Saleena's picks for September

 

Vicky has crippling social anxiety.  She can't even say hi to her classmates and is sure everyone hates her.  She is pushed to join the yearbook club by a guidance counselor, and finds that even if it's difficult, she can be a part of it while still being in the background.  She is really good at photo editing so she focuses on that.  Vicky's only friend has moved away, and when her friend accidentally dials her and Vicky hears her talking about her badly, she is devastated.  She wishes she could be more like "those people", and starts an Instagram account called Vicurious where she inserts herself through photoshop into various pics.  Everyone knows she isn't actually there (concerts that happened before she was born, red carpet premieres, fun parties) but she is having fun and somehow it catches on and goes viral.  Now Vicky is famous, but not really....and she has no idea how to handle that or how to actually confront her issues and be with real people.  

This book was really interesting, as you really feel for Vicky as you're reading it (or at least I did); and her social media presence explores how you can still be lonely while having millions of friends, as well as how addicting the social media engine can be.  I love that Vicky's guidance counselor is actually helpful and that her parents aren't awful just clueless.  Roat builds a good story with lots of tension and a protagonist that you are rooting for.  



Eliza & Her Monsters is another book dealing with anxiety.  This time, Eliza has an entire secret social life....she draws and creates an online comic.  Her comic is well known but she keeps it secret that it's hers, even when she meets a "fellow fan" of the comic in a cute new boy at her school. Of course, at some point her secret comes to light (not a spoiler, because....it's kind of an obvious plot point); and how she and her family deal with the press and the fallout as well as how it plays into and exacerbates her anxiety is explored.  I did enjoy this, though I have to say I didn't like that most of the protagonist's worry and strength seem to come from the new boyfriend, not from within herself (although maybe it's just how I read the situation)....but overall this is a good book with an interesting story.

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