Want to Go Private?

Title: Want to Go Private?

Author: Sarah Darer Littman

Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 30

Date Read: 11/8/15

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Abuse

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads.com)

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school--it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke--he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again. 

My Review:

This book was ok.

It was about the main character Abby, who is 14 years old, starting her first year of high school and the online relationship she develops with someone named Luke.

Abby doesn't like change and while her best friend Faith is flourishing, trying new things and making new friends, Abby is stuck wishing nothing would change. She begins to pull away from Faith and becomes lonely. There is this new teen website that to me is kind of like the SIMS games but its online and you can chat with people. There is where Abby meets Luke. Luke is a 27 year old guy who starts an online relationship with Abby. Which already sickens me because she's only 14.

Abby is really intelligent and a great student. She just doesn't have common sense. Faith warns her not to talk to the guy but Abby does it anyway and keeps Luke a secret. She answers his inappropriate questions in the beginning because she figures that she'll never meet him so what does it matter? However things progress dangerously to naked photos and naked time on the webcam. Then things go really bad when Abby decided to meet and run away with Luke. Stupidest decision she makes.

So Abby was ok. I didn't love her but she definitely didn't deserve what happens to her. She was whiny and emo (as her sister puts it) and I wanted to scream at her to get a grip. She's supposed to be so smart but she does some stupid things. However I also think she is brave to keep on going after what happens and to give speeches to schools to talk about her experiences. I probably would of crawled into a hole and wanted to die. She is very brave and active in taking steps to get over this trauma, which I commend her for. The rest of her life can be ruined because of this one mistake. Also I commend her for not killing her sister Lily who is a total brat and only cares about herself. Lily changes near the end of the book but in the beginning I probably would of killed her.

The story is told in three parts. The first part is all in Abby's pov, from the first day of high school til the time she meets Luke. In part 2 the Pov's change every other chapter. They are in Lily's pov who is Abby's sister; Faith's who is Abby's best friend and Billy's who is the boy in Abby's science class who likes her alot and who she has gone out with on a date. The second part is all about the investigation that occurs to find Abby. In the third part, the pov's are Lily, Faith, Billy and Abby. This is everything that happens after the investigation.

The book had a good pace to it and I read it in one sitting in 4 hours. I liked it but didn't love it. I also want to mention that there is a lot of vulgar words that are used for body parts, sex acts and very detailed flashbacks that include sex. This surprised me and I have to say I didn't find it very enjoyable and it made me sick to my stomach to think that a 27 year old was saying and doing these things to a 14 year old. If you are sensitive about children and abuse to children I recommend to skip this one. Honestly I didn't think situations and words like those were in the book. All in all is was an ok read and it just reaffirmed my fear of online dating.

Rating: C