Review Detail

When I heard Sarah Darer Littman speak to her readers via video chat last winter, I wanted to get my hands on WANT TO GO PRIVATE? immediately. She spoke about a recent news story where the police rescued a teen girl from an Internet predator before they crossed the Canadian border. Only, the thing is, the teen girl didn't see it as a rescue. She had *wanted* to go with the guy, claiming she was in love with him. Sarah said she wondered what would have to happen for a teenager to get to that point -- the point of climbing into a car with a complete stranger and running away with him.

Willingly.

I tried to answer that question myself. I racked my brain and played out dozens of different scenarios in my mind, but I still couldn't understand why a teen girl would agree to meet a stranger she met online. All I could come up with was that she must have been stupid. A smart girl would never do something like that.

That news story compelled Sarah to find out as well. Through conversations with the police and FBI, she found out it wasn't stupidity at all.

Her extensive research led to WANT TO GO PRIVATE?, an in-depth and horrifyingly realistic look into the life of a 14-year-old girl named Abby. By the end of the book, I understood why Abby made the decisions she did. I didn't agree with them, but I understood them. And I no longer think a girl who gets tangled with an Internet predator is stupid. I know now that she's a victim of one of the worst cons on earth.

Sarah weaves a striking and believable teenage world. Abby's just starting her freshman year of high school. Everything is new. Her BFF Faith is making new friends and is involved in new things, like the school play. Abby isn't big on acting--she faints whenever she's in front of a crowd--and she doesn't really like Faith's new buddy, Grace. And the boy situation? Let's just say, it's every bit as confusing as REAL life.

Abby's parents are supposed to be a safe haven for her: the people who love her and listen to her. But they're too busy to notice how alone and scared she feels, just starting high school. She'd love to talk to them about what's bothering her, but they always find a way to brush her off. And Faith hanging out with her new friend Grace all the time isn't helping matters either.

So Abby logs on to ChezTeen.com to interact with other kids her age online. She meets Luke, a cute older guy who likes all the same music she does, and takes the time to listen to her problems. After a couple of weeks, she feels like she and Luke are soul mates. Then after a couple of months, she feels like she's in love.

And she's ready to meet him.

WANT TO GO PRIVATE? shows us exactly how Internet predators "groom" their victims without being preachy. This is a book you'll invest in--not only because the message is so important, but because you'll find yourself truly caring about the characters.

Most of the book is told from Abby's point of view, but after Part 1, we get to hear from her friends and her sister, Lily. This was my favorite aspect of the book. I liked seeing how Abby's decisions affected her friends and family, and how they had to cope with it. We often forget how much our choices affect those we love. I also liked seeing what teens like Abby must go through to heal after mistakes like hers are made. Healing takes time, but the pain from being an Internet predator victim never goes away. This is something every teen should have in the forefront of their mind whenever they log online: The memories and the affects are life-long. They can never be erased.

Will you want to shout at Abby and tell her not to make all the horrible decisions she makes? Yes. Dozens of times. But that won't stop you from reading and discovering how incredibly *simple* it is for Internet predators to con you, your best friend, or your child.

This is one of the most important books I've ever read. It left me shattered, humbled, and horrified. I still can't stop thinking about it. A must-have for every library. Highest of recommendations.