Book Review: WWW: Watch by Robert J. Sawyer

WWW: Watch (WWW #2)

Robert J. Sawyer

Review of WWW: Wake (WWW #1)

Publication Date: June 26th 2012

Publisher: Ace Hardcover

Pages: 368

Genre: Science-Fiction, Young Adult

Webmind is an emerging consciousness that has befriended Caitlin Decter and grown eager to learn about her world. But Webmind has also come to the attention of WATCH-the secret government agency that monitors the Internet for any threat to the United States-and they're fully aware of Caitlin's involvement in its awakening.

WATCH is convinced that Webmind represents a risk to national security and wants it purged from cyberspace. But Caitlin believes in Webmind's capacity for compassion-and she will do anything and everything necessary to protect her friend.

If I had thought WWW: Wake was an absolutely amazing book, WWW: Watch is a masterpiece. Once again Sawyer inspires me to want to read more Science Fiction. Once again I am in awe over the amount of research and thought that went into creating this novel. The idea of an emergent AI is so fascinating, so much so that I was trying to have a conversation with my dad about it. I love all the media references that make the entire premise feel so real.

This time around we mostly just follow the story of Webmind and Caitlin, with some interruptions from time to time from Hobo's storyline. The main issue being that Webmind has been detected and the American government is pretty much scared and feeling threatened. Because as a reader we have become very invested in Webmind, having read every moment since his birth, the pace feels ten times faster than the first book. I felt like I just had to know what was going on, I had to make sure that Webmind would survive. It also helped the pace that the same storyline is focused upon in this book and you know exactly what the connections are.

Webmind and Caitlin grow so much in tandem in the book as well. I enjoyed reading Caitlin being a teenaged girl and growing up, while Webmind begins to understand emotion and morality.

I'm incredibly excited to pick up the next book.

I adored the way that Webmind revealed himself, an I also adored that we saw it at first through the point of view of Shoshona instead of hearing it first from Caitlin and her family, it's an excellent story telling technique. The way Sawyer handled how everyone would react was also really well done, I also enjoyed all the Game Theory I learned about in this book and the way it was decided Webmind should help the world.

And then how Webmind connected with Hobo was brilliant, I was so happy when he helped Hobo understand his situation and I actually teared up when Hobo signed about how he wanted to be a good father. I also really enjoy the parallels of Hobo and Webmind, the idea that something other than human is increasing in intelligence and perception, and how that scares humans but maybe, just maybe it shouldn't.

The WWW series is a fantastic YA Scifi series, and also a book I would immediately recommend to anyone wanting to step out and start reading Science Fiction books. If you have read the first book, it is 100% worth it to read this one as well.

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