Brain Jack by Brain Falkner     

Sam Wilson is a brilliant teen hacker, able to breach the computer security system of the White House itself. This feat lands him a job in the top tier of the country’s computer system protectors. When terrorists hack the system, and Sam and his fellow computer geniuses barely keep the system from being infiltrated, the group starts to use neuro-headsets which turn thought into action, without the need to use a keyboard or a mouse.

While neuro-headsets seem to be a boon, Sam is suspicious after his best friend becomes addicted to their use and then dies. Soon after, several of the U.S. security team members have their brains emptied and Sam believes someone is controlling their brains through the neuro-headsets. Their consciousness is being ‘hijacked.’

While I believe that this novel is more enjoyable if the reader knows a little bit about computers, the fast-paced, continual action and the near-future dystopian setting (in which Las Vegas is destroyed and New York is a target) will appeal to everyone.