Little Brother - Jose Luis Torrez

Well... Jose Luis is the last of the foursome to be introduced in the book. It turns out that he is in fact the most techy out of all of them. So techy in fact that he got hired at an Internet Service Provider when he was just 12. We learn that Jolu is great at thinking of out-of-the-box solutions and encryption type things. After Marcus becomes worried about the authorities finding out about X- net because of their heightened use of encrypted files, Jolu comes up with the solution. Both solutions that Marcus thinks of would be bad for X-Net. Johu comes up with the perfect third solution; to increase everyone else's encryptions usage. This skill of his shows that Jolu is a weird guy. His mind just doesn't work the same as most people, thus allowing him to come up with the ingenius ideas. Later on, he helps Marcus by setting up the "encryption party" and inviting his friends. Marcus says that most of the people there were people he didn't know, presumably Jolu's invites. This tells us that perhaps Jolu is fundamentally a more trusting person than Marcus. Jolu is the one to actually introduce Ange and Marcus, thus starting their relationship.

Jolu is an important person for Marcus. He takes Marcus' jumbled ideas and translates them into an actual plan for him. He is also a sort of anchor for Marcus, keeping him grounded on what is and isn't possible. I think that the absence of Jolu is Marcus' greatest weakness as a leader. Though Marcus' ideas and intentions are good, he fails to think it completely through. Jolu would've been the one to patch those holes and complete Marcus, the leader. After Jolu and Marcus part ways, things start to go downhill for Marcus as every decision he makes ends in disaster.

Jolu is the last of the original foursome to leave Marcus. He leaves because he is afraid of getting in trouble. Because he is "brown", he predicts that he would get in more trouble more easily just because he isn't white. Confirmation on this fact from Marcus shows that their world is prejudiced. Through this conversation we find out that Jolu is a realist. He sees things, both good and bad, for what they really are. He acknowledges the racial prejudice without embellishing at all and makes his decision to leave Marcus accordingly. Though it makes him upset, Marcus respects this decision.

[I've noticed something quite interesting about this book. It seems that the order in which the characters are introduced is the same order in which they are separated from Marcus. Darryl was first in both cases, getting taken captive by the DHS. Van was next in both as well and Jolu was last. I haven't figured out if this order is significant or not, but I'll have to keep an eye on that.]

The kidnapping by the DHS seems to have changed Jolu in the same ways as Van. He seems to become less bold and more cautious, calculating. Although he is the only one to not be involved in the crazy love triangle at first, he is sucked in at the end. It is suggested that Jolu and Van might have a thing, thus further complicating the love triangle.

[Something else I've noticed but have no real proof for is that the original foursome seems to represent something good. As the group breaks apart, Marcus' intentions and methods get progressively worse and worse. At the end when he restarts communication beween the remaining 3 of them, everything starts to get better. It is which them that he decides to tell the world their story.]

Overall, Johu is an important person for Marcus. He helps with all the techy stuff and helps Marcus to be an effective leader. I think that he keeps Marcus from thinking the impossible is possible and his ego from growing too large. I wonder if there is any importance of him being introduced and leaving Marcus last. I don't know, but I'm thinking that it is important in one way or another. I think that if he had stayed with Marcus longer, one of two things would have happened. Either they would've been even more successful or failed even more miserably.

-Lina >.<