Receiving feedback from young readers is very special. They explain firsthand how they felt in each chapter, what they expect from the series, or which part they found easiest —or most difficult— to understand. They are my compass on this exciting journey.
I must admit that many of them have read it faster than I expected. Especially Valeria Corrales, who received the book with this lovely tweet:
“I have the book!! It looks amazing!!!”
And, just a few days later, she was “pressuring” me in this very pleasant way:
“I loved the book!!! What I liked the most was when they were learning to program with Professor Marley, and how all the messages were reaching Mara also liked me a lot. Do you already have the second book? 😘😘😘”
Nico, my “new Asturian reader,” as described by his mother (Laura), also dedicated a snapshot that moved me. The feeling is different from what I had previously experienced when publishing an article in a newspaper or writing other types of work. You see how a nebula of shapeless words —I seem like Ana Torroja in Aire— has been growing and adapting until it becomes a book that a boy holds in his house 1,000 kilometers from Seville. Isn’t it wonderful? I am very grateful to the three of them for this image.
And the same happens with little Sergio or with Adriana. There they are at home, dedicating some of their time to my book instead of being with Fortnite or other chores. Thank you!
However, of all the readers I have, one decided to take the book to school and present it. His mother, Geles, tells me that he liked it a lot and that he even read it on car rides to school. So he decided to share it with other classmates. His name is Álvaro. There he is, with a PowerPoint presentation in the classroom. He also asks me for a sequel, so I can’t disappoint him…
As I said, these are just some of the kids who have dedicated their time to Mara Turing. Rise of the Hackers. There are many more, but I’ll pace them out, as the series is very long.