Friend Me
By Author / Illustrator
Sheila M. Averbuch
Genre
Bullying
Age range(s)
9+
Publisher
Scholastic US
ISBN
9781338618082
Format
Hardback
Published
05-11-2020
Synopsis
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. Praise for Friend Me: \"Friend Me is a heart-racing escalation from toxic teen power play and the dangers of social media to a darkly searing near-future thriller. A stunning debut.\" - Elizabeth Wein, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity
Reviews
Sharon
A dark and somewhat disturbing tale which initially appears to be about the effects of social media on the main character. Roisin has moved from Ireland to Boston, Massachusetts, with her mum and brother and is quickly identified as someone who is different from her peers at school; an ideal target for the school bully, Zara.
With a workaholic mum and a big brother who is wrapped up in his own world, Roisin has no one to turn to. The abuse takes many forms, verbal, physical and online and is portrayed in a very believable way. Zara is surrounded by her cronies who also take against Roisin, who feels she is completely alone. Until she meets a new friend online, but is Haley all she seems? She appears to be sassy, strong and smart - exactly the type of friend Roisin needs. Haley takes on a mentoring role trying to persuade Roisin the methods she should use to deter Zara.
When a distressing accident befalls Zara, things start to take a menacing turn. What does Roisin really know about Haley?
This is a thrilling twister of a tale, with dystopian threads throughout. It is a great read, with credible characters and responses to situations. Dealing with bullying, the pitfalls of social media, actual injury and a potential encounter with a rather dodgy character, I would recommend this to mature Year 6 and above readers. It would be a great book group/class reader for all the discussion points within the text.
272 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Sharon Bolton, librarian
Suggested Reading Age 11+
Sharon
A dark and somewhat disturbing tale which initially appears to be about the effects of social media on the main character. Roisin has moved from Ireland to Boston, Massachusetts, with her mum and brother and is quickly identified as someone who is different from her peers at school; an ideal target for the school bully, Zara.
With a workaholic mum and a big brother who is wrapped up in his own world, Roisin has no one to turn to. The abuse takes many forms, verbal, physical and online and is portrayed in a very believable way. Zara is surrounded by her cronies who also take against Roisin, who feels she is completely alone. Until she meets a new friend online, but is Haley all she seems? She appears to be sassy, strong and smart - exactly the type of friend Roisin needs. Haley takes on a mentoring role trying to persuade Roisin the methods she should use to deter Zara.
When a distressing accident befalls Zara, things start to take a menacing turn. What does Roisin really know about Haley?
This is a thrilling twister of a tale, with dystopian threads throughout. It is a great read, with credible characters and responses to situations. Dealing with bullying, the pitfalls of social media, actual injury and a potential encounter with a rather dodgy character, I would recommend this to mature Year 6 and above readers. It would be a great book group/class reader for all the discussion points within the text.
272 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Sharon Bolton, librarian
Suggested Reading Age 11+
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