Are U 4 Real? by Sara Kadefors

Summary:

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?

Sara Kadefors’s wildly romantic, award-winning Swedish bestseller perfectly captures the universal angst of being a teenager, and the perhaps even more universal struggle to negotiate identity in a multi-platform world.

Review:

I've been eagerly awaiting the time that I would finally be able to read this novel. Since, the premise sound interesting and the cover is one word: adorable! Lucky for me, this novel defiantly came close to my expectations and was one cute book!

In Are U 4 Real? you became involved in the two main characters- Kyla and Alex- struggles and issues that are present in their complex lives. These two are people who many can possibly relate to in some ways. For example, Alex deals with bullying at school and the consequences that come from being a male ballet dancer while Kyla is reeling from her mother's depression and the father who is not that present in her life. While I always like Alex, it was a bit hard to like Kyla at times. For one, she wined a bit too much for my liking and that constant winning lead to her making some choices that were not very good. Plus, I hated the generalization that Sara made throughout this book which was if your not living the best possible life and have to deal with issues you fall into skanky behavior and a slight drinking problem. It was just annoying. Other than those two things, I truly did come to like both characters by the end, and the message they brought out in the end "Be yourself and don't let anyone stop you from being who you want to be."

The plot in this book was fast paced and constantly made you wonder if Alex and Kyla were ever going to be together. Also, I loved how emails and instant messages were incorporated in the book's main plot, because they brought a realistic feeling to the book.

Overall, Are U 4 Real? is a sweet romance type book that many teen girls will come to enjoy. Though, I highly suggest you should see if your library has it before you buy it, because it seemed at times that it wouldn't be worth the full 16.99 price tag.

Grade: B

Are U 4 Real? is now out!