Saturday, December 6, 2014

Who R U Really? blog tour


Welcome to my stop on the Who R U Really? Blog Tour!  Read my review first and then keep scrolling for a chance to win a free copy of this book!


who are you
Book:  Who R U Really?
Author:  Margo Kelly
Publication Date:  September 18, 2014
Publisher:  Merit Press
Source:  Blog tour
My rating:  A
Status in my library:  On order!!!

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.
First impression

OMG!  I have to start monitoring my 16 year old on social media a LOT more!  No, nix that.  I need to cancel all her use of social media.

What’s the Story?
This book is a major cautionary tale that should hit it’s target group right in the gut!  At times, it was a little pedantic, which is what cost it the + on the A, but as I got further into the book, I found myself so engrossed in the plot and all the red herrings about who the perpetrator was that I completely ignored that and just turned the pages as fast as possible.

As a parent, this book scared me.  A lot.  Because even though as an adult I could see all the times that Thea was giving out too much information, I don’t know one high school girl who couldn’t be talked into giving out this same kind of information.  The 16 year old in my home thinks that EVERY SINGLE RELATIONSHIP is the real deal and has a “special, MTB connection”. She would definitely give out this kind of information.  In a heartbeat.

The only thing I didn’t like about this novel is that Thea was sooooooo stupid!  I just wanted to shake her and smack some sense into her, but see the paragraph above.  She had to be written that way because that is the reality of a teenager now.  It didn’t keep me from wanting to strangle her though.  I was just so glad that she had such good friends..

When I closed this book, I felt both relieved and scared to death.  We have become so used to using all forms of social media that I think we all forget just how dangerous it can be, especially when it’s being used by teenagers who have such limited experience with life and bad people.  I think this is a very timely novel that could give readers just the wakeup call they need.

This book is on my book order for my library and I plan to start handing it out to kids as much as possible when it comes in.

Soundtrack:  The Stalker version

Death Cab for Cutie “I Will Possess Your Heart”



Denmark + Winter “Every Breath You Take” (cover of The Police)


The Beatles “Run for Your Life”


Alpha Rev “I Will Come”


Kylie Minogue “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”



The final grade
My final grade for this book is an A.  It was a real page-turner that definitely scared the crap out of me as a mom and an educator.  Hopefully, it will scare the crap out of its intended audience as well.




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

who are you (1)


Margo KellyAuthor Margo Kelly
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.
Blog Tour Giveaway
1 print copy of Who R U Really?
Open to US only
Ends 1/12/15





Blog Tour Schedule

December 3rd
I Am A Reader – Spotlight
BiblioSmiles – Spotlight
Coffee Books & Art – Spotlight
Author A.B. Whelan  – Interview
Katie’s Clean Book Collection – Tens List
Mythical Books – Spotlight
Becoming Books – Spotlight
Chocolatte Reader – Review

December 4th
Kelly P’s Blog – Spotlight
FLY HIGH! – Guest Post
My Life Loves and Passion – Interview
Shelf of Imagination – Review

December 5th
Addicted Readers – Spotlight
Auggie-Talk – Interview
Spiced Latte Reads – Interview
In This World of Books.. – Review
LexieLäser – LexieReads – Review

December 6th
Into the Mystic – Review

December 7th
Blue Eye Books – Review

December 8th
Julie Antonovich Reece – Spotlight
The Word at My Fingertips – Review
Verbosity Book Reviews – Review
Home Is Where the Wine Is Book Blog – Review
deal sharing aunt – Review
Just Jeanae – Review

December 9th
XoXo Book Blog – Spotlight
Lori’s Reading Corner – Interview
Reviews from a Dreamer – Review
My Creatively Random Life – Review
Mom Loves 2 Read – Review

December 10th
BookHounds YA – Interview
Cover2CoverBlog – Review
A Writer’s Dream – Review
Her Book Thoughts – Review
A Writer’s Life – Review

December 11th
Catch the Lune – Review

December 15th
Mom With A Kindle – Interview
Word to Dreams – Review
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, Sissy, Too! – Review
Book Babble – Review
Confessions of a Book Geek – Review

January 5th
Shelf Full of Books – Review
CBY Book Club – Interview
Read more-sleep less – Review
Sarah Aisling – Review
Christy’s Cozy Corners – Review
Books Direct – Review
Mel’s Shelves – Review

January 6th
Wall-to-wall books – Review
Romance With A Book – Review

January 7th
StoreyBook Reviews – Review

January 8th
Bunny’s Review – Spotlight
vvb32 reads – Review

January 10th
Bookwyrming Thoughts – Review
ReviewsbyNadine – Review