Official Review: Raven by Sue Loh

Post by **kandscreeley** » 25 Apr 2020, 13:43

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Raven" by Sue Loh.]

3 out of 4 stars

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A team of kids attending an academy for technically minded students are tasked with the job of finding out what's going wrong in the systems at a bank. At first they think it's a virus or some type of malware, but it seems to be one step ahead of them at every turn. They're the best of the best, but this "virus" is defeating them. It doesn't seem to be as simple as they first thought. What is it? Will Team Raven find a way to defeat it?

Raven: A Cinzento Academy Novel by Sue Loh is a young adult novel of around 238 pages. With no explicit content, but some profanity throughout, this book would be suitable for high school students to adults. Slow to start, the book picks up quickly, so that there's not time to get bored.

First, the book is exceptionally well-edited. It's been some time since I've reviewed a book that had zero errors. I don't know who edited this book, but kudos to them.

One of the best aspects of the book was the descriptions and metaphors the author uses. Comparing unalike items, it added to the enjoyability of the story. "If plain vanilla Fridays were great, this one was made of peanut butter ice cream with Reese’s Pieces on top."

I, also, enjoyed the characters. Mostly, they were teenagers, but these weren't normal teens. These kids had baggage from their families, like most of us do. Yet, they were geniuses when it came to computers. The adults, likewise, had their quirks. My favorite character was Mom. She was the mother figure at the academy and was always making sure the students ate their vegetables and got enough sleep. She, though, was more than she seemed. In order to avoid spoilers, I'll let you figure out what that means.

Though there was plenty to like about the book, it was not without its drawbacks. One of which was the technical nature of the story. Centered around hacking and debugging, there is vocabulary that's advanced. In spite of my computer savvy, discussion of "denial of services," "library files," and "raid arrays" went over my head. I wanted to better understand what was happening, but the language did lend authenticity to the book.

Furthermore, Ms. Loh uses some unique words here and there. For example, "They hared down the street, racing the van and the three men who’d leapt out onto the road." Similarly, there were allusions that I missed. One of the characters talks about Dorugly and Green Snake as well as Grace and Derek. However, not understanding didn't take away from my enjoyment of the plot.

Overall, I had a very tough time deciding on a rating for this book. I enjoyed the story and the ending; it was a fun read. I disliked sorting through the technical details, and I'm not sure I would read the sequel or even reread this one. In the end, I decided to rate Raven: A Cinzento Academy Novel 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to those that have a higher than average knowledge of computers. Though I don't know that I would read another in this series, I am interested to see what else the author comes up with.

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Raven
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JKO · Post by **JKO** » 29 Apr 2020, 04:20

I am desperate to see what the virus was and if team Raven defeated it. This is an excellent review.

Kachi_Ejiogu+_ · Post by **Kachi_Ejiogu+_** » 29 Apr 2020, 05:28

A team of teenage geniuses combating a mutating virus sounds like an interesting read. Great review.

Maria Esposito · Post by **Maria Esposito** » 29 Apr 2020, 06:24

Reading a well-edited book can really be refreshing after reading a series of poorly written or edited works. Thanks for your informative and nicely written review!

Splendour0606 · Post by **Splendour0606** » 29 Apr 2020, 11:04

I would love to know more about the team Raven, its story sounds interesting. It is a go for me. Great review.

unamilagra · Post by **unamilagra** » 29 Apr 2020, 12:20

This sounds like it would have a great audience with tech-savvy teens. Thanks for your thorough review!

Amberlily · Post by **Amberlily** » 29 Apr 2020, 14:30

For sure. One thing writers could keep in mind is that not all readers are that well versed with technical things. If they wanted to use more difficult terms, it would be nice to have a walkthrough of that they actually mean. Great review!

Dannyphery · Post by **Dannyphery** » 29 Apr 2020, 15:22

I commend the author for a job well done on the editing.
Sounds like a nice book.
Thanks for the review

Adanna Inya · Post by **Adanna Inya** » 29 Apr 2020, 17:19

It's very important to use the simplest of terms when writing. Better still, create a glossary that people can consult, because not everyone is conversant with your field.

I love your review as umit was quite insightful. Will team Raven be able yo defeat the virus? I'll love to find out.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 29 Apr 2020, 18:41

JKO wrote: ↑29 Apr 2020, 04:20 I am desperate to see what the virus was and if team Raven defeated it. This is an excellent review.

Ah hah! It's intriguing for sure. I hope you enjoy it if you do decide to read it.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 29 Apr 2020, 18:41

Kachi_Ejiogu+_ wrote: ↑29 Apr 2020, 05:28 A team of teenage geniuses combating a mutating virus sounds like an interesting read. Great review.

For sure. Thanks for stopping by.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 29 Apr 2020, 18:42

espo wrote: ↑29 Apr 2020, 06:24 Reading a well-edited book can really be refreshing after reading a series of poorly written or edited works. Thanks for your informative and nicely written review!

I was definitely appreciative at how well the book was written in that aspect. It was refreshing, as you say. Thanks.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 29 Apr 2020, 18:44

Splendour0606 wrote: ↑29 Apr 2020, 11:04 I would love to know more about the team Raven, its story sounds interesting. It is a go for me. Great review.

I hope you enjoy reading it. It's a good book, as long as your tech savvy. Thanks!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 29 Apr 2020, 18:44

unamilagra wrote: ↑29 Apr 2020, 12:20 This sounds like it would have a great audience with tech-savvy teens. Thanks for your thorough review!

Yes, I think that's who would enjoy it the most. However, they would have to be extra tech savvy. It's pretty intense. Thanks.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 29 Apr 2020, 18:47

Amberlily wrote: ↑29 Apr 2020, 14:30 For sure. One thing writers could keep in mind is that not all readers are that well versed with technical things. If they wanted to use more difficult terms, it would be nice to have a walkthrough of that they actually mean. Great review!

I agree 100%. I just wish I could have understood a bit more of what was going on. Thanks!