Little BrotherLittle Brother
Score Modern
What it's about
Marcus is a seventeen-year-old hacker in San Francisco who likes skipping school and playing games. When terrorists bomb the Bay Bridge, he and his friends are seized by the Department of Homeland Security, held and interrogated for days. Released, Marcus finds his city turned into a surveillance state, and uses his skills to fight back.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Hugo and the Nebula. It's a fast, smart young-adult novel about privacy and freedom.
You'll love it if you liked
1984
Neuromancer
The Age of Surveillance CapitalismGood to know
It includes a waterboarding scene. There are many explanations of technology.
By the numbers
- Readers28 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics43 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller29 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #145 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #206 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #1118 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2061 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Dark, Adventurous
If you like this, read next
Ready Player One
Scythe
Skyward
Thief of Time
Ender's Game
The Sword of KaigenExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Little Brother worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Hugo and the Nebula. It ranks #2,061 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Little Brother about?
Marcus is a seventeen-year-old hacker in San Francisco who likes skipping school and playing games. When terrorists bomb the Bay Bridge, he and his friends are seized by the Department of Homeland Security, held and interrogated for days. Released, Marcus finds his city turned into a surveillance state, and uses his skills to fight back.
How long does it take to read Little Brother?
About 10 hours (386 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Little Brother?
If you liked it, try 1984 by George Orwell, Neuromancer by William Gibson or The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff.