Phantom Wheel

In this technothriller by Deebs (Powerless), after six teen hackers are duped into collaborating on an insidious project designed to steal the private data of everyday consumers, they go to war against one of the most powerful corporations in the world. For Issa, Owen, Harper, Alika, Ezra, and Seth, the opportunity to win a college scholarship and a job with the CIA seems like a dream come true—until they discover that they have been duped by Jacento, a smartphone manufacturer with unlimited resources and no scruples. Now they must find a way to defeat the very program that they helped to create, all while surviving Jacento’s attempts to discredit or kill them. The heroes perform audacious feats of computer wizardry, such as hacking other vehicles during a high-speed car chase, even as they drop pop culture one-liners, fall for one another, and narrowly escape death. The premise itself is well-worn, but Deebs’s fast-paced plot, cinematic action, and racially diverse, gender-equal cast makes this an entertaining adventure. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)