Identity Crisis

November 15, 2015
Teenage girls play out a revenge drama online only to discover that there's no hiding one's true identity. The two key characters, Annalise and Noelle, go to the same high school, but they aren't friends. The shallow girls tell a shallow story through first-person chapter swaps. Noelle, at the behest of her grudge-bearing BFF, Eva, creates a bogus virtual romance to woo beautiful Annalise away from Noelle's love interest. The guy bait, Declan, is a home-schooled relative of Eva who isn't on social media and knows nothing of this charade. Disillusioned by guys who ogle her plus-sized boobs, Annalise is seduced by online conversations with Noelle/Declan, who seems ideal: clever, sensitive, and like-minded. Then Annalise decides to meet Declan in person, discovers the deceit, and proceeds to turn the tables on the vendetta. As plans go haywire, the teens begin to realize the darkness of their deeds, and both girls, stripped of anonymity, find their consciences. This tale seeks to authentically depict the current digital age while making a plea for finding depth and accountability in relationships. A story of revenge is often a crowd pleaser, and here this morality tale succeeds, but the intended audience will probably be too busy surfing the Web to read it. For teens looking for love in all the wrong places, this social media fable is dramatized with love triangles, revenge, and rock-'n'-roll. (Fiction. 13-17)

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December 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Annalise is a sophomore at Danville High School in a small town near Boston. She has family, friends, and a love for the rock band Brass Knuckles. When Annalise's mom fails to acquire concert tickets, Annalise turns to her online Brass Knuckles family. As she complains about her plight on the online forum, a newcomer to the page, Declan O'Keefe, engages Annalise directly to commiserate with her. Declan and Annalise begin an online friendship and discover that they have a lot in common. Annalise can hardly believe her luck. As their online relationship matures and Annalise begins to have feelings for Declan, she decides to surprise him at his home. Unfortunately, when Annalise arrives on Declan's doorstep, she discovers that she's been the victim of a "catfishing" prank. Three girls from school, including Noelle, created the fake Declan's online profile and pretended to be him. How this melodrama plays out is unconventional and worth the read. Schorr creates a robust and likable character in Annalise. But as believable as the characters are, the situations through which they struggle are less credible. Many of the scenes seem somewhat contrived. On the other hand, the writing and language are fluid and blend seamlessly with the mood of the book. The chapters are short and switch from the point of view of Annalise and Noelle. VERDICT A solid additional purchase for large YA collections.-Jeni Tahaney, Duncanville High School Library, TX

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