Book Review: Are U 4 Real? by Sara Kadefors

Reading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 320
Language: English
Average Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5
Source

"Kyla is exactly the kind of girl Alex could never talk to in real life. She’s a gorgeous, outspoken L.A. girl who parties to forget about her absent father and depressed mother. He’s a shy ballet dancer from outside San Francisco who’s never been kissed. Luckily, when these sixteen-year-olds meet for the first time it’s not in real life—it’s in a chat room, where they can share their feelings of isolation and frustration away from the conformity-obsessed high school scene. Alex and Kyla quickly forge a friendship that’s far from virtual— maybe they’re even falling in love. But what happens when the soul mate you’ve never met moves from online to in person?" Source

I will say that at first, this seemed sorta interesting. Usually, when I read a book on IMing or technology, it's filled with all IM convos (*cough* I'm talking to you, Lauren Myracle) or people constantly sitting at the computer. This one was different, it was a love story that was developed from technology which is different from other stories. It was a little obvious though. Once you know that Kyra is gorgeous and popular, of course she is unhappy. Then you have Alex who is a ballerina but he obviously has never had a girlfriend or have been kissed. I liked the book because there was real life situations in it but Kadefors seemed to make it a little more dramatic. That wasn't a bad thing because if it was like an ordinary story, it would get one black nail polish from me, personally. The story was good all in all but the relationship never seemed to ddevelop into a love story that I will call unique and something that I will remember for years to come. This book deserves a three out of four because it is a book everyone should read and plus, it was said to be the best YA book over in Sweden. There is even a movie that was made from it in Sweden. You can check out the trailer here, it is a little raunchy when you watch it but it seems like a good movie.

Peace and Fangs,
Alisha