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Skye's social media game is always on point. Until her best friend, Asha, films an embarrassing video of Skye at a sleepover and posts it online. But Asha quickly deletes the post, so everything's okay. Right? Then Skye gets an anonymous message. Someone has texted her a screenshot from the video. This person threatens to share the shocking photo online . . . unless Skye does whatever they say. Skye's perfect image -- and privacy -- are suddenly in jeopardy. What will Skye do to keep the screenshot under wraps? And who is trying to ruin her life?
295 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2018
99 people are currently reading
1743 people want to read
About the author
Donna Cooner
30 books330 followersDonna Cooner was born and raised in Texas. She is a three time graduate of Texas A&M University. A former teacher and school administrator, she now teaches teachers and principals at Colorado State University where she is the director of the School of Teacher Education and Principal Preparation. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her two labs and a cat named Stu. She’s a big fan of chocolate and laughing (not necessarily in that order).
Donna is the author of two novels for young adults, SKINNY and CAN’T LOOK AWAY. She’s also the author of over twenty picture books and was a founding member of the Brazos Valley Society of Children’s Bookwriters and Illustrators. She has also written children’s television shows for PBS and textbooks for future teachers.
Donna is the author of two novels for young adults, SKINNY and CAN’T LOOK AWAY. She’s also the author of over twenty picture books and was a founding member of the Brazos Valley Society of Children’s Bookwriters and Illustrators. She has also written children’s television shows for PBS and textbooks for future teachers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
July 17, 2018
Social Media, Friendship, Mystery, a dash of romance, and some other topics. But they all meshed together really fabulously. It never felt to be too much, in fact everything just clicked together as one big puzzle.
I was already getting worried that YA was just not working for me any more. I have been reading less and less YA for the past year, or I should say, I tried enough YA and just couldn't get into them. So I was definitely worried this one, with such an amazing premise, would also be disappointment. But on the contrary. This one grabbed me and I just couldn't stop reading until the end.
What happens when a screenshot from an embarrassing video gets in the hands of someone and that someone blackmails you? A lot, including finding out about yourself (accepting your body), about your friends.
Skye, a hard working girl who has big plans for the future. I just adored that she had these plans, not many people would want to work in the government like she wants, so I was definitely rooting for her. I admire that she tried her best to balance all the things in her life. Not just her friends, but also her boyfriend, her work, her school (homework but also her presidency).
I did feel like she wasn't always there for her friends, I could see that they were best of friends (well for most, at times I was confused how these girls were together), but I kind of missed seeing them connect outside of school. I get that they are all busy, but I wished to see more nights or days out. Now we only really see the sleepover and things were pretty awkward there. :P
As for the social media, she could have said screw it, but I can see why she didn't want to. She didn't feel happy about her body, and she also was worried about the future (because future employers may check out social media). I loved how she owned the prom dress. Dang the girl is on fire.
She really grew as the story progressed and it was just so terrific to see. Go girl!
The book also features the POVs of other characters in Skye's life. For instance Emma and Asha, her best friends. But also Ryan (the love interest and co-worker) and Harmony (co-worker). I have to say at first I wasn't sure about these POVs, but after a few of them I started to notice that I was actually looking forward to them. I was curious what would be said in them, what kind of things we would discover about the lives of these characters.
Emma. Not my favourite girl. But I liked that she was interested in movies and screenplays.
Ryan. Oh my! He was just adorable. I like guys who are smart and creative, I would love to see his photographs. I loved how he gave Skye time, how he listened to her, how he tried to help her out. And before I knew it, I was just shipping Skye and Ryan together.
Harmony, wow, due to Skye I wasn't sure if I would like her, but with her POV? Seeing her life, seeing Harmony from Harmony's eyes. I just liked her more and more. And I was rooting for her, rooting for her life to get better, and not just her life, but that of her mom as well.
I wasn't sure about Asha, at least at the beginning, and what we learn from Skye. From the start I knew what was going on with her mom. And as we see more of her POVs it was confirmed. That poor poor family. The poor mom, losing her mind, losing all she knows (and yes, I cried during one moment), the poor family. And then what Asha did all the time (the constant photography) made sense. She wasn't doing it for herself. She wasn't egocentric. She was doing it for someone she loves. My gosh, this broke me. And yes, I saw a different side to Asha. I saw a sweet girl who just had a bit of trouble with understanding how friendship works and didn't always make the right decisions. I was shaking my head a bit though, because she thought her friends should just magically see what was going on in her life. With her mom. Sorry girl, you friends barely see your family, and you are putting up a persona to hide your trouble. That doesn't make it easy to see what is going on.
Luke x Skye. I just couldn't see why they were together (well, beside the obvious reason for Skye aka popularity). They seemed more like friends, or even brother and sister than lovers. I was hoping that one of them would realise this. The author did a great job on writing the Luke x Skye parts, especially when Skye was realising several things about her relationship (which probably would have been hard, but I am sure she feels happier now).
The blackmailing? The demands? Wow. The demands go from not that bad to OMG whut???
The whodunnit? I had a few suspects, but quite soon I could get my number down to one, and then it was trying to find hints to see if I was correct, or if it was someone totally different. The author really did her best on giving us hints, but yet also making it not immediately clear who it was. *thumbs up*
Oh, and next to Skye's social media trouble, her sister, who just started puberty, is also having a hard time with social media and friendship. Her best friend (though I wouldn't call the girl her best friend if she is hating so much on her friend's look) is trying to correct all her features through some app, and also trying to force her to fix things. I felt oh so sorry for the girl, but I am very proud how she stuck to her point. Skye, and also their mom, both of them were so sweet and supportive. Skye also telling her sister that she was good as she is.
So kids, remember social media is fun, but some things are just meant to stay private.
A fantastic book and I would highly recommend it. I definitely need to add this book to my physical shelves.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I was already getting worried that YA was just not working for me any more. I have been reading less and less YA for the past year, or I should say, I tried enough YA and just couldn't get into them. So I was definitely worried this one, with such an amazing premise, would also be disappointment. But on the contrary. This one grabbed me and I just couldn't stop reading until the end.
What happens when a screenshot from an embarrassing video gets in the hands of someone and that someone blackmails you? A lot, including finding out about yourself (accepting your body), about your friends.
Skye, a hard working girl who has big plans for the future. I just adored that she had these plans, not many people would want to work in the government like she wants, so I was definitely rooting for her. I admire that she tried her best to balance all the things in her life. Not just her friends, but also her boyfriend, her work, her school (homework but also her presidency).
I did feel like she wasn't always there for her friends, I could see that they were best of friends (well for most, at times I was confused how these girls were together), but I kind of missed seeing them connect outside of school. I get that they are all busy, but I wished to see more nights or days out. Now we only really see the sleepover and things were pretty awkward there. :P
As for the social media, she could have said screw it, but I can see why she didn't want to. She didn't feel happy about her body, and she also was worried about the future (because future employers may check out social media). I loved how she owned the prom dress. Dang the girl is on fire.
She really grew as the story progressed and it was just so terrific to see. Go girl!
The book also features the POVs of other characters in Skye's life. For instance Emma and Asha, her best friends. But also Ryan (the love interest and co-worker) and Harmony (co-worker). I have to say at first I wasn't sure about these POVs, but after a few of them I started to notice that I was actually looking forward to them. I was curious what would be said in them, what kind of things we would discover about the lives of these characters.
Emma. Not my favourite girl. But I liked that she was interested in movies and screenplays.
Ryan. Oh my! He was just adorable. I like guys who are smart and creative, I would love to see his photographs. I loved how he gave Skye time, how he listened to her, how he tried to help her out. And before I knew it, I was just shipping Skye and Ryan together.
Harmony, wow, due to Skye I wasn't sure if I would like her, but with her POV? Seeing her life, seeing Harmony from Harmony's eyes. I just liked her more and more. And I was rooting for her, rooting for her life to get better, and not just her life, but that of her mom as well.
I wasn't sure about Asha, at least at the beginning, and what we learn from Skye. From the start I knew what was going on with her mom. And as we see more of her POVs it was confirmed. That poor poor family. The poor mom, losing her mind, losing all she knows (and yes, I cried during one moment), the poor family. And then what Asha did all the time (the constant photography) made sense. She wasn't doing it for herself. She wasn't egocentric. She was doing it for someone she loves. My gosh, this broke me. And yes, I saw a different side to Asha. I saw a sweet girl who just had a bit of trouble with understanding how friendship works and didn't always make the right decisions. I was shaking my head a bit though, because she thought her friends should just magically see what was going on in her life. With her mom. Sorry girl, you friends barely see your family, and you are putting up a persona to hide your trouble. That doesn't make it easy to see what is going on.
Luke x Skye. I just couldn't see why they were together (well, beside the obvious reason for Skye aka popularity). They seemed more like friends, or even brother and sister than lovers. I was hoping that one of them would realise this. The author did a great job on writing the Luke x Skye parts, especially when Skye was realising several things about her relationship (which probably would have been hard, but I am sure she feels happier now).
The blackmailing? The demands? Wow. The demands go from not that bad to OMG whut???
The whodunnit? I had a few suspects, but quite soon I could get my number down to one, and then it was trying to find hints to see if I was correct, or if it was someone totally different. The author really did her best on giving us hints, but yet also making it not immediately clear who it was. *thumbs up*
Oh, and next to Skye's social media trouble, her sister, who just started puberty, is also having a hard time with social media and friendship. Her best friend (though I wouldn't call the girl her best friend if she is hating so much on her friend's look) is trying to correct all her features through some app, and also trying to force her to fix things. I felt oh so sorry for the girl, but I am very proud how she stuck to her point. Skye, and also their mom, both of them were so sweet and supportive. Skye also telling her sister that she was good as she is.
So kids, remember social media is fun, but some things are just meant to stay private.
A fantastic book and I would highly recommend it. I definitely need to add this book to my physical shelves.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
June 16, 2023
Just don't read this unless you're a thirteen year old. And even then you might not like it.
May 7, 2018
While I do believe I own all of Donna Cooner's books, this is the first one I've actually read. Not for any bad reason because all her books have intrigued me but mostly due to lack of time and so many other review books, I couldn't get to hers. But I'm going to make it a point to change that because I really enjoyed this book and found it extremely insightful and relatable.
Cooner spends most of the novel in Skye's perspective but we also get to see inside the lives of her two best friends as well as two of her co-workers every so often. It shows that what we see of other peoples' lives isn't all that's going on; someone may appear to be "perfect" on the outside but most likely, they are that way because something is happening in their personal life that makes them feel they have to be "perfect" so things don't get worse.
There's also the element of the internet and social media, which adds another layer to the whole perfection/putting on a façade point. People show and say things on social media to make themselves appear like everything's great and nothing's wrong when that is simply not the truth. It becomes almost like a play, putting on a personality that will get the most likes and comments. This book aims to break down those walls and show readers to love themselves for who they are, flaws and all, and to share that with their friends especially but also with the world at large. We are all imperfect, we all have secrets, but in the end, we are all human and need to learn to accept ourselves and to show compassion to others. I know Cooner's books deal with this sort of message a lot so I'm eager to dive into her back catalog now!
Cooner spends most of the novel in Skye's perspective but we also get to see inside the lives of her two best friends as well as two of her co-workers every so often. It shows that what we see of other peoples' lives isn't all that's going on; someone may appear to be "perfect" on the outside but most likely, they are that way because something is happening in their personal life that makes them feel they have to be "perfect" so things don't get worse.
There's also the element of the internet and social media, which adds another layer to the whole perfection/putting on a façade point. People show and say things on social media to make themselves appear like everything's great and nothing's wrong when that is simply not the truth. It becomes almost like a play, putting on a personality that will get the most likes and comments. This book aims to break down those walls and show readers to love themselves for who they are, flaws and all, and to share that with their friends especially but also with the world at large. We are all imperfect, we all have secrets, but in the end, we are all human and need to learn to accept ourselves and to show compassion to others. I know Cooner's books deal with this sort of message a lot so I'm eager to dive into her back catalog now!
January 19, 2020
* For someone who’s advocating for strengthened participation of women in nation building, Skye is a superficial hypocrite who let herself be manipulated by her very best friend and allowed herself to be cyberbullied.
* I know the point of this book is teen image but Skye’s personality came off as confusing and annoying.
* Luke was extremely likable! He didn’t deserve Skye’s insecurities.
* A toxic friendship between a DUFF, a Regina George and a mad artist.
* Friendship with Ryan and Harmony could’ve been explored more. Kind of half-assed development for them. Why give their own POVs?
* I know the point of this book is teen image but Skye’s personality came off as confusing and annoying.
* Luke was extremely likable! He didn’t deserve Skye’s insecurities.
* A toxic friendship between a DUFF, a Regina George and a mad artist.
* Friendship with Ryan and Harmony could’ve been explored more. Kind of half-assed development for them. Why give their own POVs?
March 1, 2023
ehh. i didn't really like this tbh. the friends annoying
April 3, 2019
SCREENSHOT is an interesting book that raises a concern about sharing embarrassing pictures. Not naked photos or anything, but, yeah, embarrassing enough the affected person would like to erase them forever from the internet. A thing that doesn’t exist. Once posted, your are toasted, and there’s no magic “Delete” button. Yet, in this story, that kind of happens?
I usually don’t dwell much into technical details, but this picture-shared detail in SCREENSHOT stood out. Why? It sends the wrong message. Luckily, I think nowadays everybody knows the posted-can’t-delete-it fact.
Other than this small problem, I enjoyed the story and the characters. The book was fun, but not super wow or anything.
More on my blog: https://gerardowrites.wordpress.com/2...
I usually don’t dwell much into technical details, but this picture-shared detail in SCREENSHOT stood out. Why? It sends the wrong message. Luckily, I think nowadays everybody knows the posted-can’t-delete-it fact.
Other than this small problem, I enjoyed the story and the characters. The book was fun, but not super wow or anything.
More on my blog: https://gerardowrites.wordpress.com/2...
February 26, 2023
Good message, cute ending. :)
January 20, 2021
As a teen, I was supposed to be able to relate to this book easily. I do, in fact, acknowledge that there are many teens around the world who suffer from the same thing Skye does, so I'm not going to touch on that as much.
First of all, I have to address each character's personality.
Asha. Ah, yes. The horribly stereotypical "popular and rich" girl, who has taken a twist to be the protagonist's best friend. Of course, as you get into your teens you naturally become more absorbed in social media, but Asha was so stereotyped it almost gave me whiplash. Maybe the only thing that separated her and the all-powerful "popular mean girl" stereotype was that she was Skye's best friend, and relatively chill when it comes to treating other people. But one thing that I do like about the author's development of Asha. The event that happened with her mother was a piece of character development, but other than that, she doesn't have much effort put into her development other than the person who accidentally got Skye into the mess.
Emma, the cute and nerdy "geek" who is into old films, not like the "other girls." That is the vibe I get from her. I do appreciate her differences from Asha and Skye, but honestly, the twist at the end really made me look at Emma in such a different way. Not in an "oh my gosh" way, in a "wow the author really screwed up here" way. The culprit of the ending was way, way, way too obvious and of course, the "nerdy geek who doesn't know anything about social media" was to blame. (Yep, I'm hiding this review now.)
Lastly, Skye. Skye's development actually wasn't too shabby. Who am I kidding, she was developed well and that's what gives this review two stars. But one thing I didn't like about her was that she literally allowed herself to be the victim. She should have told an adult since she was soooo close with her mom. She should have told someone. Instead, she blamed Asha. It was disgusting, the way she handled the problem. Teens know to tell an adult when something like this happens. And the social media platform should have handled the blackmail, at least in a little way. I really felt like the author put little effort into making the conflict realistic.
Now, for the plot. Full of holes, full of unrealistic behavior, full of cliche stereotypes. I really felt like the author should have spent more time with teens, and really paying attention to the realistic behavior of them. Not all teens are stupid blackmail victims that don't know how to deal with a cyberbully/crime. Not all teens are despicable blackmailers who break their friends down for the sole purpose of "experimentation." It really put the book to shame and embarrassed me as a teen.
First of all, I have to address each character's personality.
Asha. Ah, yes. The horribly stereotypical "popular and rich" girl, who has taken a twist to be the protagonist's best friend. Of course, as you get into your teens you naturally become more absorbed in social media, but Asha was so stereotyped it almost gave me whiplash. Maybe the only thing that separated her and the all-powerful "popular mean girl" stereotype was that she was Skye's best friend, and relatively chill when it comes to treating other people. But one thing that I do like about the author's development of Asha. The event that happened with her mother was a piece of character development, but other than that, she doesn't have much effort put into her development other than the person who accidentally got Skye into the mess.
Emma, the cute and nerdy "geek" who is into old films, not like the "other girls." That is the vibe I get from her. I do appreciate her differences from Asha and Skye, but honestly, the twist at the end really made me look at Emma in such a different way. Not in an "oh my gosh" way, in a "wow the author really screwed up here" way. The culprit of the ending was way, way, way too obvious and of course, the "nerdy geek who doesn't know anything about social media" was to blame. (Yep, I'm hiding this review now.)
Lastly, Skye. Skye's development actually wasn't too shabby. Who am I kidding, she was developed well and that's what gives this review two stars. But one thing I didn't like about her was that she literally allowed herself to be the victim. She should have told an adult since she was soooo close with her mom. She should have told someone. Instead, she blamed Asha. It was disgusting, the way she handled the problem. Teens know to tell an adult when something like this happens. And the social media platform should have handled the blackmail, at least in a little way. I really felt like the author put little effort into making the conflict realistic.
Now, for the plot. Full of holes, full of unrealistic behavior, full of cliche stereotypes. I really felt like the author should have spent more time with teens, and really paying attention to the realistic behavior of them. Not all teens are stupid blackmail victims that don't know how to deal with a cyberbully/crime. Not all teens are despicable blackmailers who break their friends down for the sole purpose of "experimentation." It really put the book to shame and embarrassed me as a teen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
October 18, 2018love it😇😘😜😋
August 6, 2020
This book is guilty pleasure. It's 100% teen pop, kind of stupid, yet something about it won't let you put it down. Teen drama at it's... best? Or worst?
September 28, 2023
update:
great filipino rep!! plot-wise... mmmm
__________
i only want to reread this because i think ryan is filipino #philippinesmentionRAAAHHHHH
great filipino rep!! plot-wise... mmmm
__________
i only want to reread this because i think ryan is filipino #philippinesmentionRAAAHHHHH
Read
June 28, 2018This is an incredibly fast read. The summary makes it seem like it may be a thriller, but it's more of a contemp YA with elements of suspense. (Skye is only ever in danger of being humiliated online; she's never in actual peril.)
But this book is about far more than the question of who's blackmailing Skye. It's about the idea of social media in general, and how some friends are actually pretty awful for you. These are issues that everyone deals with (teenagers especially but I know that I can sometimes deal with this is an adult...high school doesn't end in every single category of your life).
I love Donna Cooner's books because they deal with these really important issues but in a very light way. It never feels preachy or heavy-handed. I think that could make it a lot more palatable to teens, because no one likes feeling lectured.
I'm also happy that it seems like her books are coming more frequently now. I've been a fan since Skinny, and was sad to wait years between her books. (But book three was out last year and this one just came out! Yay!)
This book was a complete blast to read. (You will probably guess the culprit, but there are a lot of other fun revelations along the way.) Recommended.
August 26, 2018
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Although this story deals with a topic that is extremely relevant for teens, and especially for teen girls, it does it in a way that seems very dated. I felt like I was reading something that had been written in the 1970's, by someone who was well beyond their teen years then. The characters seemed much older than they were supposed to be, and the story itself seemed dumbed down, which gave the whole thing the feel of being written for an audience in the 10-12 age group. It just didn't flow well, and the whole thing felt awkward. The "big reveal" at the end was entirely too obvious, and there really wasn't much motivation for what was happening, which made it feel rushed and low-effort. Overall, I was not impressed at all.
Although this story deals with a topic that is extremely relevant for teens, and especially for teen girls, it does it in a way that seems very dated. I felt like I was reading something that had been written in the 1970's, by someone who was well beyond their teen years then. The characters seemed much older than they were supposed to be, and the story itself seemed dumbed down, which gave the whole thing the feel of being written for an audience in the 10-12 age group. It just didn't flow well, and the whole thing felt awkward. The "big reveal" at the end was entirely too obvious, and there really wasn't much motivation for what was happening, which made it feel rushed and low-effort. Overall, I was not impressed at all.
June 20, 2018
Pretty intriguing. Kept my interest.
Read
March 7, 2019I really enjoyed his book!
January 20, 2024
Very interesting in the way she makes you think on your digital footprint, teaches a good lesson.
April 8, 2024
Nice, easy read. Good plot, easy to follow.
August 13, 2023
Actually really good and heartwarming. The characters are nuanced and surprising, and even though this book looks like a teen flick there’s a bit of mystery drama that keeps you on edge. The social media aspect made it relevant and I liked the positive messages about women empowerment, body confidence, empathy, and friendship. Also I loved the part where Skye wears a pink prom dress to an interview for a Congress internship because her explanation for the dress was so creative and fun.
December 10, 2019
theme: you never know what comes next
January 1, 2020
Screenshot is the story of Skye who desperately wants to be a summer intern for her local senator. One night while goofing off with her friends she poses in a skimpy bit of lingerie. One of her friends films her and uploads the video to social media. Even though the video has been removed someone took a screenshot and is threatening to post it unless Skye complies with the blackmailer's commands. This story has so much potential but it never fully reaches it. Like Cooner's other social media based novels, the characters are flat and the plot suffers from one too many coincidences. Fans of Cooner's previous novels will enjoy Screenshot.
November 2, 2022
This book was amazing. It is about a girl named Skyler and her friends take a horrabel picture of her, and puts it an a app. Then some buddy took a Screenshot of her picture. But the person that does it makes her do a hole bunch of stuff that she does not regulaly do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2019
YA book aimed at exposing the “reality” of social media and online facades. Over dramatic and likely exposes the reader to more bad behaviors than it seeks to correct.
January 30, 2020
DNF. Main character is painfully judgey.
November 27, 2020
Age rating: 12+
I kept trying to read this and abandoning it before eventually stopping. The victimization of kids was super creepy. I’m seeing a formula in Donna Cooner’s books.
I kept trying to read this and abandoning it before eventually stopping. The victimization of kids was super creepy. I’m seeing a formula in Donna Cooner’s books.
December 31, 2018
Cross-posted from my blog, quietandbusy.blogspot.com
I traveled home to Florida during my winter break and I brought a bunch of young adult books with me. I managed to finish three of them during my trip, and they were all surprisingly solid picks. All three came from my school's book fair, so my main reason for picking them up was to preview them for my students; it was an added bonus that I legitimately enjoyed them myself as well.
Screenshot was probably the book my students were most excited to pick up this year, thanks to an intriguing trailer in the preview video Scholastic put out for the kids. The story follows a sixteen-year-old high school student named Skye. She's an ambitious young woman who dreams of a future career in politics. She's been working hard to win an internship with her state senator for the summer, so maintaining a clean and professional public image is very important to her. She's been very successful so far and has earned good grades, held down a part time job, and served on her school's student council.
However, all of Skye's careful planning is thrown into jeopardy when her friend uploads an embarrassing video from a slumber party to a social media platform. Although her friend takes the video down a few minutes later, the damage is done. Someone online takes a screenshot from it and begins using it to anonymously blackmail Skye into doing embarrassing things. At first, the blackmail requests are small, like telling her to paint her nails a certain color. The demands quickly ramp up though, and the tasks Skye are asked to do threaten her friendships and her future. If she refuses to comply with the demands, the person will post the screenshot online, and her family, classmates, and, potentially, the senator's office, will see it. Skye must decide how far she's willing to go to protect the public image she's so carefully crafted and figure out who is trying to ruin her life.
This plot summary definitely sounds a bit silly, and it is, but the book as a whole was surprisingly enjoyable, very timely, and full of excellent points about social media, the cost of maintaining a public image, and self-confidence. Skye's character felt realistic, and her worries and anxieties over her reputation were spot-on to how teenagers think.The story was interesting and fast-paced enough to keep me reading. I was engaged the whole time and I believe that younger readers will be as well. I really wanted to know who it was that was blackmailing Skye and why they were doing it, and I wasn't able to guess the ending ahead of time.
The narration in the novel is primarily from Skye's point of view, but each chapter ends with a few pages written from the perspective of one of her friends. These short sections contain bits of information that Skye doesn't know, and serve to show how the pieces of ourselves that we share with others or post online are only a small part of our lives. For example, Skye views her friend Asha's near-constant status updates as being annoying and self-centered, but when the narration hops over to this friend, we learn that she is in deep pain over a significant health issue her mother is dealing with. The online posting is a way for her to deal with the hurt and turmoil in her home life. Skye and Asha have been best friends since they were little kids, and Skye has no idea what Asha is going through. It really makes readers consider how much we truly know about the people closest to us, and wonder about how much of what we see online from them is genuine.
Screenshot is an excellent choice for teen readers. While it is definitely a young adult book, I manged to get a lot of enjoyment out of its story and the questions about social media that it raised. Any story that can remain interesting, feel relevant, and encourage kids to show empathy and kindness to others is an extremely valuable resource. I will be placing this in my classroom library and I can see myself recommending it quite frequently to my seventh graders.
I traveled home to Florida during my winter break and I brought a bunch of young adult books with me. I managed to finish three of them during my trip, and they were all surprisingly solid picks. All three came from my school's book fair, so my main reason for picking them up was to preview them for my students; it was an added bonus that I legitimately enjoyed them myself as well.
Screenshot was probably the book my students were most excited to pick up this year, thanks to an intriguing trailer in the preview video Scholastic put out for the kids. The story follows a sixteen-year-old high school student named Skye. She's an ambitious young woman who dreams of a future career in politics. She's been working hard to win an internship with her state senator for the summer, so maintaining a clean and professional public image is very important to her. She's been very successful so far and has earned good grades, held down a part time job, and served on her school's student council.
However, all of Skye's careful planning is thrown into jeopardy when her friend uploads an embarrassing video from a slumber party to a social media platform. Although her friend takes the video down a few minutes later, the damage is done. Someone online takes a screenshot from it and begins using it to anonymously blackmail Skye into doing embarrassing things. At first, the blackmail requests are small, like telling her to paint her nails a certain color. The demands quickly ramp up though, and the tasks Skye are asked to do threaten her friendships and her future. If she refuses to comply with the demands, the person will post the screenshot online, and her family, classmates, and, potentially, the senator's office, will see it. Skye must decide how far she's willing to go to protect the public image she's so carefully crafted and figure out who is trying to ruin her life.
This plot summary definitely sounds a bit silly, and it is, but the book as a whole was surprisingly enjoyable, very timely, and full of excellent points about social media, the cost of maintaining a public image, and self-confidence. Skye's character felt realistic, and her worries and anxieties over her reputation were spot-on to how teenagers think.The story was interesting and fast-paced enough to keep me reading. I was engaged the whole time and I believe that younger readers will be as well. I really wanted to know who it was that was blackmailing Skye and why they were doing it, and I wasn't able to guess the ending ahead of time.
The narration in the novel is primarily from Skye's point of view, but each chapter ends with a few pages written from the perspective of one of her friends. These short sections contain bits of information that Skye doesn't know, and serve to show how the pieces of ourselves that we share with others or post online are only a small part of our lives. For example, Skye views her friend Asha's near-constant status updates as being annoying and self-centered, but when the narration hops over to this friend, we learn that she is in deep pain over a significant health issue her mother is dealing with. The online posting is a way for her to deal with the hurt and turmoil in her home life. Skye and Asha have been best friends since they were little kids, and Skye has no idea what Asha is going through. It really makes readers consider how much we truly know about the people closest to us, and wonder about how much of what we see online from them is genuine.
Screenshot is an excellent choice for teen readers. While it is definitely a young adult book, I manged to get a lot of enjoyment out of its story and the questions about social media that it raised. Any story that can remain interesting, feel relevant, and encourage kids to show empathy and kindness to others is an extremely valuable resource. I will be placing this in my classroom library and I can see myself recommending it quite frequently to my seventh graders.
January 11, 2022
Snapshot
Author: Donna Cooner
Friendship, social media, mystery, drama, suspense. The screenshot is an interesting book talking about what one post can turn into. It can also raise awareness about what you post whether it's embarrassing, semi-nude, etc. Sky has a great social media platform for what she posts. She doesn't want a post out there making her look bad or a possible loss of opportunity.
That changes when her friend Asha takes a video of Sky that could be revealing. Sky saw it was posted and wants it taken down as soon as possible. With the app ChitChat, you can not delete anything till fifteen minutes after it is posted. After fifteen minutes goes by the video gets deleted. Everything seems fine until it's not.
Sky gets this anonymous message. The message contained a screenshot of Sky in the video. The person who screenshotted the video quickly uses it as blackmail. Saying that they will post the photo on their account if Sky does not cooperate with them. That being said leads Sky to possibly lose the perfect image that she is known for.
I wouldn't say this book fits into a few genres such as mystery but suspense, fantasy, fiction/realistic fiction, drama, and young adult. Events in this book could happen to anyone and everyone. Your crazy, obsessed ex could have photos of you still and post them. Or they are stalking you. Like Sky is being harassed, blackmailed, and stalked.
Someone would want to read this book if they want teenage drama, a bit of suspense, or a fast read. This book seems to be engaging. It isn't a slow boring read but it isn't super fast-paced. You can read it and finish it within a week or so depending on how easy it is for you.
What is the overall purpose or message of this book? The purpose and message of this book is just to be careful with what you post and always ask permission before posting a video or photo of someone else. It is always important for the consent to post something because there could be legal trouble or you put someone at risk of being harmed or blackmailed.
I like this book because it teaches people that one photo can cause so much anxiety if it leads to blackmail and that not everything belongs on social media. Some things should stay only in your camera roll for memories not posted. It teaches about giving consent to post something even if it doesn't seem like a big deal it is.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a phone or social media that allows them to share posts and make posts. It more so would be a book for middle schoolers and up to high school students and college. I feel like from middle school to college there are still people posting items without consent or thinking how what they post could ruin a chance at getting a job. Or causing stress with possible blackmail.
My overall opinion of this book is that it teaches a meaningful lesson. Especially with how many people are on the internet. It teaches you to really be careful about what you post, who you talk to. Every teen and child, even adult should have that in the back of their mind with what could happen.
Author: Donna Cooner
Friendship, social media, mystery, drama, suspense. The screenshot is an interesting book talking about what one post can turn into. It can also raise awareness about what you post whether it's embarrassing, semi-nude, etc. Sky has a great social media platform for what she posts. She doesn't want a post out there making her look bad or a possible loss of opportunity.
That changes when her friend Asha takes a video of Sky that could be revealing. Sky saw it was posted and wants it taken down as soon as possible. With the app ChitChat, you can not delete anything till fifteen minutes after it is posted. After fifteen minutes goes by the video gets deleted. Everything seems fine until it's not.
Sky gets this anonymous message. The message contained a screenshot of Sky in the video. The person who screenshotted the video quickly uses it as blackmail. Saying that they will post the photo on their account if Sky does not cooperate with them. That being said leads Sky to possibly lose the perfect image that she is known for.
I wouldn't say this book fits into a few genres such as mystery but suspense, fantasy, fiction/realistic fiction, drama, and young adult. Events in this book could happen to anyone and everyone. Your crazy, obsessed ex could have photos of you still and post them. Or they are stalking you. Like Sky is being harassed, blackmailed, and stalked.
Someone would want to read this book if they want teenage drama, a bit of suspense, or a fast read. This book seems to be engaging. It isn't a slow boring read but it isn't super fast-paced. You can read it and finish it within a week or so depending on how easy it is for you.
What is the overall purpose or message of this book? The purpose and message of this book is just to be careful with what you post and always ask permission before posting a video or photo of someone else. It is always important for the consent to post something because there could be legal trouble or you put someone at risk of being harmed or blackmailed.
I like this book because it teaches people that one photo can cause so much anxiety if it leads to blackmail and that not everything belongs on social media. Some things should stay only in your camera roll for memories not posted. It teaches about giving consent to post something even if it doesn't seem like a big deal it is.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a phone or social media that allows them to share posts and make posts. It more so would be a book for middle schoolers and up to high school students and college. I feel like from middle school to college there are still people posting items without consent or thinking how what they post could ruin a chance at getting a job. Or causing stress with possible blackmail.
My overall opinion of this book is that it teaches a meaningful lesson. Especially with how many people are on the internet. It teaches you to really be careful about what you post, who you talk to. Every teen and child, even adult should have that in the back of their mind with what could happen.
March 26, 2020
After finishing a book,the first thing I do is think about the ending. I believe that the best way to distinguish a good book from a great one. The ending of this book proves that it is the latter. While,the ending of the main story is great,where the book really succeeds is in the subplots and side characters. The books makes you care about them by dedicating whole chapters to seeing their perspective and lives. These characters are developed very well throughout this book and you’re left caring about them possibly more than Skye,the main character. The more you read these character’s stories,the more you realize that the main conflict doesn’t measure up the other conflict of these characters. All of them seem to be going through issues that are much worse than Skye’s. Which brings up another really good thing this book does. It has the theme throughout the book that nobody is perfect. It takes this theme to an ironic degree,because while Skye believes her friends are perfect they really are going through major issues she doesn’t even know about. For example,one of Skye’s best friends,Asha has to deal with her mother who is going through memory loss issues. Yet Skye believes that Asha is flawless. Her other best friend,Emma deals with her parents who are always fighting and abuse each other. On the subject of Emma,when she was revealed to be Skye’s blackmailer it makes sense. Rather than go with an out of left field choice,the book drops hints for it to be any character. However,if you pay attention it would be clear that the correct guess would be Emma. The point where it became clear to me,was when Emma describes the plot of The Rear Window because it’s a in a way a metaphor for what she’s doing. The twist is well developed just like the characters. This book also balances the romance and drama aspects well and uses comedic elements appropriately. All in all,this is a book I believe is a must read for fans of teen drama and the way it is structured should applauded. In fact,young authors should look to this book to help with troubles writing side characters and subplots
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 2, 2019Find more overviews of books for middle school-age readers at Flashlight Chronicles: www.flashlightchronicles.com.
We need more books that illustrate the complex world of social media today’s teens live in. Screenshot looks at the good and the bad with a sympathetic eye, acknowledging that there are no easy answers to if, when, and how to use social media. There’s also mystery and friend drama galore to keep the tension high. The resulting book is both exciting and introspective. The story has a YA feel but little mature content, which makes it a great choice for middle school readers.
Recommended grade level: 6 and up
Genre(s) and keywords: realistic fiction, slight romance
Topics: body image, blackmail, online bullying, social media
Themes: image, trust, self-acceptance
Who will like this book?: Anyone who likes drama and uses social media should find that this book resonates. I was pleased to find that boys were interested in it!
Who won’t like this book?: Readers who aren’t on social media (I’ve found that middle schoolers often are, but sometimes aren’t) might not be interested. Some may find the subject matter frivolous.
Other comments: The one thing that might be a concern content-wise it that in the embarrassing video, Skye is wearing essentially lingerie. She’s doing it to goof off with her friends though, not to try to seduce anybody.
I wish the girl on the cover weren’t so skinny and stereotypically pretty. It sort of undermines the message of the book.
Readalikes:
Worthy by Donna D. Cooner – Another work by the same author with similar themes.
Unfriended by Rachel Vail – More online drama, but middle grade.
Isabella for Real by Margie Palatini – Social media and secrets. Middle grade.
TBH, This is So Awkward by Lisa Greenwald – This one works especially well for younger readers.
-Kylie Peters
We need more books that illustrate the complex world of social media today’s teens live in. Screenshot looks at the good and the bad with a sympathetic eye, acknowledging that there are no easy answers to if, when, and how to use social media. There’s also mystery and friend drama galore to keep the tension high. The resulting book is both exciting and introspective. The story has a YA feel but little mature content, which makes it a great choice for middle school readers.
Recommended grade level: 6 and up
Genre(s) and keywords: realistic fiction, slight romance
Topics: body image, blackmail, online bullying, social media
Themes: image, trust, self-acceptance
Who will like this book?: Anyone who likes drama and uses social media should find that this book resonates. I was pleased to find that boys were interested in it!
Who won’t like this book?: Readers who aren’t on social media (I’ve found that middle schoolers often are, but sometimes aren’t) might not be interested. Some may find the subject matter frivolous.
Other comments: The one thing that might be a concern content-wise it that in the embarrassing video, Skye is wearing essentially lingerie. She’s doing it to goof off with her friends though, not to try to seduce anybody.
I wish the girl on the cover weren’t so skinny and stereotypically pretty. It sort of undermines the message of the book.
Readalikes:
Worthy by Donna D. Cooner – Another work by the same author with similar themes.
Unfriended by Rachel Vail – More online drama, but middle grade.
Isabella for Real by Margie Palatini – Social media and secrets. Middle grade.
TBH, This is So Awkward by Lisa Greenwald – This one works especially well for younger readers.
-Kylie Peters
September 11, 2020
Today's post is on Screenshot by Donna Cooner. It is 295 pages long and is published by Point Books. The cover is a series of snap shots of the main character. The intended reader is young adult, likes drama filled stories, and interesting main character. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is told in many ways from first person as the main character Skye then chapter breaks with different characters in third person. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- Skye's social media game is always on point. Until her best friend, Asha, posts an embarrassing video of Skye at a sleepover. But Asha deleted the post, so everything's okay. Right?
Then someone texts Skye a screenshot from the video. This person threatens to share the shocking photo everywhere... unless Skye does whatever they say. Suddenly, Skye's perfect image- and privacy- are in jeopardy. What will Skye do to keep the screenshot under wraps? And who is trying to ruin her life?
Review- Online bullying is a very serious issue and this book gives the reader a look into that experience. Skye is just goofing off at a sleepover when her friend takes a joke picture and everything goes from there. The person who is bullying her was surprising but their reasoning was terrible. The story itself is very interesting with Skye trying to handle this by herself, the writing is good very engaging, and the world building is good. The chapter breaks with the other character's perspective is how the world is build for the reader, we see the world from other character's perspective away from Skye. The side characters are really great, they add so much to the story and to Skye's character development.
I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
From the back of the book- Skye's social media game is always on point. Until her best friend, Asha, posts an embarrassing video of Skye at a sleepover. But Asha deleted the post, so everything's okay. Right?
Then someone texts Skye a screenshot from the video. This person threatens to share the shocking photo everywhere... unless Skye does whatever they say. Suddenly, Skye's perfect image- and privacy- are in jeopardy. What will Skye do to keep the screenshot under wraps? And who is trying to ruin her life?
Review- Online bullying is a very serious issue and this book gives the reader a look into that experience. Skye is just goofing off at a sleepover when her friend takes a joke picture and everything goes from there. The person who is bullying her was surprising but their reasoning was terrible. The story itself is very interesting with Skye trying to handle this by herself, the writing is good very engaging, and the world building is good. The chapter breaks with the other character's perspective is how the world is build for the reader, we see the world from other character's perspective away from Skye. The side characters are really great, they add so much to the story and to Skye's character development.
I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
December 6, 2024
Skye and her friends are obsessed with the social media site, ChitChat. But when one of her best friends, Asha, posts an embarrassing video of her on ChitChat, Skye is upset. Asha quickly deletes it and everything seems okay...until someone texts her a screenshot from the video. This individual will post the photo unless Skye does whatever they say. Who is trying to ruin Skye's life and reputation...? 📱
I really enjoyed this book! I had originally gotten this book when I was in Virginia beach earlier this year and decided to pick it up. Very quick and easy read!
What I liked:
• How the story shows the significance of what you post online, it's out there forever, even if you delete it. So teens (and anyone) need to be cautious as to what they post.
• The POVs of all the characters. I thought it would be too much but I actually enjoyed it! You get to see that not everyone's life is as perfect as social media makes it seem.
• The optimistic attitude and strength Skye showed during the tasks she had to do to prevent the screenshot from being posted.
• I really liked Ryan and Harmony; I teared up at one point with Harmoy's kindness 💙
• Seeing everyone's character development (I wish there was a little more depth) but I liked how everyone matured and grew throughout the story.
What I disliked:
• Not many tasks were given to Skye; I wanted more suspense and drama added.
• I wished the friendship dynamic was explored more with Skye, Harmony, and Ryan. I liked their group and wanted more.
This was a really good book and I definitely recommend it for anyone; especially young teens and even young adults.
I really enjoyed this book! I had originally gotten this book when I was in Virginia beach earlier this year and decided to pick it up. Very quick and easy read!
What I liked:
• How the story shows the significance of what you post online, it's out there forever, even if you delete it. So teens (and anyone) need to be cautious as to what they post.
• The POVs of all the characters. I thought it would be too much but I actually enjoyed it! You get to see that not everyone's life is as perfect as social media makes it seem.
• The optimistic attitude and strength Skye showed during the tasks she had to do to prevent the screenshot from being posted.
• I really liked Ryan and Harmony; I teared up at one point with Harmoy's kindness 💙
• Seeing everyone's character development (I wish there was a little more depth) but I liked how everyone matured and grew throughout the story.
What I disliked:
• Not many tasks were given to Skye; I wanted more suspense and drama added.
• I wished the friendship dynamic was explored more with Skye, Harmony, and Ryan. I liked their group and wanted more.
This was a really good book and I definitely recommend it for anyone; especially young teens and even young adults.
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