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Abby is starting high school--it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke--he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.
Anonymous
Posted Sat Nov 19 00:00:00 EST 2011
PROBABLY THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ!!!!!! I AM USUALLY NOT A HUGE FAN OF BOOKS BUT THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST BOOK IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!!!! It keeps you on your toes and its not a book that just has one big "wow" part , this book has one on every page. BUY IT!!!!!!
9 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 2011
I first found out about this book through Shelf Awareness and immediately I wanted to read it. I'm constantly watching shows likeTo Catch A Predator on TV, just appalled at the sick, twisted individuals in our society. In this book we meet Abby, who has a pretty typical life. She lives with her mom, dad, and younger sister Lily. She on the honor roll at school. She has a best friend named Faith that she shares everything with. Unfortunately the move to high school has her scared and everyone in her life thinks she needs to try a little harder; with her appearance, trying to make friends...it feels like they're trying to make her into a completely different person. She's tired of feeling alone and trying to be someone she's not, so when she meets "Luke" on a teen chat site one night and he seems to like her for who she is it's like a breath of fresh air. She keeps it hidden from everyone she loves because he tells her no one will understand what they have and so when Abby suddenly goes missing one day everyone is stunned. Where could Abby have gone and will she ever get to come home? I really liked the characters in this one. Abby and her friend Faith seemed like typical teenagers, trying to make the transition to high school and connected to the world through technology. Unfortunately Abby has to deal with a mom who is constantly telling her how she can make herself better, a dad who is all but non-existent because he works so much, and a little sister who makes her want to tear her hair out. Even though Abby had heard lectures about internetinternet "romance" with Luke. The first part of the book is told entirely from Abby's perspective. The second part is told from the perspective of Lily, Faith, and Billy, so we get a peak into their heads and what they're thinking as well, which I like. I think this book is amazing because it brings awareness to the very real dangers of internet predators. It just goes to show how even the smartest of people can be gullible and believe in almost anything. Especially since these predators are so good at what they do; they get to know the minors, profess that they have the same interests and make them believe they have so much in common. They build trust slowly and before you know it the kids feel like they know the person and don't see a problem with giving out personal information. Parents need to be more involved in their kids' lives and monitor their internet usage so that this kind of thing doesn't happen anymore. Although some parts of this book are a bit graphic, for example when Abby sends Luke pictures through email and has webcam sessions with him, I think it would be a good read for teens to show them that they aren't invincible and to be safe when chatting with people on the internet that they don't know. I enjoyed this book a lot. I could relate to it because even as a pre-teen I was chatting with people online and it's scary to think that something like this could have happened to me. I think my mom did a good job though of making sure I understood not to give out any personal information to strangers, no matter how well I thought I knew them. This book has a great message and I hope it helps save even one family from having to go through tragedy over something that could have been prevented.
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2012
Want To Go Private is a must read for adults and teens! Adults need to talk to their kids about internet safety! Im a teen and I try to be very safe online. Im scared of what would happen if I wasnt. Recently a man came to my school and talked to us about internet safety. He was a man who online poses as teens only to catch the online predators. He had showed us pictures of men who were online and looking for their next victim. Most of them are in prison, but we still need to be careful. You never know who you are talking too. One man was a guy who did this over Club Penguin!! Its very scary and horrifying if you really stop and think about it.
This book should not be read by kids under 10 years old unless parents mark the pages they cant read. There is VERY inapropriate scenes in the book that I am now severly traumatized!! Haha! But seriously... Be careful online and read!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2012
I was talking to this guy online and h aske me to meet him s i looked him up and i couldn find him so one of my teachers looked at the school he gave us and there was no one with him name.and whil all this was going on there was a man wih a van kidnapping teenagers at the exact time.it was scary
4 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed May 30 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Best book so far!!! Not quite done yet but getting there. Get it if u like romance AND LOVE DRAMA! I luv drama and romance that this book totally rocks my world by far. So much drama. :o
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Nov 04 00:00:00 EDT 2011
I love it but there should be an age limit 13 and up.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Want To Go Private was an absolutely haunting, cautionary read. It was terrifying in its reality and deeply saddening. We follow Abby, a girl who has so much going for her but has the same feelings many teens do -- that no one really understands her or what she goes through on a daily basis. She's aching inside to find belonging in the world and unfortunately that is exactly the sort of vulnerability that predators seek to exploit.
Online she meets Luke who seems like a dream come true. He arrives on the scene with a bit of mystery that makes me him irresistable to Abby. And slowly, through gentle persuasion and a lot of focused attention, Luke draws Abby out of her comfort zone and well past the point of no return before she really stops to think.
Reading all of this from her point of view, seeing her choose to go against everything she knew about internet safety, was chilling. As a parent I have to say it made me decide to always keep a close eye on my daughter's internet usage not to mention being sure to stay in a steady, stable relationship with her so that I will be able to pick up on the clues to any unhappiness that might lead her down this path herself.
I thought it was brilliant of the author to switch from Abby's point of view to that of her friends and sister during the time she is missing. It gives the reader such great insight into just exactly what the people left behind go through. The fear and heart ache was so realistic I almost had to put the book down a few times to distance myself from all the emotions.
The one thing I have to fault the book for was a scene in which certain events of a sexual nature take place via web cam in a more graphic way than I felt was really necessary to get the point of the book across. The entire book was a shock, it did not need that to make it more hard-hitting. This explicitness detracts from the message and side-tracks the story toward sensationalizing a tragic moment of poor judgment and exploitation. Thankfully only briefly.
Overall the book has a great message cushioned in excellent writing and very realistic characters and situations. I'm impressed with Ms. Littman for tackling this scary and important topic and seeing it through to the very end. It could have faded to black to avoid causing too much of a controversial ripple but instead Ms. Littman she spells out the aftermath and the affects on everyone in Abby's life.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Nov 08 00:00:00 EST 2012
Every parent, every teen, and every pre-teen should read this book and then tell everyone they know to read it as well. Well done! I will definitely read more by this author.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Apr 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012
This book is amazing and realry hood bad part is there is alot of freaky crap in it and some inaproprite words and it teaches a lesson dont trust people online
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Mar 11 00:00:00 EST 2012
best book i have ever read
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Jul 04 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Never a dull moment in this book. It really opens your eyes to what really happens out there. I could hardly put this book down! An excellent read. (:
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 2012
This book kept me on my feet and worried for Abby the entire time. I felt the pain of her family and friends....especially Billy. This book is definitely a reccomendation for every teen who may feel lonely with nowhere to turn but the internet. Stay safe.
Brittany DS
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Feb 23 00:00:00 EST 2012
The inside flap gives away part of the story so you know part of what happens. The story is interesting and believable, I read it all in one sitting. Along with being a good read it teaches a great lesson about internet reading without boring the reader.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2012
omg this was so scary!!!!! And that guy..ew.... but this was a great book! A must read
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat Feb 04 00:00:00 EST 2012
This book is by far one of the most haunting and amazing books I have read. It makes you wonder how something like this can happen so easily to someone. Being a teenager myself, I now realize how close I was to having this almost happen to me; I used to go into chat rooms a lot. Now I know how scary this situation can be, and have learned a great lesson.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Dec 20 00:00:00 EST 2011
Best book I have evee read!!!!! This book made me realize stuff I never thought would happen to me! Every teenage girl needs to read this and realize this could happen to them! I'm a teenager and I just want girls to read this and know this happens every day with guys telling them stuff that they want to hear and as we get older it gets worse.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Nov 17 00:00:00 EST 2011
Loved this book so much, it has such a true message that teens especially should learn from.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Oct 17 00:00:00 EDT 2011
I am so in love with this book you dont even know!!! Im 13 and I loved it! Great for kids my age! Im usually not huge ln reading but this was OUTSTANDING! I READ IT IN 2 DAYS!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was an interesting read for me in many ways. As a parent, I wanted to read this for my own benefit on recognizing the signs that this type of behavior might be happening to my own child. But, I was also curious how this might happen in today's society. You always hear about what not to do on the internet, but how does it really apply?
My first thought was that this book feels a little dated. I really honestly wondered if chat room like this really occur today. I remember chatting like this when we first got the internet back in the mid 90's. And it was with random people you didn't know and the eventual question of "want to go private". Not that this makes this book any less real. Because I can see how this could happen on Facebook, eventually leading to private communications. And I could really see how the chain of events could occur, as much as they make me stop and think.
I really felt for Abby. I think she is socially awkward and doesn't know how to handle her new school. When it's hard to make new friends to begin with, being separated from the few do have can be overwhelming. I don't think every one understands that. "Luke" knew just how to target her insecurities. He knew how to make her feel better about herself, when to agree with her, and basically what to say and when. While at first I was honestly shocked at how fast Abby gives in to what Luke asks of her, I later got the impression that maybe more time had lapsed than the reader really thinks. He is really grooming her. Everytime he listens to her vent about her everyday problems he is proving how much her cares (in Abby's eyes). In turn each little thing her asks of her better seals the hold he has on her.
The book was graphic in every sense. No words are lost in what Luke says to Abby. I think its for shock value to Abby. So the reader gets all the warning signs that Abby is missing. Abby knows she shouldn't be doing what Luke asks, but in she justifies it all to herself so beautifully. So when he finally asks the ultimate thing from her, she never hesitates.
Really, a must read for parents and teens (especially those who are active on the internet). I'm sure many people think this will never happen to me, or my child would never do that. This just proves that it can and does happen to anybody!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is a very powerful story that shows us the realistic view of things. Alot of books conjure up this perfect romance between two characters because it's what we love, to read about our perfect love story with the perfect guy or girl. But, sometimes we need to be brought down to reality (just for alittle while :D ). This book is about the dangers of teen chat rooms. We all think we would never do anything like meet a total stranger we met online, and that's what Abby thought, the main character of this very realistic story. This is a very emotional story and really made me watch what I say and do on the Internet. When Abby thought all was lost she had her friends to lean on, who supported her every step of the way. I really loved the end. It was really heartfelt and brave. Everyone should definitely read this book because it contains a very important message that everyone needs to hear. Be careful what you do any say on the Internet and stay away from chat rooms
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Abby is starting high school--it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke--he is her secret, and she's his. Then ...