Doomed

The book I just finished reading is Doomed, by Tracy Deebs.  The main character of the novel is named Pandora.  Her father has been gone for ten years, and her mother consistently warns her to have nothing to do with him- to not open any mail, any message, any gift, or ever talk to or see him.  But on Pandora's 17th birthday, when her mother is out of town and has forgotten about her birthday, Pandora opens an email sent to her by her father, since her nature at the beginning of the novel is very curious and prone to temptation.  Inside the email are links to twelve pictures of the two of them over the years.  Her interest causes her to download and save all of the pictures to her computer.  But unwittingly she unleashes a worm from the pictures that destroys the entire internet, and knocks out the world's power grids and all phone service.  The world becomes an apocalyptic nightmare that only Pandora has the ability to save.  Throughout the course of the story, she is injured several times and sees friends come close to death as she and her friends follow the path of clues her father has left for her to save the world.  She panics at the ever-worsening conditions of life and increasing violence in the streets, and gains a better understanding of how quickly society can break down and how seemingly small choices can lead to such large-scale destruction.  This is shown well by a quote on page 413, which says, "We're too late to do any good, which seems to be the story of our lives lately....  Thy say everything gets easier if you do it enough, but as I stand over this man, I don't think I'll ever get used to dealing with death."  But by the end of the story she is more calm in tragic situations, and learns how to stand up for herself.  She is able to break any loyalty remaining to her father because they are family and he insists on his love for her, and can call the authorities on him and his location without feeling guilty for it.  Her change in character was brought about by realizing that there are better ways to change the world then destroying it as her father had done, shown by the quote on page 466, which says, " 'Pandora, please.  We can change everything,' he pleads.  'You already have.' I bend over, pick up the gun, then turn and walk out the door.  Back toward a world turned upside down and an airplane that is almost out of fuel.  It won't get us far, but it will get me away from him."