Need

September 14, 2015
The mysterious Need network, an anonymous social network that springs up overnight, claims that it can fulfill the deepest desires of the students at Nottawa High School. At the center of the storm is 16-year-old Kaylee Dunham; while her classmates mainly seek material gain, her priorities lie with finding her younger brother
a kidney donor. Need’s users must follow its directions like lemmings, and a web of deceit and cruel pranks quickly becomes dangerous and deadly. Charbonneau (the Testing trilogy) focuses on a handful of classmates, mostly telling the story from Kaylee’s perspective, but shifting into third person to expose other characters and help the roles they play coalesce into a thrilling narrative. Even after the diabolical source of Need is unmasked—albeit through the cliché of the villain explaining the plan in full detail—Charbonneau still has a few surprises in store to leave readers questioning their trust in (and anonymity of) the internet and the selves we expose when we think no one is watching. Ages 12–up. Agent: Stacia Decker, Donald Maass Literary Agency.

October 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-When a new social network pops up promising to fulfill any need, 16-year-old Kaylee Dunham knows it's too good to be true. It's one thing to deliver new phones, computers, or sports equipment, but how can an anonymous site give Kaylee what she needs-a kidney for her little brother? Kaylee joins NEED to please her best and only friend, Nate, but starts to worry when NEED begins asking users to complete tasks in exchange for getting what they want. The tasks seem harmless enough at first, until a student turns up dead, and Kaylee finds out the lengths to which some people will go to get what they think they need. Charbonneau delivers a tightly paced thriller packed with enough tension to keep teens hooked until the dramatic finale. Readers will root for Kaylee as she faces down hateful classmates, a mother who doesn't trust her, and an out-of-control social network bent on turning everyone she knows into a killer. Told through the perspective of multiple students entangled in NEED, this work raises interesting questions about the real-life dangers that could arise from operating anonymously online. Well-defined conflict and plenty of action also make this a good choice for reluctant readers. VERDICT A taut mystery sure to elicit discussion.-Kimberly Ventrella, Southwest Oklahoma City Library

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2015
A mysterious social network sows discontent. NEED is the hot new thing. The social network claims to provide the one thing each member truly needs. All a user has to do is provide the site with a request and perform a task. These tasks start off small, like emailing invitations to join the site to five people, but the bigger the need, the bigger the task. Sixteen-year-old Kaylee has one big need: a new kidney for her ailing younger brother. NEED has promised her the kidney, but how far will Kaylee go to get it? And how far will her classmates go to get what they desire above all else? Charbonneau provides readers with Kaylee's first-person perspective and sprinkles in several chapters from those of her peers. The result is a web as intricate as NEED's own networking. Less interesting is Kaylee's single-mindedness. The chapters that don't feature Kaylee are a welcome respite from her obsession with her younger brother's health. This trait is honorable at first, but it won't take long for readers to decide that Kaylee has nothing else going on. When her friend Nate professes undying love, readers will wonder why. Other characters, such as Gina, the school's mean girl, and Ethan, a budding sociopath, are a delight. The book also squanders nuance regarding NEED's social and psychological implications. These themes are spoken aloud by NEED's creator, a comically villainous character who would be charming if one didn't suspect her primary purpose is making subtext into text. A frothy mystery that trips over its desire for social relevance. (Thriller. 12-16)

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September 1, 2015
Grades 7-10 Best-selling Charbonneau's newest thriller examines the dark side of social media. When 16-year-old Kaylee's friend introduces her to NEED, a new social networking site that's giving teens exactly what they say they need in exchange for them completing a task, Kaylee is quick to participate. What she needs is a new kidney for her brother, who won't live long without one. But things quickly escalate to a fever pitch. Told in first-person chapters from Kaylee's point of view and third-person chapters focused on other teens in her community, this is a fast-paced read that teens antsy to untangle the mystery will devour. At times, the premise stretches plausibility, particularly when only Kaylee seems to grow suspicious as the body count ramps up. Some teens may be turned off by the portrayal of their generation as having so little conscience, while others may find it right on the mark. Hand to teens looking for a thought-provoking, timely thriller. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Charbonneau has an ample audience, and odds are good they will be eager for this one, which has all the excitement of a summer blockbuster.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)