The Gray Zone

(Copy provided to the Kindle Book Review.)

From Goodreads:
“The victim of a cyber-prank gone viral, Autumn was forced to transfer schools—not exactly what she wanted to do as a sophomore. But what choice did she have when all her personal information was posted all over the web? Determined to make the best of her situation, Autumn decides to reinvent herself as the outgoing, popular, not-at-all-shy girl she'd always wanted to be. But even the best plans go awry and Autumn fails to change the old habits that had given her that shy girl reputation in the first place. So when she learns that her best friend, Sophie Rose, is transferring to her new school she’s relieved, until Sophie starts keeping her distance. Autumn finds herself adrift without the support of her best friend. But when tragedy shakes her world she stops feeling sad. Now she's angry—and she's determined to put a stop to this cyber-torture and bullying of herself and the people she loves.”

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The topic of this book is so, so important—cyberbullying is real and had chilling effects on its victims. It is not something to be taken lightly, so with that perspective, this book is an excellent launching point for discussing cyberbullying and bullying in general with a teenager near you.

As a story, though, it falls flat because the main character's tone is too mature and self-aware for a sophomore in high school. Also, her internal monologue is unwieldy, wordy, and sometimes aimless. Autumn's interactions with Maurice felt far from real, and the reasoning for his reactions to her seemed implausible. Perhaps if the author had continued to add entries throughout the story from Sophie Rose's diary, the struggle with bullying would seem more real. There were flashes of humor throughout the story, in appropriate places, and the writing itself was excellent. However, the author's emphasis on telling, rather than showing, makes the story feel like an after school special. With a topic this vital, the story needs to be engaging and accessible, especially to its target audience.