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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Want To Go Private - A Review

Want To Go Private - Sarah Darer Littman (Amazon Vine)

Synopsis:

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school--it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to make an effort, but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke--he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

My Thoughts:

My thoughts are all over the board with this one. During the first part of the book, I alternated between horror with what I was reading to disgust. However, at the same time, I got to thinking children being targeted by sexual predators online is dirty, disgusting and horrific and maybe me feeling that way was what was intended. I will say the content may have been more graphic than needed to get the point across but I don't judge that. I look back and remember how stubborn I was when I was a teenager and sugar coating something would have made me turn my head the other way. So maybe it's a good thing. So be warned.

Okay now that I have that out of the way. Let me say I read this book in less than a day. The writing flowed well, I got caught up in the story and characters. I ultimately liked the message it sends. As a parent, I was left with chills. My heart ached for everyone involved. I liked how Sarah gave us views of how others were feeling and dealing with what had happened. It gives readers a peak into the whole picture as opposed to just a singular view.

I'd recommend the book. I would warn of the strong content, but I would recommend it.

Author's Website: Sarah Darer Littman

3 comments:

LM Preston said...

This book touches on a serious issue with teens. Chat rooms, video games that let you connect to unknown people online, and tons of other ways to be 'social' lets a ton of unknown dangers into your home. Thanks for sharing your review.

Melissa (My World...in words and pages) said...

Great review. I have a hard time reading books of this content. But sounds like a wonderfully written book. Thank you!

The Insouciant Sophisticate said...

I agree that the content was maybe a bit more graphic than necessary; still the book overall was very good and powerful. I hope lots of people will read it!