Who R U Really?
Fourteen-year-old Thea longs for a boyfriend, even though she's not allowed to date until she's sixteen. She joins an online gaming community and begins getting some attention from Kit. As Kit's advances become more and more aggressive, Thea begins to feel more and more uncomfortable. But who is the mysterious Kit? Could he actually be someone she knows? There are a number of potential candidates: her classmate Tim, Josh the bully, new boy Taylor, her brother's friend Marcus, self-defense instructors Jackson or Keith, even her volleyball coach Gavyn. Despite her parents' constant warnings about the dangers of the Internet, Thea continues her secret online life. What will happen when they finally find out?The set-up of the story feels too unnatural, like the author is trying to teach us a lesson. The narrative is full of unnecessary detail such as what outfit Thea chooses to wear on a daily basis. I also found it hard to believe that Thea's parents could be so over-protective. Thea herself is not a very likable character; she is unnecessarily critical of her parents and makes some very foolish choices in relation to both boys and her best friend. I found myself not really caring what happened to her, as she seemed to bring it all on herself. As the story progressed, I became more invested in finding out Kit's true identity. But, in the end, it really could have been any one of the suspects. It almost felt like the author put all the names in a hat and then pulled one out.
Despite these drawbacks, this is still a timely warning for all teenagers and an insightful read for their parents. You never know who you are really talking to on the Internet. As Marcus says, "Online you can be anything you want."
3.5 stars
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: http://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2015/01/who-r-u-really-by-margo-kelly.html
