Let me just start by saying that previous to my last library trip, I had never heard of either this author or this title. The subject matter -- internet predators -- just intrigued me, in the same way that I'm just drawn to books about eating disorders and school shootings and other terrible things I enjoy reading about. And, I can definitely say that I was not disappointed. I totally love this book! 
 Starting with plot, Abby is the typical girl from your early teenage years. She has one best friend, who seems to be slowly growing apart from her, since they have no classes at school together this year. She has an annoying younger sister, always intent on announcing Abby's every move to her parents at dinner time, hoping to make herself look like the good sister. And of course there are Abby's parents -- who are often absent and unable to supply the emotional support she seeks in her daily struggles with school, boys, and hormones. So Abby throws herself into her school work, mostly earning straight A's and maintaining her reputation as the quiet, shy girl who doesn't really get a lot of attention from the boys -- or from anyone else, for that matter. 
 So, when Abby meets Luke online in a chat room, she quickly warms up to him, confessing her stresses, heartaches, and deepest teenage emotions to the boy on the other side of the screen. Luke admits that he's in his 20's, but as he lavishes Abby with attention and praise, listening to her problems and singling her out as beautiful and special, Abby lets herself believe that she can have a future with Luke. After all, age is just a number, right? And when they're older, the difference in age won't feel like a big deal at all. 
 Luke asks Abby to be "his girl" but advises her to keep the relationship a secret, urging Abby that silence is necessary because other people will not see the depth of their affection but will only see the gap in age and consider their love a crime. Abby is happy to comply, even accepting a cell-phone that Luke mails for their secret nightly texts and conversations. Even when Luke starts pushing Abby to send naked pictures, to assert the feelings between the two 'soul mates,' Abby agrees -- because, after all, Luke loves her and nothing about true love could be wrong. 
 As Abby becomes more isolated from her family and friends, her grades drop and other relationships in her life begin to fade away. Struggling with these feelings of loneliness, Abby finally agrees to meet up with Luke in person, to explore the relationship on another level. 
 But then, Abby doesn't come home -- and nobody can read her on her cell... 
 The remaining chapters alternate between Abby's friend and her sister, as they fight to find Abby and make sense of the situation. The clock is running out, as the family enlists the help of the police and later the FBI to try and save Abby's life -- before it's too late. 
 I really think the author did a great job of telling this story, realistically, from a teenage perspective. While I never actually meet anyone in person from the internet when I was in my early teens, I do remember my first experience in a chat room, when I was about 15 or 16. I remember receiving private messages from a man, claiming to be 30, who stated he just wanted to talk about the deeper things of life. We chatted nightly for the first week or two, and this man lavished me with attention and (mock) understanding, always attempting to create a dichotomy of me against the world, asking me to see him as a kindred soul who could relate to my thought and feelings more than anyone else I knew in real life. 
 To a young teenager, all doped up on hormones and crazy experiences with peer pressure and confusion and the nightmare of self-discovery, it's easy to fall prey to anyone claiming to care and understand. While I never met up with this man, he did ask several times. And while I could easily create a Prince Charming story, starring this unknown stranger from the other side of the country, I (luckily) could never feel comfortable taking it any further than the computer monitor. 
 Abby's voice feels real here, portraying that it doesn't take a silly, stupid, or shallow girl to fall for the wrong guy. 
 I very much enjoyed the alternating perspective changes between Abby's friends and sister, and they really didn't make the story feel choppy, as other authors sometimes do when they attempt this format. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the ending, but it definitely wasn't enough to keep me from recommending this one to anyone who is a fan of YA literature, realistic fiction, and novels centered around people with real life tragedies. 
 I noticed that Littmna has another novel out, called PURGE, and I definitely look forward to securing this one for myself. So, watch out for that review later -- hopefully!