Review Detail

Not very long ago on CNN they reported a 10 year old who was found dead after committing suicide. Then his family stepped forward and said it wasn't suicide like they all had thought. He'd died after playing the choking game. What is the choking game? It's a strangulation activity where kids use either their hands or something like a rope(or in the case of Nina, a scarf). As the brain is deprived of oxygen, a person has a sensation of light-headedness(or a rush). The side effects include death. What's frightening is one study shows that six percent of middle schoolers have tried this game.

When I found out Scholastic was releasing a book about this topic, I had to read it. As an elementary teacher and also a parent of a tween, I wanted to know more about this frightening new trend.

Choke shows us Windy and her best friend Elena. They're not popular but they're also not in the out-crowd either. Then Nina shows up. Nina is pretty and very confident. She starts hanging around Windy. Nina also mentions how much she misses her breath sisters from her old school. Windy is intrigued and also flattered that Nina wants to be her friend. Then she finds out what a breath sister really is and has to decide whether fitting in is really worth it.

I really loved Windy. For one she's Latina and from a very supportive home. Her parents love her and are there for her too. As a former bilingual teacher I taught girls like Windy who wanted to be more Anglo in their appearances. They'd bleach their hair and wear blue contact lens. Windy's father's attempt to do this very same thing as he feels it will help him land a TV weatherman position is something I actually did see. One of the teachers I used to teach with, wore blue contacts and even spoke French, denying her Latino heritage.

What I loved about Choke is the author shows us two very real characters and their struggles with trying to fit in. Elena is very quirky but she's the one who seems more grounded on who she is.

Windy at first is excited that Nina wants to be her friend. Then others start wearing scarves to school too. Windy looks past some signs that not all is right with Nina as she craves being in the in-group. What teen hasn't been through this?

The scenes on the choking game are intense. I remember being an eighth grader and how I would do just about anything to 'fit' in. The author shows what happens during the choking game without being over the top or preachy. What would you do if you knew a friend was playing this game? Would you laugh it off, join in, or report them? Those are hard questions.

I think this book should be in every middle and high school library. Also I feel it would be a great book club selection that can lead to great discussions on what you would do in Windy's situation.