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Alexandra Moody has lived with the voices inside her head for as long as she can remember. She has accepted the unpredictability of this gift and curse that leaves her stranded as an outsider at times in her life. But when the world is upended by a computer virus that causes "economic mayhem," Alex is thrust into the turmoil of the current events swirling around her. The voices in her head combined with a series of strange encounters begin to show her that she is no ordinary woman caught up like everyone else. She predicted the ruin of the world and may hold the key to save it. With the world on edge and the future uncertain, Alex must come to terms with her abilities and find a way to the truth. Once she untangles her memories and figures out friends from foes, she begins to find ways to alter the outcomes she sees in the future. Ultimately, she will face the powerful person behind the mayhem created by the computer virus and subsequent biochemical attacks on her city.
With a nod to Joan of Arc, another fierce woman who heard voices, Alex is a welcome update, a modern heroine with a sharp tongue, a wicked sense of humor, and a unique view of the world. Alex is a main character with a strong narrative voice that is full of sarcasm, one-liners, and pop culture references. She is an ordinary person with extraordinary capabilities, and she finds herself thrust into the fray of worldwide chaos. As her role in the events comes to light, there are people who want to help, those that want to stop her, and those that want to use her. She must wield all her wits and wisdom to protect the innocent and uncover the sinister truth of the evil wreaking havoc on her world.
The action builds toward the satisfying and shocking showdown in the final moments of the book. Along the way, the story pivots in surprising ways, taking Alex in unexpected directions and sending revelations up like flares lighting the way to the story's end. The spirited Alex is always there along the way to break the tension with a joke or an off-kilter comment that keeps the story from veering too far into the tragic despite the serious nature of the catastrophic events that take place.
The events the author imagines and plots in this story are a reminder that the destructive forces of the future are more likely to be unseen and unexpected, a new kind of warfare in the shadows, in the networks, in the air. They will be difficult to predict and almost impossible to defend. In the absence of strong leadership, sinister forces will thrive in the confusing aftermath of economic collapse and lingering vulnerabilities. In this heart-stopping vision of the world, people like Alex are hopeful harbingers that evil can be stopped. She is, in some ways, the embodiment of the ancient Greeks' Cassandra, except someone does believe her prophecies and steals them for his own gain. But in the end, Alex will shake off the Cassandra curse and embrace her power to become more than "just a girl."
RECOMMENDED by the US Review