The Chaos of Now

July 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-A year after Jordan Bishop's suicide in the cafeteria, Haver High School is still affected. Sophomore Eli Bennett, a coding whiz with little interest in college, observes a memorial for a kid he barely knew. Two of Jordan's friends recruit Eli for a prestigious coding competition, using the project portion of the event to create an anonymous website meant to punish the kids who tormented Jordan. But the lines between right and wrong, revenge and anger become blurred when Eli begins to see the ramifications that their hacked videos of classmates have on people he used to see as simple bullies. Lange finds a fresh perspective on bullying by focusing on all those left behind in the aftermath of the violence that ensues-the bullies and the bystanders. Two subplots, one romantic and the other familial, work to balance Eli's negative qualities. The story is strongest as an exploration of cyberbullying, building tension and momentum and is a fine addition to the crowded field of similar fiction. VERDICT A general purchase for larger library collections.-Hillary St. George, Los Angeles Public Library

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Starred review from August 1, 2018
A teen hacker is recruited for an anti-bully, pro-free speech vigilante project.During freshman year, Jordan Bishop committed suicide by self-immolation in the cafeteria. With online bullying blamed, the fallout for everyone else includes strict monitoring of internet activities. Eli ends up on the radar of Mouse and Seth, two other coders at his school who were friends of Jordan's, and they bring him on as the third member of their team in an annual hacking contest with big prizes. They must find flaws in the student cybermonitoring system--but instead of hacking the monitors, they plan to bring the monitors to them with a site that offers secure anonymity to teens, enabling them to air secrets about bullies like those who targeted Jordan with classist, homophobic, and other taunts. Eli's reluctant--his previous just-to-see-if-he-could hacks caused major damage, and this could land him in huge trouble if he's discovered--but he is tempted by the challenge. Those targeted by the site face public humiliation and consequences for their misdeeds, but the line between justice and vengeance thins, especially when a mean-girl bully targets Eli's Mexican-American (in a primarily white community) crush with racist nastiness. The morally complex story avoids simple answers and is taut with tension as readers wonder if Eli will go too far or get caught--only for a third-act twist to complicate things further.Provocative, timely, and intense. (Fiction. 13-adult)

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