By Margo Kelly
ISBN 13 9781440572760
Number Of Pages 240
It's only a game. Please say it's only a game?
To say that Thea’s parents are overprotective is an understatement. She has to let them know wherever she goes, and her time on the computer is extremely limited, to the point that she can hardly check her email, never mind visit video and chat sites.
Thea discovers an online role-playing game that seems to be somewhat educational, and initially her parents ease off the coddling. However, Thea soon becomes overly involved in the game, as she hides her involvement and lives a double life, hiding the game even from her best friend. Thea flirts with a boy she met in the game, the much-older Kit, who seems to like Thea just as much as she likes him.
Soon, Thea is receiving cryptic texts from Kit. He asks her to meet him, and vaguely discusses the idea of the two of them being “together” forever. Thea’s not sure if that means suicide, but she is unable to ask anyone for clarification of help, because she’s lied to most of the people that love her, and feels she can no longer trust anyone apart from Kit. At this point, Thea longs to return to her old, boring life. But Kit knows her in a way that no one else in her life ever has - or does he? Is Kit playing a game with Thea? Or is she the pawn in the game he’s playing?
To say that Thea’s parents are overprotective is an understatement. She has to let them know wherever she goes, and her time on the computer is extremely limited, to the point that she can hardly check her email, never mind visit video and chat sites.
Thea discovers an online role-playing game that seems to be somewhat educational, and initially her parents ease off the coddling. However, Thea soon becomes overly involved in the game, as she hides her involvement and lives a double life, hiding the game even from her best friend. Thea flirts with a boy she met in the game, the much-older Kit, who seems to like Thea just as much as she likes him.
Soon, Thea is receiving cryptic texts from Kit. He asks her to meet him, and vaguely discusses the idea of the two of them being “together” forever. Thea’s not sure if that means suicide, but she is unable to ask anyone for clarification of help, because she’s lied to most of the people that love her, and feels she can no longer trust anyone apart from Kit. At this point, Thea longs to return to her old, boring life. But Kit knows her in a way that no one else in her life ever has - or does he? Is Kit playing a game with Thea? Or is she the pawn in the game he’s playing?
Review
This is one of those books that every teenager should read. Seriously. If you have kids, you need to buy this book for them. It's quite a chilling tale of a young girl who befriends a guy online, having no idea who he really is. As you can probably imagine, he isn't who he says he is. He's a predator. The fact that this kind of thing really happens, scares the bejeesus out of me. If I were a mother, I'd do anything in my power to prevent my kids from being on a computer - ever. Yes, that's how this book will make you feel.
The character I loved the most was Thea's mother. The author has clearly experienced something horrendous herself to be able to produce such a moving book (it actually says so on the sleeve) but I'd have known even if I hadn't picked up on that tidbit. Thea herself is a very annoying teenager who risks losing everything important to her, including her best friend in this eye-opening book that I can't recommend enough. Amazing, moving, scary and alarmingly realistic.
Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest. She earned a Business Administration degree, started up and sold a business, ranked as a top recruiter for a major direct selling company, and has spoken in front of hundreds of people teaching recruiting and sales tactics. Margo’s inspiration for Who R U Really? came from her daughter’s narrow survival of a man she met in an online role-playing game. Margo and her daughter are reaching out to schools, church groups, and community groups to provide information on spotting and unmasking an Internet predator.
Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest. She earned a Business Administration degree, started up and sold a business, ranked as a top recruiter for a major direct selling company, and has spoken in front of hundreds of people teaching recruiting and sales tactics. Margo’s inspiration for Who R U Really? came from her daughter’s narrow survival of a man she met in an online role-playing game. Margo and her daughter are reaching out to schools, church groups, and community groups to provide information on spotting and unmasking an Internet predator.
This sounds like a good book to help raise awareness about internet friends and what ends up being like when you have friends online. It can be dangerous, but it can also be the opposite. It's just difficult to deem which is which and when...
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