Friend Me
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
What happens when an online friend becomes a real-life nightmare?
Roisin hasn't made a single friend since moving from Ireland to Massachusetts. In fact, she is falling apart under constant abuse from a school bully, Zara. Zara torments Roisin in person and on social media. She makes Roisin the laughingstock of the whole school.
Roisin feels utterly alone... until she bonds with Haley online. Finally there's someone who gets her. Haley is smart, strong, and shares anti-mean-girl memes that make Roisin laugh. Together, they are able to imagine what life could look like without Zara. Haley quickly becomes Roisin's lifeline.
Then Zara has a painful accident, police investigate, and Roisin panics. Could her chats with Haley look incriminating?
Roisin wants Haley to delete her copies of their messages, but when she tries to meet Haley in person, she can't find her anywhere. What's going on? Her best friend would never have lied to her, right? Or is Haley not who she says she is...
With twists, turns, and lightning-fast pacing, this is a middle-grade thriller about bullying, revenge, and tech that young readers won't be able to put down.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Former journalist Averbuch makes a vibrant debut with this cyberthriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Dubliner Roisin, the book's narrator, is excited when her tech expert mother, inventor of a "turbo" Alexa-like digital assistant, lands a job at MIT. Roisin has always wanted to see the States, but her Boston area middle school turns out to be a "snake pit" full of bullies led by mean girl Zara, who cruelly mocks Roisin's clothes in person and via an app called TokTalk. Even online friend Lily, the daughter of Roisin's mother's new boss, brushes her off IRL. Miserable and lonely, Roisin meets a new online friend, Haley, who seems to relate to all her woes, but things get out of hand when a strange accident befalls Zara. In a pertinent drama that sends a clear warning about social media and apps, Averbuch reflects a keen awareness of young adult angst and bullying issues. With this riveting book and through Roisin's strong voice, she paves the way for a promising future. Ages 8 12.
