Who R U Really? - Hardcover

Kelly, Margo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1440572763 ISBN 13: 9781440572760

Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2014

Synopsis

Thea's overprotective parents are about to drive her nuts. They invade her privacy, ask too many questions, and restrict her online time so much that Thea feels she can't do any of the things her friends do. She barely has time to answer her emails! When she discovers a new role-playing game online, Thea breaks the rules by staying up late to play. Soon, she's living a double life: on one hand, the obedient daughter; on the other, a girl slipping deeper into darkness. In the world of the game, Thea falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and savvy can't defeat his near-suicidal despair. As Kit draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of cover stories for her parents and then even her friends. Soon, Thea is all alone in the dark world with Kit, who worries her more and more, but also seems to be the only person who really "gets" her. Is he frightening or only terribly sad? Should Thea fear Kit, or pity him? And now, Kit wants to come out of the screen and bring Thea into his real-life world. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit's allure, and hurtles toward the very fate her parents feared most. Ripped from a true-life story of Internet stalking, Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea's life spins out of her control.

About this title

About the Author

Margo Kelly is a marketing professional whose youngest daughter was nearly abducted by an adult posing online as a teen in a role-playing game. Kelly and her daughter are planning a schedule of speaking to school, youth, and community groups about spotting and unmasking a predator. Ripped from real life, Who R U Really? is Kelly's first novel.

Reviews

Gr 7 Up—Thea Reid is tired of her parents' draconian rules: no dating until she's 16, no cell phone during family time, no Internet until her homework is finished. On top of all of that, Thea has no privacy. Her parents have the password for her email account, and they do random checks of her mobile and online activity. Ready for some personal space, Thea signs up for an online role-playing game called Skadi. Using the game's chat feature, the teen begins talking regularly with an older boy named Kit. At first they only chat about the game, but as they begin to swap more personal information, Thea realizes that she thinks of Kit as a friend—maybe even more. Her friends and family warn her about the dangers of talking to strangers online, but Thea knows that she can trust Kit. He really loves her. Inspired by her own daughter's terrifying story, Kelly has painted a realistic picture of how a smart girl can get caught up in something dangerous online. While preachy at times, often reading like a cheesy after-school special about "stranger danger" on the Internet, this is a short and suspenseful novel that's guaranteed to give readers goosebumps—particularly as events heat up toward the end. Rather than condemning technology, Kelly focuses on the importance of making smart and safe choices and earning trust. A strong message here is honest communication between parents and children. A good choice for families to read together.—Liz Overberg, Darlington School, Rome, GA

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1440572763
• ISBN 13: 9781440572760
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240