Want to Go Private?

Aug 22, 2011 Kim rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, read-in-2011, did-not-like-it

I know what this book is supposed to do, and I understand that the topic is difficult, but... This was just a bit too over the top for me.

I have a lot of online friends, and I've met quite a few weirdos and creeps in my day but the things Abby does for Luke are just... Everything happens way too fast, and she just does whatever Luke tells her to do. I know she's completely in love with him, but even if I did have feelings for him, I wouldn't take off my clothes after talking to a guy for only a...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: disappointing, abusive-relationship, y-a, read-in-2011-and-2012, 2012

3 and a half stars

It's a bit hard for me to write a review on this, in a way. I do think that the message is important and that teens should definitely be wary and super careful when it comes to communicating with strangers on the internet.

However, to begin with I think this idea could've been written sooo much better. It was an idea I haven't seen in Y.A so I was intrigued by it. They made it a bit after school special for my taste. After reading "But I love him" by Amanda Grace, this falls fla...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Melissa (YA Book Shelf) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow - one of the scariest contemporary YA novels I've read in a long time. BlueSkyBoi made my blood boil whenever he said anything to Abby because he's just so manipulative and disturbing. Also, while it's easy for an adult or teen to say that they wouldn't fall for the things he says, I really believe that it's easy for young people to get caught up in the way Abby does. They've all been told not to talk to strangers, but the people they meet online don't feel like strangers anymore, and in the...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-literature

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "'Do you want me to walk you in?' Mom asks me as I sit with my hand on the door handle, afraid to open the car door and get out.

If you thought the first day of high school was bad, try going back after you ran away with some guy you met online who turned out not to be the loving person you thought he was, but was actually a creep and a perv who was chatting up lots of other girls.

I feel breakfast coming up the back of my throat."

Abby is feeling all the normal angst of entering high school, and t...more "'Do you want me to walk you in?' Mom asks me as I sit with my hand on the door handle, afraid to open the car door and get out.

If you thought the first day of high school was bad, try going back after you ran away with some guy you met online who turned out not to be the loving person you thought he was, but was actually a creep and a perv who was chatting up lots of other girls.

I feel breakfast coming up the back of my throat."

Abby is feeling all the normal angst of entering high school, and then some. Her best friend isn't in any of her classes, so they begin to drift apart. Her home life is complicated by her younger sister, and her parents, who don't always provide the support that Abby needs, yet can't articulate.

But when she meets Luke in an online chat room, Abby finds someone who does listen to her, and does understand what she's going through. Sure, she's heard the normal warnings about online relationships, but Luke lives in another state, and seems nice, so there really doesn't seem to be any harm in just chatting. But chatting quickly leads to more, and before long, Abby is making plans to skip school and spend the day with Luke, and that's where things go off the rails. Luke kidnaps and sexually abuses Abby, but through the quick work of the police force, and her friends, she is returned to her family. Then comes the day when she must return to school, and face the stares and whispers about her.

I think I wanted to like this book more than I did. It's a great premise, which is why I picked it up in the first place, but the plot seems very predictable. I can certainly understand how online predators can quickly gain the trust of a teen, but in this case, it still seems to happen too suddenly, especially for a narrator who claims to know all about that possibility. Some of the characters are very stereotypical, such as Abby's father, and his reactions seem pretty flat. The finale, where Abby discusses her abduction with the entire school, also seems a little contrived, mainly because it feels like the book is preaching to me at that point. In fact, it preaches a lot, to the point where some sections feel like a cautionary pamphlet about online predators. Good premise, but poor execution in this one, at least for me. (less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Bookish♥Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: singles-fic, read-in-2012, own-hard-copy

♥ Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah

- - -

Abby and her best friend, Faith, are beginning high school. Faith has been encouraging Abby to be more outgoing, positive, and maybe more stylish as well. Abby just wants to be herself, and feels nothing but nerves at the thought of dealing with high school - because surely, it's going to be just as terrible as middle school.

Shortly after school begins, Abby feels as if Faith is leaving her behind. Her parents want her to be perfect; A...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 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...more

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Oct 01, 2010 Karen Ball rated it 5 of 5 stars

Eye-opening, amazing, and heartbreaking. Abby is having trouble adjusting to life in high school, especially when she feels so alone. Even her best friend Faith isn't enough to keep school from feeling like prison, and Faith is getting involved and finding new friends at school. Abby's found someone new too, but she doesn't want to tell anyone about him... everyone thinks it's so weird to meet someone online. But Luke is different - he's interested in her, and what she thinks, and they've talked...more Eye-opening, amazing, and heartbreaking. Abby is having trouble adjusting to life in high school, especially when she feels so alone. Even her best friend Faith isn't enough to keep school from feeling like prison, and Faith is getting involved and finding new friends at school. Abby's found someone new too, but she doesn't want to tell anyone about him... everyone thinks it's so weird to meet someone online. But Luke is different - he's interested in her, and what she thinks, and they've talked online so often he's no stranger. And he says he loves her, which is exactly what Abby knows she needs: someone who understands her and adores her. It doesn't matter that her grades are dropping, she has no afterschool activities, and she's not going out with her friends, right? All that matters is Luke. As Abby gets deeper and deeper into this relationship, and Luke asks more and more of her, Abby refuses to see anything wrong with what's going on. When he asks to meet her in person, she agrees... and disappears. At this point, the point of view shifts, and each chapter is from another character's perspective. Her family and friends are left to work with the police to figure out what happened and where she went, and who Luke really is. Based on the author's research with the police and the FBI, using real case transcripts, the events are intense, and the reactions of the family and friends are realistic. This is a disturbing, cautionary tale of an internet predator, with mature content and language suitable for 8th grade and up. As I've said to all of my students who come for booktalks, "you may not be ready for this, and that's okay. Anyone who starts it and finds it's too much or it bothers you -- just bring it back and we'll find you something else. You may not be ready for this until high school." For those who are ready, this is a serious wakeup call about what can happen online. Note: Sarah Littman is a local author, and she asked me to be an early reader of this novel in the spring of 2010. (less)

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Nov 06, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

A horrific and brutally honest portrayal of a girl falling victim to an internet predator.

This book was scary. What’s even more scary is this happens in real life.

We never had talks about internet predators at my school, but it doesn’t mean that I wasn’t aware of it. When we finally got a computer I was a sophomore in high school and my parents put out computer in the family room where they could watch me from the kitchen. I, being a teenager, thought they were just being paranoid. Looking bac...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Pinkie Pie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: tour

This is one of the bests books I've read in like, a month. Littman takes us on a thrill ride of emotions through different styles of writing and different points of view. I haven't felt this strongly towards a book in a long time-I was physically affected by Littman's writing, and this is a book I will not soon forget.

Want to Go Private is an essential book for all young readers. It actually portrays internet predators realistically. Littman effectually takes us into the head of the victim of a...more This is one of the bests books I've read in like, a month. Littman takes us on a thrill ride of emotions through different styles of writing and different points of view. I haven't felt this strongly towards a book in a long time-I was physically affected by Littman's writing, and this is a book I will not soon forget.

Want to Go Private is an essential book for all young readers. It actually portrays internet predators realistically. Littman effectually takes us into the head of the victim of a pedophile and so we can experience first-hand what drives a relatively reasonable child or teenager to make the careless decisions that Abby has made. Not only do we get to experience exactly how Abby felt before she took off with a stranger, we also got to see how her family and friends felt-anger, blame, despair-while still focusing on the fact that Abby was a victim.

This book addresses the invincibility that kids often feel when they're lectured about safety. Teenagers often feel like things could never happen to them. But Littman shows, through Abby, that no one is 100% safe. Abby is a shy girl with exceptional grades, and easily falls into the category of normal. She is definitely smart. But she was still capable of being manipulated. I think that through Want to Go Private, we can teach kids exactly why it isn't safe to engage strangers on line, and also what to look for-without having them roll their eyes at "just another lecture."

I also believe that this is a must-read for parents of kids 10 and older. A lot of parents truly do not take the time to see what their kids are up to when they are on the computer for hours all day. I know mine weren't alert, and I was lucky enough to not fall prey to some of the weirdos out there. But maybe if parents would read this book, they could get a wake-up call: it can happen to anyone.

Beyond this book being important, and a potential safety tool, it was exceptionally well written. We were easily invited into Abby's head (and later a few of her friends' as well as her sister's.) It was not hard to empathize when Abby started to feel isolated and lonely; and when Luke stepped in, the way he was making her feel wanted and loved was completely organic.

I appreciate Littman's unique style. Some of the writing was inner monologue and others were IMs and text messages between Abby, Luke and her best friend Faith. I loved having access to all that was said and done-that way I felt a stronger connection to Abby and could better understand her relationship with Luke.

The only two things I didn't like were the beginning of the relationship with Luke, and the ending of the book. I won't give the latter away. But when Luke and Abby first started chatting online, Abby was her normal self. But for some reason Luke persuaded her to answer some inappropriate questions, and eventually photograph herself topless. I felt that, given Abby's shyness, especially around the opposite sex, that these events happened a little to quickly and a little too easily. The ending, I just felt was a little too... boxed up in a perfect little package, for my tastes.

I have to warn potential readers. There is some pretty disturbing content between the pages of Want to Go Private? Abby and Luke's online relationship accelerates pretty darn quickly, and things gets really heated relatively early on in the book. We are also given flashes and glimpses into a realm of child pornography. Without these passages, though, the book would have been lacking: the message would not have hit home as strongly.

If you can handle some of the content, I definitely recommend reading this book. I almost want it to be required reading in high schools, it's that powerful. Want to Go Private? is an important book with subject matter that frankly should be addressed more often. Kudos to Littman for being so brave.(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Miss Blake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-february-2013

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I went into this book knowing it was going to be disturbing. It is, after all, about a young girl who falls prey to an Internet predator. It IS disturbing, but Littman does a strong job of making it powerful without being gratuitous. I did have to read this book in two distinct settings, with bright lights and other people around, and couldn't stop thinking about it for days after I had finished.

The strength of this intense novel is how Littman makes this scenario feel real. Our main character,...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Giota Papadimakopoulou rated it 4 of 5 stars

Δεν γνωρίζω αν έχουν γραφτεί και άλλα μυθιστορήματα με κεντρικό άξονα, την παραπλάνηση και την κακοποίηση ανηλίκων στο διαδίκτυο όμως, το "Θέλεις Να Κάνουμε Chat;", είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο σχετικής θεματολογίας που έπεσε ποτέ στα χέρια μου και ειλικρινά, με έκανε να ανατριχιάσω και μέσω της απλότητας και της αμεσότητας της γραφής του, να καθηλωθώ από την πρώτη, μέχρι και την τελευταία σελίδα. Μπορεί το συγκεκριμένο πρόβλημα να είναι στις μέρες μας πιο επίκαιρο από ποτέ, να ακούμε δεκάδες ιστορίες...more Δεν γνωρίζω αν έχουν γραφτεί και άλλα μυθιστορήματα με κεντρικό άξονα, την παραπλάνηση και την κακοποίηση ανηλίκων στο διαδίκτυο όμως, το "Θέλεις Να Κάνουμε Chat;", είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο σχετικής θεματολογίας που έπεσε ποτέ στα χέρια μου και ειλικρινά, με έκανε να ανατριχιάσω και μέσω της απλότητας και της αμεσότητας της γραφής του, να καθηλωθώ από την πρώτη, μέχρι και την τελευταία σελίδα. Μπορεί το συγκεκριμένο πρόβλημα να είναι στις μέρες μας πιο επίκαιρο από ποτέ, να ακούμε δεκάδες ιστορίες στην τηλεόραση, σαν κι αυτή που το βιβλίο πραγματεύεται, όμως είναι πραγματικά ανατριχιαστικό να το βιώνεις βήμα-βήμα και όχι απλά, ως μια γενική εικόνα της όλης κατάστασης. Και το παράδοξο είναι πως σήμερα, που υπάρχει περισσότερη ενημέρωση από ποτέ άλλοτε, τόσα περισσότερα είναι και τα κρούσματα ανάλογων περιπτώσεων και τελικά όλο αυτό, γεννά ένα μεγάλο ερώτημα. Φταίνε τα παιδιά που είναι αφελή ή οι γονείς και διάφοροι φορείς;

Η Άμπι είναι ένα 14χρονο κορίτσι που ξεκινώντας το Λύκειο, αντιμετωπίζει τα προβλήματα και τις ανασφάλειες που αυτή η αλλαγή φέρει στη ζωή της, όπως τόσα και τόσα παιδιά. Βλέπει την καθημερινότητά της να αλλάζει, την καλύτερή της φίλη, Φέιθ, να απομακρύνεται και να ασχολείται και με άλλα πράγματα πέραν της φιλίας τους και σε συνδυασμό με τις υψηλές απαιτήσεις που έχουν από εκείνην, οι απόμακροι γονείς της, αναστατώνεται και αισθάνεται πιο μόνη από ποτέ. Διέξοδο από αυτά της τα προβλήματα βρίσκει μέσω του ChezTeen.com, ενός διαδικτυακού κόμβου για εφήβους στον οποίο τελικά, δεν συχνάζουν μόνο παιδιά της ηλικίας της. Εκεί είναι που γνωρίζει τον Λουκ, έναν 27χρονο που δείχνει να την καταλαβαίνει περισσότερο από οποιονδήποτε άλλο και που σταδιακά, καταφέρνει να κερδίσει την εμπιστοσύνη της και να την πείσει πως την αγαπάει και την νοιάζεται, πως είναι το αγόρι της, πως είναι σημαντική για εκείνον και τίποτα άλλο δεν έχει σημασία. Έτσι, ένα ερωτικό παιχνίδι ξεκινά ανάμεσά τους και η Άμπι δεν αργεί να του ανοιχτεί, ακόμα και να του στείλει γυμνές της φωτογραφίες και η κατάσταση, δεν αργεί να ξεφύγει με εκείνη, να δέχεται να τον συναντήσει και να τον ακολουθήσει.

Διαβάζοντας την υπόθεση, πολλοί αναγνώστες θα μπείτε στην λογική του αστυνομικού μυθιστορήματος όμως η πραγματικότητα, είναι πολύ διαφορετική. Το βιβλίο, έχει καθαρά κοινωνικό περιεχόμενο και αυτό είναι ξεκάθαρο, από τις πρώτες κι όλας γραμμές. Η συγγραφέας, πολύ εύστοχα, επιλέγει την πρωτοπρόσωπη αφήγηση θέλοντας να μας κάνει να ταυτιστούμε με την Άμπι, να μπούμε στο μυαλό και την καρδιά της, να κατανοήσουμε την ψυχοσύνθεσή της και τελικά, να μην την αντιμετωπίσουμε ως επικριτές ενήλικοι, να μην την κατηγορήσουμε για την αφέλεια και την ευπιστία της αλλά, να την δούμε όπως πραγματικά είναι. Ως ένα ανασφαλές κορίτσι που επιζητεί την προσοχή και την αγάπη των οικείων, την αναγνώριση του περίγυρού της, την κατανόηση και την στοργή που τόσο πολύ χρειάζεται, την ανάγκη να την αντιμετωπίσουν ως ένα ώριμο πλάσμα και όχι ως παιδί. Γιατί μπορεί η Άμπι να αφήνεται να παρασυρθεί από τον Λουκ και τις υποσχέσεις λατρείας του ωστόσο, δεν παύει να είναι το θύμα μιας μάστιγας που απειλεί τα παιδιά και τους έφηβους ολόκληρου του πλανήτη. Ναι, ευθύνεται για όσα θα αντιμετωπίσει όμως τελικά, μήπως το λάθος δεν είναι μόνο δικό της;

Η ιστορία χωρίζεται σε τρία μέρη. Στο πρώτο, παρακολουθούμε αποκλειστικά και μόνο την οπτική της Άμπι γύρω από την κατάσταση την οποία βιώνει και δεχόμαστε, μόνο τα δικά της συναισθήματα. Στο δεύτερο μέρος, η μορφή της αφήγησης δεν αλλάζει αλλά βλέπουμε την οπτική των ανθρώπων που αποτελούν το περιβάλλον της και πως ο καθένας από αυτούς, αντιμετωπίζει την φυγή της, ψάχνοντας να βρει τους λόγους που την οδήγησαν σε μια τέτοια, εξωφρενική απόφαση και κάνοντας μια βαθύτερη ενδοσκόπηση, να ανακαλύψουν, αν έχουν κι εκείνοι, κάποιο μερίδιο ευθύνης. Στο τρίτο και τελευταίο μέρος, η αφήγηση μοιράζεται ανάμεσα στην Άμπι και τους οικείους της, με τον καθέναν από αυτούς να αντιμετωπίζει τα προβλήματα, που ως κατάλοιπα άφησε η περιπέτειά της. Ο τρόπος με τον οποίο η συγγραφέας μας μεταφέρει τις αλλαγές μέσα σε μια οικογένεια, ακόμα και ανάμεσα σε φίλους, έπειτα από γεγονότα σαν αυτά που εκτυλίσσονται στο βιβλίο της, είναι συγκλονιστικός και μας κάνει να καταλάβουμε, πόσο βαθιά μπορεί να βρίσκεται η ρίζα ενός κακού και πόσο δύσκολο είναι να την ξεριζώσουμε αλλά, και να αντιμετωπίσουμε και να διαχειριστούμε, όλα όσα θα αφήσει πίσω της.

Αν υπάρχουν μυθιστορήματα που θα έπρεπε να διαβάσουν μικροί και μεγάλοι, σίγουρα το "Θέλεις Να Κάνουμε Chat;", ανήκει ανάμεσά τους. Η λογοτεχνία, δεν έχει ως μοναδικό της στόχο να ψυχαγωγήσει αλλά και να ενημερώσει και το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, το αποδεικνύει περίτρανα. Το σίγουρο είναι πως το βιβλίο, δεν θα σας αφήσει χώρο να αναπνεύσετε και θα διαβάζετε μανιωδώς, προκειμένου να φτάσετε στην τελευταία σελίδα ώστε να ανακαλύψετε μόνοι σας, ποια είναι η κατάληξη στην ιστορία της Άμπι. Ένα καλογραμμένο μυθιστόρημα, με δυνατές στιγμές, που χωρίς να χρησιμοποιεί φτηνά κόλπα εντυπωσιασμού, μέσα από τον ωμό ρεαλισμό και την απλότητα, περνάει το μήνυμα που θέλει ξεκάθαρα, χωρίς να χρειάζονται διευκρινίσεις. Ένα ταξίδι στην ψυχολογία των εφήβων σε μια εποχή που οι νέοι, χάνονται στις σελίδες του διαδικτύου και οι γονείς, βυθισμένοι στην καθημερινότητα, ή και την αφέλειά τους, δεν μπαίνουν στον κόπο να διερευνήσουν προκειμένου να διασφαλίσουν, τα ίδια τα παιδιά τους. Το "αυτό δεν θα συμβεί σε 'μένα", δυστυχώς, δεν υπάρχει και γι' αυτό, καλό θα ήταν ο καθένας από εμάς, να λαμβάνει τα μέτρα του.(less)

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Jan 18, 2013 Brandi Kosiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

I completely connected with the main character of Want to go Private? Abby is such a smart girl, and doesn't have the confidence or the popularity. She is pretty and smart, but she doesn't see herself that way. I have always had self esteem problems and I saw so much of myself in her. So when a guy, online starts telling her she is beautiful and worth it, she listens. I can see how easy it would be to fall into this trap. I mean, we all know about online predators, and that we can't give out ou...more I completely connected with the main character of Want to go Private? Abby is such a smart girl, and doesn't have the confidence or the popularity. She is pretty and smart, but she doesn't see herself that way. I have always had self esteem problems and I saw so much of myself in her. So when a guy, online starts telling her she is beautiful and worth it, she listens. I can see how easy it would be to fall into this trap. I mean, we all know about online predators, and that we can't give out our personal information. But she gets to know him, he asks her questions, remembers details of her day, and most of all makes her feel special. So, little by little, she gives more to him. Her address, because he wants to give her presents, and taking off her shirt, because it all of the sudden doesn't seem like a big deal. He thinks she is beautiful after all, right? This is the guy who listens and understands how she doesn't feel like she fits in at high school. He is the guy that sees beauty in her where people at school she might as well be invisible.
I can see her getting more and more obsessed with Luke and being by her computer. It is so hard to watch her giving up things in real life, friends and grades, all because she is addicted to Luke, to feeling special, to being his girl. I so wished that the story could have gone differently... That she didn't isolate herself from her best friend since 2nd grade Faith, or cute and flirty while very nerdy Billy. She just didn't realize what was in front of her.
Speaking of Faith and Billy. I loved the secondary characters in this book. Their depth and kindness and sincerity. Faith is not perfect.. she doesn't realize that Abby feels left behind when they all of the sudden don't have classes together, and Abby feels replaced by a new friend, Grace and the drama club that Faith joins. But Faith loves Abby, and is and has been there for her. And Billy is so sweet, nerdy and funny. I LOVE characters like him. He isn't broody, or super hot, he is a normal sweet guy who sees the good in Abby, that she is pretty and funny, and smart but he has been too shy until it was too late and she was wrapped up in Luke.
I did not want to put this book down, and I kept rooting for Abby to open her eyes, and wishing that I could pad the ground for her for her inevitable fall into danger.
I also really appreciated the other pov and what it brought to the book. It really showed how others saw Abby and how it effected them.

Bottom Line: Powerful book where I was sympathetic to the main character.

For more of my reviews, check out Blkosiner’s YA and Teen Book Blog: http://blkosiner.blogspot.com (less)

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Dec 03, 2012 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book on a recommendation from YA Books Central website. They said it was a gripping tale that all teenagers should read, because it warns them about the dangers of online sex predators.
I wish I could scrub my brain clean from the horrors I read in this book! I mean, how can this book be recommended to teenagers?! It is so graphic and (view spoiler)...more

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Nov 25, 2012 7703nicolas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: total-awesomeness

I am in awe in the creepiness, the vulgarity, and the disgusting, but necassary details. Abby starts out high school with her best and only friend Faith. Everything is going great until they receive their schedules and the only class they have together is gym. Abby starts to get distant from Faith because of Faith's new friend Grace. Then she meets Luke, an internet predator. He slowly gains her trust and love. Then he asks her to meet him. Abby meets him and he takes her way. On their trip to C...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Abby is about to start her freshmen year of high school and is scared. Her best friend, Faith, is taking everything in stride (meeting new friends, joining new activities) and tries to get Abby to as well but Abby only feels left behind. Her parents have what she considers to be unachievable expectations and she wonders why everyone can't be happy with this Abby instead of trying to make her into something she's not. Everything changes when Abby meets BlueSkyBoi in a teen Internet chat room. His...more Abby is about to start her freshmen year of high school and is scared. Her best friend, Faith, is taking everything in stride (meeting new friends, joining new activities) and tries to get Abby to as well but Abby only feels left behind. Her parents have what she considers to be unachievable expectations and she wonders why everyone can't be happy with this Abby instead of trying to make her into something she's not. Everything changes when Abby meets BlueSkyBoi in a teen Internet chat room. His name is Luke and he's kinda old, 27, but he gets her. He tells her that she's pretty and perfect just the way she is. He convinces Abby that Faith and Abby's parents don't really love her since they are constantly trying to change her, but he does and he doesn't want Abby seeing any other guys. He's "the jealous type". Pretty soon Abby is doing things she thought she'd never do-sending topless pictures of herself to Luke, chatting with him both online and on a phone Luke has sent her just to use to secretly contact him until all hours of the night. Abby starts getting poor grades and distances herself even more. That's when he pounces. Luke convinces Abby to meet him in person. Abby skips school, takes a bus to the mall, and gets in the car with a man who looks a little older than he had online but who she "loves".

Part 2 is narrated through the eyes of Abby's sister, Faith, and Billy, a boy who Abby had gone out on a date with a few months earlier, as they try to work with the police and FBI to find Abby. Faith cracks a password which helps to track down Abby's whereabouts and that of the 32 year old sexual predator who has been lying to Abby all along. Part 3 is again told through Abby's eyes as she comes to the realization that she's a victim and decides to use her experience as an example in talking to other students about Internet safety.

I really wanted this book to be something I could use with junior high age kids at my school to talk about Internet safety and while I think the storyline is very realistic and believable, I think the content is a little too graphic for the kids I was hoping to use it with. Several years ago, newly divorced, I entered the world of Internet dating and was startled when, in the middle of a conversation, I was asked what my bra size was or a guy would try to start a conversation with me by sending a pic of his hard-on right off the bat. It was ... Interesting, but even as an adult I sometimes felt myself drawn in by guys who knew the right things to say. I know exactly what Abby felt and completely sympathized with her character. Sarah Littman definitely did her research in writing this book and for mature readers, who could handle the graphic content, this would be an excellent example of what not to do online. (less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenage-lament

First Impression: Yes, I did pick up this book because of the summary and because of how important this type of knowledge is. I am so glad that this is actually a "young adult" novel and I found it in the teenage section. Of course it is crammed between other novels with ideas of 'boyfriends' and 'love' and 'friends' and the reality of being a teenager. But in the midst of these tales, there is the little fragile hope a teenager has. To grow up and have a typical, easy-going, spectacular life. A...more First Impression: Yes, I did pick up this book because of the summary and because of how important this type of knowledge is. I am so glad that this is actually a "young adult" novel and I found it in the teenage section. Of course it is crammed between other novels with ideas of 'boyfriends' and 'love' and 'friends' and the reality of being a teenager. But in the midst of these tales, there is the little fragile hope a teenager has. To grow up and have a typical, easy-going, spectacular life. And the big shock is that you will not live every day satisfied although you a positive, glowing person. There will be terrible people you will meet and people who break your heart, and people who give you amazing feelings. The main character is Abby, and she is fourteen and unknowing of what how easy it is to fall to a predator. I may not be an omniscient person, but when you are young; everything feels like a challenge. The way we think that our parents do not understand us, or that we have no idea how it is to truly 'live'. But that's all mixed feelings, and it's the fact that children are innocent. And when they venture into the life-style of someone else, or they think they need to act older and be older, they lose a bit of who they are. But the tremendous feeling of losing someone to this act of running away and trying to be older is senseless. I can remember some days in high school, wondering why my sister had not come off the bus yet. And quickly sending messages to ask of her whereabouts. The answer was simply, 'after-school' or she would sooner or later make it home. But it's that tingly of fear, running down my and our throats. The idea that our developed populace can produce people that take advantage of others. It's the truth, and we have to live with it, we have to live with people who do terrible things to others. It's a sad fact, and a sad way to bring children up in the world. To know that, having a child outside without a parent is terrifying. That a child cannot be with friends, and not be a target. Going into this novel, I did not think it would be as effecting as it is. Because it is a very touchy subject and harming one at that. In our lives today, we must know how to protect one another. We cannot live in fear because of what happens, we have to survive and trudge through our heart-aches. (less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Joti rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Abby is 14 and starting high school and she and her best friend Faith are starting to drift apart a little bit, since Faith joins the drama club and starts hanging out with this new girl, Grace. Abby meets this guy online, Luke, whose apparently 27. They start talking and she starts shutting out her friends and family and her school grades start dropping - and she's a straight-A student, too. Luke supports her and understands her and tells her he loves her and starts asking her to do really weir...more Abby is 14 and starting high school and she and her best friend Faith are starting to drift apart a little bit, since Faith joins the drama club and starts hanging out with this new girl, Grace. Abby meets this guy online, Luke, whose apparently 27. They start talking and she starts shutting out her friends and family and her school grades start dropping - and she's a straight-A student, too. Luke supports her and understands her and tells her he loves her and starts asking her to do really weird things - like tell him her bra size, or send him topless pictures of herself or to get on webcam and take her clothes off and touch herself while they webcam and all this other really creepy stuff. And Abby does it, even though she hesitates at first. He sends her a cell phone so they can talk and Lily, her sister almost ruins that. Luke Redmond becomes an addiction to Abby - she feels crappy and shitty and freaks whenever Luke is not online to talk to her. She's like obsessed her parents and her start fighting. And Luke keeps telling her that she's right and that she's gorgeous and beautiful. And then one day he suggests they meet up - so they do, and Abby gets in a car with him and they drive away.
Here, the story's POV's change from solely Abby to her friends, Faith, her sis, Lily and Billy, the guy she went out with once, who still really likes her. So when Abby doesn't come home one day they all freak and the police get involved and even the FBI b/c they find Luke's license plate and that he'd from out-of-state and everything. Eventually, Faith finds the password on Abby's laptop and the FBI use it to find out who she was talking with online and stuff. And when someone spots them, they're arrested.
Abby was okay - alive - aside from believing she was in love with Luke and he was a perv. I think 32 years old and he was 'grooming' - chatting up numerous other girls online aside from Abby - his name was actually Edmund Schmidt and he had sex with her in a hotel - more like statutory rape cuz she was crying - and he videotaped it and posted it on a porn site along with the pictures she sent him - and called it the 'Abby Series' It was disgusting and she got a lot of crap from people at school. And she had to get a rape examination done for the trial when they convict the Edmund guy for all this porn stuff they found on his computer. Her parents don't understand and are devastated. But they go to therapy and it'll take her a long time to fully recover from such an experience. Her parents are trying to understand and Lily and her are on better terms and her friends are all helping her prepare a presentation she gives about Internet Safety and her experience which she presents to her school. And Billy is there for her - he still likes her and maybe they'll go out one day again.
Really good book - it explored the whole idea that the internet isn't safe and terrible things can happen and kids should be careful. It's still sad though - she came back totally changed but she was the victim. She needs time to heal and move on in her life.(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Lissa Albert rated it 5 of 5 stars

A frightening but important book, we follow the story of a young girl (14) who falls under the spell of an online tryst with an older man. He reveals his age to her online but still she continues to chat with him. What happens after he begins to lure her into his realm is terrifying to any parent. The book is written from multiple points of view, so the reader can appreciate the various perspectives as well as the story's unfolding in a richer, fuller way than a single-character voice.

As someone...more

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Jun 05, 2012 SunriseDemon rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a doozy. It's almost too life like for me to like it, but for the same reason it's why I appreciate it.

In the first part, even though I knew this book was about online predators, I couldn't help but start to like Luke. I honestly started bawling as the book went on. How could someone enjoy preying on innocent children? And just watching everyone's life crumble because of this one man's horrible actions made feel like I'd been punched in the stomach.

Even though it's "just a book" it...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Anna Bayerl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Want to Go Private? By Sarah Darer Littman (April 2, 2012) Abby was starting high school and
she was scared. Smart and shy, change and new environments frightened her. When she discovered that her life-long friend, Faith, had no classes with her she was really depressed. Every day she spent time on the computer talking to Faith. One day while on a new teen chat space another person joined them. Faith said they shouldn’t talk to him after he said he was twenty-six years old. On her own, Abby begin...more

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Feb 10, 2012 BAYA Librarian rated it 2 of 5 stars

The first quarter of the book is narrated by freshman Abby, who is school-smart, but feels like she does not fit in with her fashion-obsessed mother and sister, absent father, and best friend who is starting to make new friends in high school. When she meets "27-year old" "Luke" online, her self-esteem goes up as Luke showers her with compliments and attention. They soon go to private chatrooms where Luke convinces her to have web-camera sex with him. He sends her a secret cell phone and they en...more The first quarter of the book is narrated by freshman Abby, who is school-smart, but feels like she does not fit in with her fashion-obsessed mother and sister, absent father, and best friend who is starting to make new friends in high school. When she meets "27-year old" "Luke" online, her self-esteem goes up as Luke showers her with compliments and attention. They soon go to private chatrooms where Luke convinces her to have web-camera sex with him. He sends her a secret cell phone and they engage in sexting. At the conclusion of Part 1, Abby agrees to meet him at a mall and gets in his car so they can express their "love" in person. Of course, Luke is not the ideal boyfriend that Abby believes him to be and is in fact a 32-year old internet predator. The entire middle part of the book is narrated by Abby's sister, best friend, and boy from school (who wants to be her boyfriend), and is about Abby's sudden scary disappearance and the police investigation that eventually tracks her down. The final quarter of the book is narrated by Abby as she recovers from the shock of finding out that she was violated, not loved. It is also about her ability to be resilient about her terrible ordeal as she returns to a school that is abuzz with rumors about her involvement with a sexual predator.

The characters, and especially, Abby, are anemic and unappealing. They are like stock characters from any run-of-the-mill YA book: the disapproving mother obsessed with looks and conformity; the bratty fashonista younger sister; the barely-fleshed out "mean girl" and hot "king of the grade". Abby's concerns that her best friend is drifting away are in no way substantiated as the friend is caring and attentive, so it is difficult to feel sympathy for the main character. The "teen speak" that the, like, author, like, uses is strained and artificial and sometimes grating. The alternating narration structure of the book does not work, in part because none of the characters' voices are particularly compelling.

In the acknowledgements to this book, the author says that her inspiration was that she attended her 7th grade son's assembly about internet predators. The book's message about internet safety is front and center, while the characters and plot structure suffer. What is particularly bizarre is that when Abby is first interacting with Kyle, she keeps mentioning that she knows all about internet safety because she learned it in school and from her parents, yet none of this information prevents her from meeting up with a stranger 17 years older than herself. Why would the author think this poorly-written book do any better? This book contains explicit and sometimes disturbing descriptions of sex.
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Feb 09, 2012 Jennifer Monzon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

When I first received this book and read the title I never in my mind thought the book would be what is it! This is a very powerful book that teaches you of the dangers of the Internet and meeting people from a chat room. Although, the book is a YA I think it’s a little too straight forward for a YA and believe it’s best as an adult book, but that’s just my opinion. The author does not hold back in her words describing the situation and goes into detail which is interesting in the way she portra...more When I first received this book and read the title I never in my mind thought the book would be what is it! This is a very powerful book that teaches you of the dangers of the Internet and meeting people from a chat room. Although, the book is a YA I think it’s a little too straight forward for a YA and believe it’s best as an adult book, but that’s just my opinion. The author does not hold back in her words describing the situation and goes into detail which is interesting in the way she portrayed these characters. The author does an amazing job describing the situation and amazingly switches through the minds of each character, first of Abby the naive teenager who is currently going through the ruff’s with her best friend. She begins the story with Abbey and how she enters an Internet chat room and begins chatting with a man (whom she believes is a boy) named Luke. She spills her guts to him, telling him everything and all Luke does is listen and gives her enduring advice which gains her trust. Abby believes she’s in love with Luke and decides to meet him.

For the remainder of the story, the author uses the minds of Abby’s parent’s, sister, best friend and a boy named Billy whom she went on a date with to describe the desperation and emotions running through them as they realize that Abbey has now disappeared. As they begin to investigate, secrets begin to unravel and the truth has surfaced as to how the disappearance happened.

This story is one that has happened many times and that we constantly hear in the news, but to put it in a story is fascinating to me. I highly recommend this book to all parents whom have any teenage children. This book really addresses the issues and the dangers of the Internet and meeting people from it. I will forever have this story in my mind and will be even more cautious then ever when i am on the Internet and speaking with total strangers. I highly recommend this book to both teenagers and adults alike. However, I must remind that this author does not hold back with the descriptions and interpretations and may come off as a little strong but without her bald statements to make her point across and clearer this book would have not been as good.
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Jan 15, 2012 Hannah (The Irish Banana Review) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-ya, ya-contemporary

As soon as I got finished reading this book, I texted a friend and said, “If I could put one book into the hands of every 13 year old, this is that book.”

Want to Go Private? is a powerful, moving, and emotional rollercoaster of a book that is not only horrifically accurate, but gracefully written. Sarah Darer Littman pulls no punches as she describes how easy it really is for a predatory to worm their way into your home.

Abby is the typical American teenager. She feels awkward, out of sorts, and...more As soon as I got finished reading this book, I texted a friend and said, “If I could put one book into the hands of every 13 year old, this is that book.”

Want to Go Private? is a powerful, moving, and emotional rollercoaster of a book that is not only horrifically accurate, but gracefully written. Sarah Darer Littman pulls no punches as she describes how easy it really is for a predatory to worm their way into your home.

Abby is the typical American teenager. She feels awkward, out of sorts, and in that horrible transition period between middle school and high school. It’s, quite possibly, the worst time to be a female. Abby finds solace in a boy/man she meets on a teen chat site. Luke listens to her, cares about her, and seems to be genuinely interested. He says and does all the right things to make a 14 year old girl fall hard and fast for him all in the comfort of her own bedroom.

I love the way Littman breaks this novel down into three sections. It starts with Abby, chronicles her first few months in high school and shows how Luke it able to prey on her. How he gets her to do things she wouldn’t usually do because he manipulates her needs to feel accepted and loved. The second part is told after Abby is gone, from three points of view: her younger sister, her best friend, and a classmate. Their alternating perspectives help piece together what went wrong with Abby at home and at school. Finally, the last section deals with the painful aftermath.

I won’t lie: This book had me cringing and grimacing at several points. Littman has a tendency to get a bit graphic, but I really feel like it was needed to drive the point home. Abby does things on her computer, for example sending topless pictures of herself to Luke, that horrified me. I think what scared me the most is that I was Abby growing up.

Did I send naked pictures of myself? No. But I was a 14 year old girl who felt horribly out of place in school because I had just moved and I found solace with internet friends … some who claimed to be boys, but looking back now, I think they may have been adults. The difference is, my computer was angled so the screen faced my door (which I wasn’t allowed to shut while on the computer) so that my parents could see everything I was doing when walking by. At the time I thought they were insanely overprotective and determined to take away my privacy.

I see now how smart they are, and I can’t thank them enough.

Parents need to read this book. Teens need to read this book. I cannot find the words to recommend this book enough.
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Jan 07, 2012 Raquel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: waste-of-time, books-i-couldn-t-bear-to-finish

I hated this book, I hated it. I hated. Yeah, I can see the significance of it, but I was just creeped out and disgusted with it. It did a great job of opening my eyes to something that I thought was foolish and that no person would ever do and showed me that it really does happen. I just couldn't even finish it. I could not feel anything for the main character, it just makes me want to shout out, "ewww, you're stupid. Don't do it. Why would you meet him?" The character actually seemed like she...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Abby was a completely normal girl, until she met Luke. In Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman, a girl meets a boy online and things go much further then she expected them too. She has written four books, including Purge and Life, After. She writes fiction for mostly young adults. In her book Want to Go Private a girl named Abby is just starting high school and is very nervous. She doesn’t want to branch out but her best friend Faith is already making new friends. Abby and Faith like to ta...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This book was scary in the "that could have been me" way. When I was Abby's age, I was hanging around cyberspace probably even more carelessly than she did (To Catch a Predator didn’t premiere until the year after I graduated high school). I chatted with many people of different ages without ever having anything awful happen to me, or ever starting any romantic relationships - but I did find myself on the receiving end of lot of attention, and an occasional gift or two mailed to the house. Readi...more This book was scary in the "that could have been me" way. When I was Abby's age, I was hanging around cyberspace probably even more carelessly than she did (To Catch a Predator didn’t premiere until the year after I graduated high school). I chatted with many people of different ages without ever having anything awful happen to me, or ever starting any romantic relationships - but I did find myself on the receiving end of lot of attention, and an occasional gift or two mailed to the house. Reading this story makes me think "man, I dodged a bullet."

Abby's story is not a great piece of literature, but the author captures a lot of what I had felt at that age. The "nobody loves me, this is the worst thing that ever happened, you're the only one I can actually talk to" drama that hurts like it's going to rip you apart, oh yes, she got that right. Even the "well, I don't know them and will never meet them, so what does it matter what I say?" is 100% right. I often pretended to be someone else because it just didn’t matter. A very important distinction between Abby’s story and my experience is that Abby story happens in 2011, where digital cameras, web cams, and cell phones are common place. While I hope I would have had more sense than Abby, I just didn’t have those tech gadgets readily available or the privacy of a computer in my own bedroom, and those facts are more reliable than whatever could have gone through my 14 year old brain.

The technology that connects us all also makes us vulnerable. This story though, is only fiction. I was very impressed that the author has Abby go back to school, where her classmates teased her with pictures. That is a consequence few would consider could happen as a result of running away to meet your one true love. There are still a few things I had to stretch a bit to believe, and that’s what gave this story the “afterschool special” feel. But what’s wrong with an afterschool special from time to time? They’re not all bad, and this one definitely worked well and covered a topic that is incredibly relevant in today’s world.
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Dec 27, 2011 Christina (Reading Thru The Night) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, ah-may-zing, sobs, ya-love

This is Such A Horrific Book and it has #nightmare written all over it. If this was a movie I would be watching it with my hands covering my eyes, peeking through for broken images. Since all of the visualizations were in my head and I couldn't visualize a pair of hands to cover up the horrid pictures, I spent most of the book biting my bottom lip.

Hands down I would not want to be a kid in today's technological era. Nor would I want to be a parent when there are so many ways for predators to rea...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Melanie Goodman added it

Abby is beginning high school. It’s an exciting time, but also a terrifying one that signals a shift in her academic and social life. Abby struggles with the transition, and she’s afraid to talk to her family about it. The one person she feels she really can talk to about absolutely everything is Luke. Abby and Luke met through an online social network for teens, and Luke seems to understand everything Abby is going through. He always makes her feel smarter and prettier, he always takes her side...more Abby is beginning high school. It’s an exciting time, but also a terrifying one that signals a shift in her academic and social life. Abby struggles with the transition, and she’s afraid to talk to her family about it. The one person she feels she really can talk to about absolutely everything is Luke. Abby and Luke met through an online social network for teens, and Luke seems to understand everything Abby is going through. He always makes her feel smarter and prettier, he always takes her side. It seems only natural that after talking online and through their private, top secret cell phones for a while, Abby and Luke should meet IRL. When Abby goes missing, will her family and friends be able to put together the pieces of her secret online romance before it’s too late?

Before I picked up Want to go Private?, I was skeptical of it. I’m all for Internet safety, but I was worried that the book might come across as too much of an issue novel. I’m generally resistant to sensationalized stories about Internet predators from people who think everyone you talk to online is an axe murderer or pedophile. The reality is that most of the people online, like most people offline, are not murderers or sex offenders. I think that kids and teens should learn how to protect themselves in the digital world, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to read a book about that. So I want to begin by saying that I was wrong.

Abby is an easy character to judge from the get go. I wanted to dismiss her as a stupid girl, to say that anyone with half a brain wouldn’t make the mistakes she did. After all, even Abby knew what she was doing was wrong–she’d been warned about her actions in plenty of Internet safety assemblies. When you take a step back, though, and see a teen who is feeling lonely, misunderstood, scared of change, distant from her friends and family, it becomes easier to see how she could fall for someone who makes her feel special and loved. It is easier to imagine a girl who thinks the horror stories can’t possibly apply to her, who wants so desperately to be with someone who cares about her that she ignores all of the warning signs. As far as Abby is concerned, the person she loves would never hurt her, but that person is a lie, a fictional creation developed by someone who just uses her to get off.

Want to go Private? is a powerful book with the potential to generate important conversations between kids, parents, and teachers, but more importantly it’s an unputdownable and suspenseful novel that provokes intense, visceral reactions. Sarah Darer Littman’s portrayal of a relationship between an insecure teen girl and a cunning, manipulative Internet predator is not easy to read; at times I nearly threw up, and at others it took every bit of restraint I had not to throw the book across the room. And yet, I could not stop reading. Above all, it was Littman’s ability to get the reader into the head space of her characters–even when it is uncomfortable to do so–that made me fall for this book despite my initial reservations. The multiple points of view offered throughout the book make it an excellent pick for readers of all ages.(less)

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Nov 07, 2011 Sara Croel added it

"Want To Go Private?" by Sarah Darer Littman was a book i couldn't put down for a second. It made me laugh out loud and embarrass myself for being a disturbance to others. The novel made me want to cry and yell at the main character for being so naive. I could easily picture Abby, as the young, naive and trusting girl she is in the story.This is definately one of the best and most disturbing books I have ever read.
Abby is a freshman in high school and is having a hard time growing up.She doesn...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Susan Segal rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a YA book with a very adult subject matter. Abby comes from a typical middle-class family - a hard working father who is not home a lot, a working mom who is at times a little overbearing and a bratty sister. She is an A+ student. She has also been BFFs with Faith since second grade. But neither are in "The Clique." As they start high school with a bit of apprehension, Faith branches out, meets a new friend, gets onvolved with drama club and only has P.E. with Abby. Abby tries out for dr...more

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