Book Review: Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

 ReadingNook Rating: 5 of out 5 stars 

Want to Go Private is a realistic and powerful look into the reality of teens and the temptation of "meeting" new people online. Being from a generation where AIM was new and exciting, it was very tempting to talk to random people, esp. those who would tell you that you were pretty and showed an interest in you that people in your everyday life might not show you. Abby feel a victim to that in this novel, and I think this book is not only powerful but necessary in a time where social networking sites are all the rage, and children and teens of all ages have access and the knowledge to use such internet sites as Facebook and Myspace, etc. I think most people have the "it would never happen to me" mentality, but I think anyone can fall victim to an online predator esp. at an age where you're are at your most vunerable. 

Abby starts talking to Luke, and he understands her like nobody else does. What starts off as an innocent online friend, becomes something so much more as through their conversations Abby starts trusting Luke more and more and believes that she is falling in love with him. Only when he gains that trust does the conversation change to a more sexually explicit nature and Abby falls victim to the online "love" that she thinks she has found.

Overall, I couldn't put this novel down, I felt for Abby, where at a time she felt alone and that nobody in the world could understand her, she fell victim to Luke's games. I wanted to know what happened to Abby, and if her "love" for Luke would ultimetly lead to her deciding to meet him in real life.