At thirteen, Kenny clicked "send" and changed lives. Liam, the target of his bullying, committed suicide. Kenny went to juvenile detention. Kenny's family and Liam's were damaged almost beyond repair. The boy Kenny becomes after jail and after moving and hiding with his family for five years is named Dan. Dan is different from Kenny, but Kenny lives on in Dan's mind, plaguing him, pouting, threatening and childlike. Dan just wants to finish high school at what he hopes will be his last school. Then he sees Brandon being bullied by Jeff. Julie sees it too, but it's Dan who acts. Now he is visible, now he is the hero, but Dan just wants to forget it and figure out what Julie knows.
I had a seriously tough time believing that two damaged kid, Dan and Julie, could fall so deeply in love. Blount did not provide enough substance for the depth of their feelings, largely because Dan was dealing with so much "crap" (in his words). The best support came from the unconditional love of his parents, and in the end that is what made me suspend my disbelief and embrace the story. The ending was AMAZING, and sustained the truth of the story. I am so glad that I read this novel. It shows the damage that we are perpetrating on each other through the anonymity of social media, and the warning is powerful. I will definitely be suggesting it to all of my students.
Originally Published 10/8/2014
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