Freesia’s life is perfect. She lives on the beautiful tropical island of Agalinas, surrounded by idyllic weather, fancy dress shops, and peacocks who sing her favorite song to wake her up in the morning. She has so many outfits she could wear a different one every day for a year and not run out.
Lately things on the island may have been a bit flippy: sudden blackouts, students disappearing, even Freesia’s reflection looking slightly . . . off. But in Freesia’s experience, it’s better not to think about things like that too much.
Unfortunately for her, these signs are more than random blips in the universe. Freesia’s perfect bubble is about to pop.
Goodreads Summary
A virtual world where you’re popular, beautiful, smart, and rich! What a great concept! I had a hard time putting this book down. The first chapters are so plastic and artificial that although I didn’t want to stop reading…I did skim some pages. The contrasts between the real world and the ideal world are amazing. As Freesia (Francine) reestablishes connections with her real parents and her sister, it is so cool to see the shallow and deep ways that we interact with our family and our friends. How the persona we would like others to see is so important to our self-confidence – yet we don’t want to work on making those appealing qualities real in ourselves.
The book reminds me of how addicted my nieces and nephews have been when it comes to video games and “facebook”. They put up pictures and stories about themselves that they want others to see because it fits the persona that they want others to believe. They immerse themselves in battles and fighting, with guns, knives, and bombs, which they would be to kind to ever take part in. Maybe the kids themselves are getting too heavy, eating badly, or not sleeping, but in their perfectly constructed view of their world…they are happy and fulfilled because someone clicks on an icon that means “like”.
As you can tell, I am older…finally, more comfortable with myself….but still dying my graying hair. I’m not the target audience for this novel, but I was so impressed with the ideas and dialogue, with the deeper meanings. I think young adults and teens will be entertained by Snow’s story; they may also gain some insight into their lives and appreciation for what’s real.
Four and a Half Stars
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This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.
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Thanks for the review! :)