Who R U Really?
by Margo Kelly
Book Description:
Thea's overprotective parents are driving her insane. They invade her privacy, ask too many questions, and restrict her online time so severely that Thea feels she has no life at all. When she discovers a new role-playing game online, Thea breaks the rules by staying up late to play. She's living a double life: on one hand, the obedient daughter; on the other, a girl slipping deeper into darkness. In the world of the game, Thea falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and savvy can't defeat his loneliness and near-suicidal despair. As Kit draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of cover stories for her parents and then even her friends.
Soon, Thea is all alone in the dark world with Kit, who worries her more and more, but also seems to be the only person who really "gets" her. Is he frightening, the way he seems sometimes, or only terribly sad? Should Thea fear Kit, or pity him? And now, Kit wants to come out of the screen and bring Thea into his real-life world. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit's allure, and hurtles toward the same dark fate her parents feared most. Ripped from a true-life story of Internet stalking, Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea's life spins out of control.
Buy Links:
Praise for the book:
"Kelly's first novel is a suspenseful page-turner with multiple suspects, a little bit of romance, and a strong but not overbearing message." --Kirkus Reviews
"Suspenseful novel that's guaranteed to give readers goosebumps--particularly as events heat up toward the end. A good choice for families to read together." --School Library Journal
"Who R U Really? is a fantastically creepy book that is surprisingly realistic and totally engrossing.... Once I opened it, I couldn't close it. Who R U Really is a satisfyingly unique YA thriller that left me guessing up until almost the very last page.... This book is very realistic and I really enjoyed the writing style." --Tempest Books
"Based on actual events, the story should be required reading for all teens." --VOYA Magazine
Author Interview
1. What inspired you to write your first book?
The inspiration for my debut novel, Who R U
Really?, came when my daughter was nearly abducted by an online
predator.
2. Do you have a specific writing style?
I have found that creating a story “road map” (not a
precisely plotted outline) works best for me. It gives me direction while
writing, but is much more flexible than a detailed
outline.
3. How did you come up with the title for your book?
This story went through multiple title changes before we
finally came up with Who R U Really? My editor, Jackie Mitchard,
and I emailed back and forth for quite a while brainstorming ideas, and this
title emerged from that process.
4. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to
grasp?
Be careful online. People aren’t always
actually who they portray themselves to be online.
5. How much of the book is realistic?
There are quite a few scenes and conversations in the
story that are based on real-life events. For example, the white chair scene
actually happened, and that’s one of the scariest scenes in the book. However,
the majority of the book is a work of fiction. All of the secondary characters
are a work of fiction.
6. What book are you reading now?
I just finished reading Partials by Dan
Wells.
7. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Joshua Bellin, author of Survival Colony 9,
is one of my new favorites.
8. What are your current projects?
Audible recently acquired the rights to produce an
audiobook for Who R U Really?, and I am very excited about that
project. It will be interesting to hear those online chats read out loud! My
next book project is in the hands of my wonderful agent. Hopefully it will enter
the wheels of the publishing machine soon! It’s another thriller for the young
adult audience.
9. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was
it?
Patience. The traditional publishing process
moves slowly, but it is a very worthwhile process, and because of it, Who
R U Really? is a much better product than it was three years
ago.
10. What were the challenges (research, psychological etc) in
bringing your story to life?
The process of writing
the story was very therapeutic for both me and my daughter. As she recovered
from the ordeal, we would play the “what if” game. What if she’d done this
instead of that? What if the predator had done that instead of this? The
challenging part for both of us was when we received the advance reading copies
from the publisher. That was when we both realized the story was actually going
out into the world for everyone to read. I have to admit there was a flash of
panic for me. It was an extreme moment of vulnerability—feeling naked. Not only
would people be judging the story for its merit, but also people would be
judging my parenting choices and my daughter’s naivety. We wish we could explain
a couple of things to every reader: 1) This happened to my daughter years ago
when she was eleven going on twelve. 2) This book is mostly a work of fiction.
While many of the scenes happened in real life, there are also many that are a
product of our “what if” game all those years
ago.
About the Author
Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest and currently resides in Idaho. A veteran public speaker, she is now actively pursuing her love of writing. Who R U Really? is her first novel. Margo welcomes the opportunities to speak to youth groups, library groups, and book clubs.
Author Links:
***GIVEAWAY***
1 print copy of Who R U Really?
Open to US only.
Ends 1/12/15
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