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★★★★★ 5
Life lessons wrapped in an engaging story
Format: Hardcover
Title: Virtually Me
Author: Chad Morris, Shelly Brown
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
My Rating: 5 ⭐
"The pandemic was rough on everyone, especially since school went from being a fun place where you could hang out with your friends to a bunch of heads in small rectangles all trying to talk at once. For Bradley, Edelle, Hunter, Jasper, and Keiko, that’s about to change."
Virtually Me is told from the alternating viewpoints of three teenagers; Edelle, Bradley and Hunter. The teens are returning to school after the pandemic and each has chosen to attend VR school rather than in person school. Though they have different reasons for attending a virtual school, their decision has something to do with how each of them views their outward appearance. Bradley was uncomfortable with the way he looked and wanted to get away from the bullies at school. Edelle's mom forced her to attend because she wanted to distance her from the peer pressure to look a certain way. Hunter decided to attend virtual school because he had developed alopecia and he was uncomfortable with the way he looked.
This middle grade read shows the topics of bullying, peer pressure, and social anxieties from a teens POV. While VR school is definitely cooler than Zoom classes it is very relatable to any young person who attended school during the pandemic.
As the students experience the fun of VR games and dances they also find themselves struggling to figure out who they are, how to fit in, and how to be a friend. Each learns a much needed lesson that all teens today can benefit from!
This book is well written, the characters are fun and relatable, most importantly, the plot contains valuable life lessons wrapped up in a fun and exciting story that young readers will gravitate towards. I highly recommend this for every middle grade reader in your life!
I received an ARC of this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2023
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