Want to go Private?

by Sarah Darer Littman

Summary:
Abby knew high school was going to be different than middle school, she just didn't expect everything to be so hard.  Her best friend Faith is making new friends left and right, joining clubs and having fun, but Abby can't seem to find her place.  Combined with parents who just ignore her and the most annoying little sister, it's no wonder she prefers to spend all her time online with her new friend Luke.  She's never met him, in fact they met in a chat room on her favorite website, but he understands her more than anyone else.  When she's fed up with everything he suggests they have a fun weekend together.  He loves her after all, so Abby decides to meet him.  But what happens when online fantasy changes to reality, what's actually real and what's not.  For Abby it might be too late...

Review:
Want to go Private? is a story about the dangers of the internet, about the dangers that anyone who goes online is exposed to.  Abby has been taught all about how to be safe on the internet, that she shouldn't give out personal information to people she doesn't know, but Luke slowly gains her trust and she is convinced she's doing the right thing by telling him her name, about her life, giving him her address.  The book is a chilling reminder that even when someone knows the facts about something, all it takes is someone pushing the right buttons to get them to forget themselves.  A really good read for older tweens and younger teens about the dangers of falling for a fantasy.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade