Olivia Decoded (#2) ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

 

 

 

 

"This isn't my Jack, who once looked at me like I was his world. The guy who's occupied the better part of my mind for eight months. This is Z, criminal hacker with a twisted agenda and an arsenal full of anger."

 

Olivia has spent the past year trying to get her life back on track. New school. New Friends. And a brand new attitude. If Olivia cannot break through "Z" and reach old Jack, someone is going to end up getting hurt.... or worse, killed.

 

The good girl meets bad boy is not anything new, however, the way things play out and the many things Olivia gets drawn into are certainly not like anything else I have ever read in any book.

 

Olivia was a lovely heroine. She hasn't had the best life, from her drug addict mother, to her hopping from foster home to foster home. But, she was still a genuinely good person. She had values that she couldn't compromise, which I think made her an admirable character.

 

Z, on the other hand was complicated. He delights in his criminal activities, seeing absolutely nothing wrong with them. To his perspective, it's basically like taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Also, he's manipulated people into the web, then left them to fend for themselves. But, I don't think he was a bad person. At least, not until he met Olivia. She reminded him of a sense of goodness. She made him rethink his life and see it from a different perspective.

 

When I initially requested "Olivia Decoded," I did not realize that it was the second book in the series. I believe that if I had read the first book, I may have enjoyed this book much more. If you have not started the series yet, then make sure you start at the beginning! 

 

Vivi Barnes has a great writing technique, and the characters are interesting. The overall storyline is very well put together. It is a wild ride of hackers, stalkers, secret identities, and romance.

 

Special thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the copy of "Olivia Decoded" by Vivi Barnes.

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.