Review Detail

If you’ve ever been freaked out by something on the Internet, then Nerve by Seattle author Jeanne Ryan is the book for you.

Written for a young adult (YA) audience, it tells the story of a teenager named Vee who gets chosen to play a game about dares called Nerve, watched by people all over the world.

But Nerve is really about how people can unintentionally head down the wrong path in baby steps.

First you do X, and X doesn’t seem that bad. Then you do Y, which is a little bit worse. Then before you know it, you’re involved in Z, and Z is extremely bad. By then it’s too late! You’ve done X, Y and Z and you’re in serious trouble.

Another core component of Nerve is about privacy in the Internet age. Vee “likes” and “shares” things on her ThisIsMe page, and then that data gets collected by the people who run Nerve, and used against her.

A ThisIsMe page gone bad is a plot-line that can scare almost anybody. It’s the perfect jumping off board for a serious conversation about Facebook, Twitter and social media in general.

Can’t wait for the movie!