Baron, Ruth. Defriended.

Baron, Ruth.  Defriended.  Scholastic Press     2013  238p  ISBN 978-0-545-42357-1 hs/adult     Paperback   VG-BN  Horror     

In this creative story, the protagonist, Jason, is gullible -- the perfect choice for Lacey as she uses Facebook to meet a boy who is lonely and willing as well as naive.  In fact, Lacey and Jason have so much in common that Jason begins to question their online relationship.  When he Googles her name, he discovers that the girl to whom he is writing has died.  What should he do?  He finds himself drawn into a dramatic search for the truth about Lacey’s death.  He enlists the help of his best friend, and together they forge ahead.  There are many possibilities: that Lacey never died, that she committed suicide, that she was murdered, that she fell from a balcony by accident, and that she is communicating with Jason via Facebook from some kind of afterlife.  Children do strange and scary things on the computer these days, and that is why this book is a compelling read.  We never really know if our children are safe.  We never really know who is “playing” with us behind the truly faceless technology.  The falling action is complex, the ending is creepy, and the resolution is unpredictable.  All three adjectives combine to make this book by Ruth Baron, a very talented writer, a wonderful choice.             

This book is a Book of Note to be enjoyed by both male and female readers at the high-school level.   It is not easy to bridge the gender gap, but with the right plot and character development, Baron has done so.

Summary: Through Facebook, a teenaged boy is drawn into a mystery involving a new relationship.  Curiosity about Lacey motivates him to learn more, but what he learns is that she is dead.  He teams up with his best friend to try to solve the mystery.         

Social media-Fiction, Mystery-Fiction                       --Martha Squaresky