Sharon Huss Roat
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Vicky Decker has perfected the art of hiding in plain sight, quietly navigating the halls of her high school undetected except by her best (and only) friend, Jenna. But when Jenna moves away, Vicky’s isolation becomes unbearable.This book was such a wonderful surprise! I laughed, I cried, I swooned, but I also found myself relating to so many of the things Vicky did and felt. Roat did such an incredible job telling this tale, marrying social media and social anxiety to produce a pretty special coming-of-age type story.
So she decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s pictures, posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious. Instantly, she begins to get followers, so she adds herself to more photos from all over the world with all types of people. And as Vicurious’s online followers multiply, Vicky realizes she can make a whole life for herself without ever leaving her bedroom. But the more followers she finds online, the clearer it becomes that there are a lot of people out there who feel like her— #alone and #ignored in real life.
To help them, and herself, Vicky must find the courage to face her fear of being “seen,” because only then can she stop living vicariously and truly bring the magic of Vicurious to life.
In this beautiful and illuminating narrative, Sharon Huss Roat shines a light on our love of social media and how sometimes being the person you think you want to be isn’t as great as being the person you truly are.
Things I Liked
- The positive use of social media: In my heart, I know there are a lot of pros to social media. It just seems as though all the negative uses are getting most of our attention. Therefore, I was elated to see Instagram used in such a positive and awesome way in this book. I hope people will read this, and be inspired to do some good via social media.
- Vicky: I so easily related to Vicky. My anxiety is not quite as severe as her's, but I understood her. I was very proud of each step she took, because I understood how difficult it was for her to accomplish each task, which seem so mundane to most. Vicky was by no means cured over the course of this book, but she definitely experienced a lot of growth, and it was a beautiful thing to see.
- Lipton❣️: Gosh! If you googled the term "sweet little cinnamon roll", you would find Lipton referenced somewhere in the entry. This boy was so sweet, adorable, and genuine. I loved his persistence when "courting" Vicky, and also found him to have a big beautiful heart. I melted multiple times due to him, and commend Roat on crafting such an amazing book boyfriend.
- Vicky's Tribe: It was so difficult watching Vicky struggle with her isolation and loneliness. Therefore, I was so delighted when she finally found her tribe, or maybe they found her. Either way, she ended up with a great circle of friends, who were super supportive and really saw her. They didn't just see her though, they liked what they saw.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
Our hero, Lipton, plays Minecraft. I have not gamed in a while, but I always loved sim type games (like Animal Crossing).
Do you like playing video or online games?
Let us know in the comments!
This sounds nice! I like the message of not having to hide who you are, and also the positive side of social media. Now I want to read it! I like that she found people like her to, that she could relate to.
ReplyDeleteI do like video games but don't get to play them much anymore. Need more time. :)
This book was the best type of surprise. The cover gave not hint to what a lovely and heartwarming story this was going to be. I enjoyed every second of it. If I didn't have to work, I would totally game again.
DeleteI've been really wanting to read this so I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! That's awesome that it included such a positive view of social media. I feel like a lot of YA these days shows the negatives, and while that is needed, it's nice to see something sweeter about it finally. Also your description of Lipton now makes me want to learn more about him! Great review, Sam! :)
ReplyDeleteLipton was a phenomenal book boyfriend, and I feel like as a society in general we highlight the negatives. I am always looking for the positives. I seek out the warm and fuzzy human interest stories buried in the paper, because I do believe that most people have good in their hearts.
DeleteOkay, I now want to read this one for Lipton alone. :) I'm a total sucker for the sweet ones and he sounds like the perfect sweet guy. And how refreshing to see social media portrayed in a positive light!
ReplyDeleteLipton was precious. I loved how he kept trying with Vicky and was just so himself
DeleteYou're so right Sam, there are an awful lot of stories out there that comment on the dark and disturbing sides of social media but few that explore the positive ones. I really like the sound of the whole "Vicurious" instagram account and it's positive impact on people who feel alone. Plus who doesn't like a sweet cinnamon roll love interest? :)
ReplyDeleteThose parts were so fun and there was this really beautiful thing that went viral because of Vicurious. Loved it!
DeleteThis has been on my radar for a while. I liked the author's last book but wasn't in love with it and wanted to see what would happen next. This next book sounds like a good read and one I would enjoy. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for it and get me a copy.
ReplyDeleteUtterly delightful. I have not read any other books by Roat, but I will definitely check them out after this one.
DeleteI can relate to Vicky so much, and this book just sound utterly gorgeous! And YAY for +ve use of social media to boot.
ReplyDeleteSome of the parts when she is creating her account were really fun. She would put herself into photos, which started with something sort of realistic and then went to being in a space ship with NDT or in a pic with Ellen. I loved it.
DeleteOoh, I was excited for this one. Hope that I enjoy it too! SM books are SO important to have out there in YA lit, I'm glad that it was represented positively in this one. The characters also sound delightful! Glad you enjoyed it! :)
ReplyDeleteUtterly delightful. I hope you like it too, because I really loved it.
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