Just for Clicks

October 15, 2018
What is it like to grow up with no privacy because your mother has shared your entire existence on the internet?Twin sisters Claire and Poppy Dixon (assumed white) have grown up in Gilbert, Arizona--but also in the public eye of millions of strangers thanks to their mother's incessant mommy blogging. As a high school senior, Claire is disenchanted with her fishbowl existence. The arrival of worldly, well-traveled new student Rafael Alejandro Luna (who is half of Mexican descent and doesn't know his mother) provides Claire with the opportunity to be "Just Claire" instead of internet famous. Later, after Rafael discovers her online identity, the teens grow closer until Claire feels safe enough to reveal even deeper secrets. In her debut novel, McDowell combines a strong plot with snippets of text, emails, and website comments to deliver a clever meditation on privacy, family, and loyalty. Using a first-person perspective, the novel focuses on topical issues such as phone addiction and social media obsession while also addressing typical teen fare of romance and family drama. The fast-paced action and several surprising plot developments keep the reader's interest as the tension between Claire and her family mounts and her attraction to the unusually forgiving Rafael grows.Breezy and fresh meditation on privacy and relationships in the internet age, with a likable protagonist who would rather code than braid her hair for a fashion vlog.(Fiction. 12-18)

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