OFFLINE

Annie’s boyfriend very publicly dumps her on a social media platform.

After hunky Jameson confirms his rejection of Annie in the high school courtyard, with nearly everyone watching, plenty of people jump on social media bandwagon ChitChat to criticize her weight gain and add to her misery. Luna and Caitlin, her BFFs, vow with her to give up social media for a month, but since they’re all but addicted, it’s a real challenge. A few others, including the gay quarterback of their high-powered football team, decide to join them. With ample spare time, Annie begins volunteering at the local animal shelter, where she cares for a needy dog and develops an interest in a kind boy who works there. But ChitChat has a hold on Annie, and she cheats behind her friends’ backs, all the while wracked with guilt. All three girls are dealing with hard issues that they describe in journal entries: Caitlin wants to become a kicker for the football team, and Luna is trying to become the new editor of the school newspaper. A feel-good ending wraps up all the unhappy threads, perhaps diminishing the impact. Still, as it plausibly depicts the all-too-common hold that social media has on teens’ lives, Annie’s aching first-person narrative will strike a chord with many readers. Annie and Caitlin are White, Luna is Latinx, and there is diversity in other secondary characters.

A mostly believable, thought-provoking journey.