Cold Calls

February 1, 2014
Three teens blackmailed into bullying behaviors team up to discover who's behind it. Eric has been receiving anonymous calls from someone who blackmails him into playing a series of pranks on a boy at school that he doesn't even know. At the end of a community course for accused bullies, he discovers that two other teens, Shelly and Fatima, have gotten similar calls from the creepy, computerized voice of an anonymous caller who threatens to reveal their secrets. In Eric's case, it's an incriminating photograph of his ex-girlfriend that will be posted to the Internet unless he keeps quiet and does what he's told. The kids have only a few days to discover who's behind the blackmailing before a countdown ends, forcing them into one last act of bullying. The complex reasons that Eric, Shelly and Fatima have for keeping their secrets are understandable and drive the action, but the blackmailer's motivation is far less interesting. The unraveling of the mystery is moderately suspenseful, but readers are likely to move from "what could be going on?" to "is that all?" as the intrigue devolves into a tepid denouement. Alas, fails to shed light on the all-too-common issue of bullying and its impact on the emotional lives of teens. (Mystery. 12--15)

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April 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Eric, Shelly, and Fatima are three teens from different schools and backgrounds who have only one thing in common: a midnight caller who knows their secrets. Secrets the three teenagers are desperate to keep hidden. So desperate in fact that they agree to do as the caller demands. The mysterious antagonist's demands are simple: bully selected targets at their schools. When the three protagonists meet at an anti-bullying class and realize what they have in common, they set out to discover just who their mutual foe is and stop their secrets from being shared before their lives are ruined. While the character development isn't the strength here and there is no happily ever after, the characters feel like authentic teenagers. With a quick pace, this psychological thriller takes readers for a ride, providing clues to the secrets the characters are trying to hide but without disclosing all of the information until later chapters. The coldness of the caller in relation to the damage he/she is doing to the bullying victims as well as the blackmail victims is particularly chilling, especially since their is no sign of a change in his/her behavior. References to underage drinking, drugs, and sex makes this most suitable for older teens.-Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2014
Grades 8-11 Eric, Shelly, and Fatima meet when they are suspended and referred to a weeklong antibullying program, but they're shocked to discover that they each followed a very similar path to get thereand it's not because they are all bullies. Rather, they have each received calls from an unnamed stranger who threatens to reveal their shameful secrets to the world if they do not cooperate with specific instructions to bully their classmates. During the week of their punishment, they band together to find out who is behind their disturbing experiences. Benoit capitalizes on current trends in this up-to-the-minute plot and develops the three very different teen characters with equal depth and authenticity. The ultimate reveal of the person behind the stalking stretches credulity, but nonetheless, Benoit's handling of cultural diversity, adolescent religious awareness, and everyday technology in teen lives makes for satisfying, thought-provoking reading. Young teens who have read Mary Downing Hahn's Stepping on the Cracks (1991) should be ready for this nuanced approach to bullying and bullies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
Eric gets a phone call threatening to reveal his dark secret unless he bullies a particular high school classmate. Then he meets Shelly and Fatima, who've likewise been blackmailed by a mysterious caller, and the teens go on the offensive, using sleuthing skills to track down the caller. A fast-paced thriller with interesting characters, realistic dialogue, and plenty of food for thought.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)