of 5 Fairies

At first, I was put off by the strange names, improbable names in my experience, but there again, I don’t live in New York. I then started to think of them, as much as anything, as aliases, names changed to protect the innocent, because this is a totally believable story.
Marq is not a central character, but we all know someone like him; he does the same job you, but always has a better car, better clothes, lives in a better neighbourhood...
He might be the guy at college who can get the pills to help you stay awake to study, and the pills & powder to help you celebrate/commiserate afterwards, or the guy who can connect you to the right politician/businessman; it doesn’t matter which strata of society you move in, he’s there.
Jude is drawn in by this seemingly easy, if a little dubious lifestyle. Purely by chance he meets the beautiful & enigmatic Indigo and against a backdrop of secrets they hold from each other they grow closer.
Jude’s colleague Marq; despite the warnings of his oldest friend; involves him in a little “job” that can earn him easy money, but as he gets deeper into his friend’s life, he realises too late that there’s no real way out; the effect of his attempt to pull back is terrible
Indigo’s past catches up with her & Jude in an unexpected way and the spiral of deceit starts to unravel. As she lets Jude further into her past, more dangerous elements begin to surface and without warning, Indigo’s past meets Jude’s present.
Anyone who reads my reviews will know I try to not give too much of the plot away; I really enjoyed this book, the storyline, as I said is totally believable, the characters are as flawed as any of us, we all know a Jude & an Indigo; in my life, I’ve met quite a few of both, some you stay away from, some you’re drawn to, some you fall in love with despite yourself. Read the book, then you’ll understand.

Summary: 

Indigo Sykes has spent years trying to forget where she came from. She has a degree, a new life, and a quiet existence. Everything she ever wanted... But all of this comes to a screeching halt when an unexpected meeting with computer hacker, Jude Alden, changes her plans. Romance blooms between the mismatched duo, even while entanglements from Indigo’s past threaten to pull the two of them apart. Dogged by a history of running, Indigo’s hard-won security is shattered when Jude’s illegal activity drags both of them into a dangerous game. As the net of hacking and underworld crime tightens around Jude and Indigo’s dark history is exposed, the two of them must find a way out or risk bringing the consequences down on them both.

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