I am honestly slightly confused about the marketing on this book. Considering the tags it has on netgalley it actually is neither an actual crime novel nor a graphic novel. It is more of a 'Tech for Dummies' told in a small story. It feels like it's written for young YA but at the same time the characters and setting are not relatable to those.

I expected more mystery and story but for anybody who just wants to learn the basics of tech in a fun way it might be for you.

I requested this book because it was listed as a comic book on NetGalley, but it is not a comic book. Synapse: AI Crime Investigation is a mystery story written for teens and it has a very young feeling, which unfortunately affected my enjoyment of the story. It's not bad by any means, but all characters feel rather flat and the dialogue seems to be written to inform teens of the dangers of believing everything that's online and of not being careful with personal information. Also, while the tech part of the story seems to be aimed at teenagers, the plot as a whole is not complex enough to be YA. It's a weird mix of middle grade and YA.

In general, Synapse: AI Crime Investigation is a good story if the goal is to teach young people and it could be part of an awareness campaign since it's short enough that it can be read in an hour or two depending on how fast you read. Unfortunately, as an adult reader already familiar with the topic, this story was not as mysterious as it could have been.

I feel like I just attended an experts class on the Internet, and reading the "about the author" part of the book, it makes sense. Now, I also feel like I learned something, so win-win. To the actual review.

While I liked the mystery enough to keep reading through this short book, I can't say the same thing about the book as a whole.

It was too sterile, with almost no feelings involved except excitement from Adam and Farhan when they find out something new in their investigation, or some nervousness from Dr Patel while facing the data breach situation. Nothing else.

Also, I felt like there was almost no conflict or obstacles, the action was just: this happened, and then this, and Adam said this, and Farhan did that, and they took some time to research things or think different solutions, but they always succeeded with almost no effort or complications. I know there's no room for much in such a short book, but I would have liked to see them struggle some more and, finally, succeed after hard work (more than the showed, at least).

Now, the book did have a couple of good things: you can tell Adam and Farhan have been good friends for a long time as the text says, they have chemistry and their interactions carry the book along with the mystery. Also the descriptions: food, sounds, smells... Everything painted a vivid image of the characters surroundings thanks to the amazing descriptions that author made.

Overall, I think this book is a short and sweet read for the mystery lovers that love to see chaotic people bringing criminals to justice. Also, coming back to my first instalment, everything is well explained in the book, with diagrams and vocabulary that the average person can understand, you do not need to be an Internet nerd to enjoy this book, though I'm sure you would if you are

The storyline of the book was good and is very informative for young readers who haven't come across cybersecurity before

Synapse: AI Crime Investigation is a book designed for high schoolers, centered around cybercrime. It takes readers on a fast-paced investigation, blending engaging educational content through dialogues and diagrams, all woven into a thrilling narrative.

From the NetGalley page, the book is categorized under “Comics, Graphic Novels, Manga | Literary Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers,” but there was no clear indication that it was aimed at readers aged 12-18. As I started reading, it felt underdeveloped, particularly in character development, which unfortunately affected my reading experience. It was only after finishing that I realized I wasn't the target audience, and my expectations fell into place.

For anyone seeking an entry-level understanding of deep fakes, machine learning, and cyber investigations, this is a great choice.

The author is clearly knowledgeable in the field, and I would selfishly love to see a book from him for a more experienced audience. He has a real knack for explaining complex concepts in simple terms while driving a realistic and engaging story forward.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author & publisher for the digital copy.