Want to Go Private?

Littman, Sarah Darer. (2011). Want to go private? New York: Scholastic. Starting high school is often a frightening experience for anyone, but Abby Johnston knows that at least she can count on the friendship of her BFF, Faith. But the two freshmen have only one class together, and Faith is more interested in expanding her circle of friends and getting involved in school activities than Abby is, which results in an ever-increasing distance between the two. Abby turns inward, and becomes deeply involved in an online relationship with Luke who seems to have so much in common with her and to empathize with her feelings about high school. They spend more and more time in private chat rooms, and the allure of this online relationship is so much more attractive for Abby than real life high school where one of the alpha males never remembers her name even while managing to copy her homework. Even though her science lab partner is obviously interested in her, Abby has become too dependent on Luke to pay much attention to him. When she doesn't hear from him for a period of time, she becomes depressed and obsessed with trying to find out why he has stopped their online chats. Although it isn't obvious to Abby, who is sure that they love each other despite their age difference--Luke says he's 27--Luke knows exactly how to manipulate her into taking pictures of sexually provocative poses. As the days pass, Abby spends hours online, neglecting her homework and going without sleep. When a particular low math test score prompts parental punishment, Abby and Luke decide to meet. Abby runs away from home, leaving her friends, parents, and the police to locate her before it's too late. Naturally, Abby is devastated when she learns the truth about Luke, and she must deal with the ugly gossip when she returns to school.

What is particularly chilling about this cautionary tale is the ease with which Luke was able to break down all of Abby's barriers and say all the right things to keep her interested in him. Even though her moodiness, poor grades, and increasing isolation as she spends so much time online are signs that something is wrong, no one recognizes those signs until it is too late to help. Being smart and informed may not be enough for vulnerable teens who need protection from sexual predators who prey on their innocence.  The author provides additional resources for Internet safety in the backmatter. This is an important book to share with teen readers.

Favorite Lines:

“I feel bathed in warmth, like someone’s wrapped me in a snuggly fleece blanket” (p. 91).

“While Luke is watching, like a hawk watching a mouse it’s going to eat for dinner” (p. 103).

“Her words shatter me like a plate-glass window” (p. 259).