Amy

by Mary Hooper

A Children's Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Book

A normal teenager finds herself in a dangerous situation with a new "friend" from the internet.

Genres: Young Adult, Abuse, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Teen

Paperback

First published September 7, 2002

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

British children's and young adult author Mary Hooper was born in 1944, in Barnes, then in Surrey, nowadays in South West London. She left school at fifteen, and went to work as a window dresser, and then as a secretary. She eventually returned to school, as an adult student, earning a degree in English from Reading University. Hooper began her writing career with short stories, publishing in women's and teen magazines. Her first book, Jodie, was published in 1978. She is married, has two children, and one grandchild, and lives in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, this is one of the worst books I've ever read. The whole thing just infuriated me. The main character, Amy, is supposed to be around my age but, she is so incredibly naive and stupid I just... I couldn't have much sympathy for her. Her attitude, mind set and actions made me want to bang my head against a wall. The concept was good, I get where the message is. I just think it could have been done a lot better. I find it very frustrating that she acted like a 5 year old. It was incredibly degrading. I didn't like the way it was written either. I will admit it's pretty cool to read a British book though, they have some neat words.

BUT MY GOD I HATED THIS BOOK.
I wouldn't have ever thought of reading it.
Except... I got it at a garage sale for $1.

I WANT MY DOLLAR BACK.

[Victoria Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

my mom had me read this book in fifth grade as a “warning” but jokes on her i still got catfished in the eighth grade

[Qt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable, with realistic characters, plus it also made me aware of some dangers I hadn't thought about before. The subject matter is serious, and the book treats it that way, but it isn't a really grim, unpleasant book to read either. True friendship is as much a part of the plot, in my opinion, as is the potential danger Amy finds herself in, in spite of her precautions.

[X · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay for a quick, summer read, but fairly forgettable.

[Brianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I didn't like this book. The message was good, and it was simple to understand, but in all, I'm not a fan.

[Liv. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy used to have an amazing life. She was best friends with three others and they did everything together, until one moved away. Now her other two friends have made her the third wheel and eventually Amy gets so sick of it, and yells at them. Now with her three best friends gone from her life, she has no one to turn to...until she meets Zed. Meeting online in a chatroom, Amy thinks Zed is the answer to all of her prayers and can't wait to meet him, but is he really who he says he is? Or is he much, much worse?
Dealing with a tough teen issue, I think Mary Hooper succeeded quite well. Though it wasn't an outstanding book, she made her readers realize the horror of online chatting with strangers.

[Beauty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing with this book was that it seemed incomplete. They did complete their whole "mission and all, but it was like there was not a good enough story line. Like it was too bland and boring. I am not saying that the story idea was boring, I honestly thought that it was genius, I just don't think that the story should have ended like that. But then, yeah, what else would Mary Hooper write on, if you get what I mean, but maybe she could have met another guy and he also turned out to be a sicko, I don't know. This book did make me cringe a lot though, especially the really blunt and down bad message chains. But I really liked Amy's voice. It was honest and simple. Though, I could really connect to this book myself--no, I am not saying I have been raped, thank God I didn't lose my innocence that way--but with her friend problems with Bethany and Lou. I myself had a fallout with my friends a long way back, and ultimately it really was my fault that I stopped being friends with them because I remember thinking that they were just too boring. I know how opposites are the best pairs, but I have always been on the more crazy side, but these friends were just boring as hell and honestly, even opposites need some common ground. And I remember that we broke up our friendship pretty early on in the year--it was 6th grade--but we still sat on the bus together, and it was horrible, because those two would always be talking and I was always just quiet. I was glad that I read this book. It was short and sweet; took two days to finish. Mary Hooper is a great author, and our realization came right around when Amy did. I just wish that after Amy had made the first phone call she would have thought of describing Zed as Serena later did...who seriously would not have thought of that in times of dire desperateness?

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The topic of the book is a good one for teens to read, about making friends on the Internet and how people are not always honest about who they are. The plot had some holes. Amy is a high schooler in Watford who has become a loner at school. Her friends have dropped her. She turns to chat rooms for friendship and finds a guy named Zed. Zed quickly pulls her into his web of deceit and when she pays him a visit, some bad things happen. The timeline is the early stages of chat rooms so the plot is quite dated. Most of the characters need a swift kick to the bum. The ending is a positive one, as Amy goes to the police with what happened so the guy is arrested. However, I have a hard time believing that a pervert would use a date rape drug to take photos of you naked but not assault you in any other way. Some mild swears, some discussion about sex, and a scene where the character is drugged and nude photos are taken. 8th grade and up.

[Natalie Turley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when I was in high school in English class and I loved it, although now looking back it's not, in my opinion, the best written book out there but at the age of 13 it definitely struck a chord and definitely alerted me to the dangers of chatting to people online.

I personally still think it should be read by young people as it does open your eyes at that age.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book obviously has a very important message which is glaringly obvious, but I felt like more could have been done, for example the aftermath of what happened and how it affects you etc. But a good and wise read.

[Nandini Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite realistic and I like how it showed that she got strength because there was a friend standing by her....these kind of things happen to soo many girls all the time but how many are brave enough to confront...even she was not but she did because she got her strength from her friend

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book heavily shows a very realistic situation that even friends of mine have been through. It can allow us to see the thought process to these people who are victims.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this could be a book for year 6/7 students so they could realise that it can happen. Even at 37 I still take caution, yet we hear about it so often that another date has taken the wrong turn and they met online. This book could have been based on a true story. I would have liked to see it go further and see what happens to Zed.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up in a charity shop in someone's shed while my mom was shopping for carnivorous plants a few weeks back. It's one of those books that just catches your eye - its cover promising something a little bit of mystery and a little bit of danger. I guess it did live up to its cover but, overall, the plot just felt thin. There were certainly places where Hooper could have add some meat onto the book's bones and those opportunities just aren't something you miss out when writing about this sort of subject, especially when you're trying to raise awareness. If a child read this, I definitely don't think that they'd necessarily understand the gravity of the situation - there just wasn't enough description.

I also really disliked our main character Amy. She was too obsessive over her bad friends and pretty horrible to one the girl who was friendly towards her. She just came across as snobby and rude, making it hard for me to relate or even support her and her (very bad) decisions. There's just no need to be rude, is there?

But I did love the layout of the story. There's nothing I like better than a book with an interesting layout so 'Amy' definitely caught my attention there. Each chapter was organised as a clip police interview - the main text being Amy telling her story whilst being punctuated with bits of 'evidence' (transcripts) that give the book a bit of a chill from the start. It added intrigue and excitement, making sure that even from the start you were hooked, waiting to find out what the plot would climax with.

Despite the lack of description I did love the overall plot. I think Hooper did do a good job in coming up with the idea behind the book, delivering an awareness of the dangerous of online communities (obviously not the book blogger one though ;-)) and how easy it is deceive and be deceived. I also think that the fact she didn't just use what everyone would expect as an outcome as she choose one of the dangerous that doesn't immediately come to mind when you think of meeting up with strangers (I'm not going to give the ending away).

This is a good book - short, snappy and meaningful. If there was a bit more meat on its bones, this could definitely ranked up higher on my favorite's list.

[Wendy Roush · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Amy by Mary Hooper is writing about a girl is talking to a PC who is recording, when she is talking all you can think about is what is going to happen next. I could not put it down. Readed it in two days. Amy (also known as Buzybee for most of the book) has had some really bad times lately. She just lost her best friends because one moved away. The other two had become best friends, she had become the third wheel. Then her life turns around, when she meets a friend in a chat room ( on the internet). His name was Adam ( known as Zed) they started talking more, then they go and meet and she had a weird experience. She couldn’t remember anything the “date” besides that they went to the beach, ate lunch then she fell asleep. When she woke she was very sick. Well after she got home she had become great friends with a kid who was bullied, her name was Serena (known as Beaky). Amy had told her about what had happened. When she had gone to bed that night. She had a dream of the 3 hours she missed when she was with Zed. Zed was leaning over top of her and moving her body parts into different positions. She thought it was a nightmare but it kept coming up. She would have to go back to see Zed because in her recurring nightmare he had a birthmark in his lower back. So she had to see if he had the birthmark to make sure.
One of the best parts of this book was when she had befriended Beaky. Another was when her mom and dad let her go see Zed ONLY if Beaky went with her.”’Keep your mobile on you. And ring me up sometime during the day. I nodded. Just so I know that you get down there OK”’ (Hooper 78).
I would recommend this book to someone who likes a mystery and thriller. It would be a great book to be taught to 7th and 8th grades to show that these dangerous things really do happen in real life.

[Amy Y. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Amy is about a high school girl who had a big fight with her only friends. All alone, she decided to sign up for a dating service website. Then, she later encounters a boy whose screenname is Zed. She automatically falls in love with him. She ignores her mother's advice of protecting her self from strangers on the internet. Lovestruck, Zed asks her if they could take their relationship to the next level. He wants to see Amy in person! Amy later finds in herself in London with Zed! However, Amy discoveres that Zed is not the person that he described himself. Zed was rapist, who attacked 2 other girls on the internet in the same age as Amy.

This book was amazing! Despite the fact the book cover has my name, the plot was very good! When I read a couple of pages of the book, my first reaction was "oh boy, high school drama". However, as I read in depth, I became very attached to the book. Amy's mother reminds of my mom because she always warns me about encountering strangers on the street, sidewalk, etc. The book helped me realize about creeps on the internet. You never know who you are going to encounter. They could either be a bad or good person. It all depends on the right choice you make.

[eRin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy is going through a tough time. She's had a falling-out with her two best friends and without any siblings, she's stuck with her parents for company. With no friends and not into hanging out with her parents, Amy discovers online chat rooms. At first she's put off by all of the sexual talk and the weirdos, but then she meets Zed. Zed is eighteen, cool, has a great job and a cool flat. He understands so much and quickly becomes her best friend. Her paretnts are predictably freaking out, but Amy knows what she's doing. But hse does have to wonder: will he turn out to be the same person she knows when they finally meet?

I'd give this 2 1/2 stars, but I'm rounding out. There's nothing wrong with it, per se. It's a quick read and I was interested throughout; but it's pretty average. Very predictable. But probably a good read for younger teens to learn about the dangers of online strangers.

[Ashlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very short read about a girl who finds a friend on the internet. The plot was okay. It was very predictable as to what happens in the story. The way the story was set up, it left me with a lot of unanswered questions as to what happened with Beaky, Amy, and Bethany.

For the most part, the author's writing style was good. Since it was set in Uk, the dialect threw me off a bit while I was reading and I had to reread a few parts. Also, the text portions were a little hard to read at times because I am not used to reading it. It also bugged me because I like it when people write in proper English.

I liked the characters. Amy was just trying to find a friend so she wasn't lonely. Beaky came out of nowhere and was there to help. She had a lot of good insight and I'm glad Amy could get to know her more. Zed was an interesting character, and very mysterious at times.

This wasn't a book I would typically read, but I thought the message of the story was good for younger teens.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly thought this book was going to be horrible. My friend told me to get it because she said that she read it and it was romantic... Well honestly if your looking for romance this is not your book. It may seem like romance to this charachter but in reality its just a huge train reck. For some odd reason I just couldn't put this book down it really facinated me. On the realization on how this girl was feeling and it shows why people meet other people that they only know online. It wasn't as sad as I thought it could be and it wasn't that bad as it could be eaither.This is a nice fast easy book to read while your on a plan for a two hour trip or something like that. It really was intersting :)

[Rea]

Read this while stuck at an airport due to flight delay of 3 or 4 hours (damn Easy Jet), probably the year that it was released (2002). I have vague memories of lying spread out over the airport longue sofas, absolutely enraptured by the book. It was about a girl who decides to meet up with a guy she met on the internet but then things don't so much go to plan. I don't really remember most of what happened - I don't even remember whether the 'boy' was really a boy or an older man (but I am pretty sure he was male). It did, however, have a big impact on me because I read it at a time when I was making internet friends that I didn't know so much about. I still have the book, but I doubt I'll ever reread it.

[Ally Finzer]

It was a very emotional book. Amy (the main character) was losing her friends so she decided to make them online. She met a guy and of course she met up with him. She used friends from school to lie to her mom. There were some complications when they met up. I took interest in this book because it turned to be a bit of mystery and I like mystery. Her old friend came around and tried to be friends with her right as she brought it to herself that she wasn't going to sit around and be alone. She had no idea what to do considering she is taking it upon herself to group up. I suggest this book so you can find out what happens!!

4/5 stars

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yikes. A short book with a pretty horrific story
But it seemed more relevant years ago. Maybe a little dated now but still pretty good reminder to younger YA readers, there *is* still details in there about date rape drugs and examples of how to be safer that it's worth the read,

As always, I would have liked a note at the end giving information to teens about statistics and hotlines to report if anything had happened to them. The more times we can get correct information and resources into young people's hands, the more likely they are to one day report it.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading this book for 1 day. My initial impressions are that Amy isn't too smart and that she shouldn't trust Zed. This book is good for people who like the mystery or crime genre. The book is somewhat intriguing. The vocabulary is not very advanced, so it makes the book easier to read for younger readers. I also think that this book has parts with suspense and so far, the book is pretty good.

Spoiler

I am now a little over halfway through the book and I think that Amy shouldn't have gone to meet Zed alone.

[Amber Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possible spoilers

I read some of the reviews and again, people don’t understand what it was like being a teenager in the early phases of the internet. The book is clearly written in the UK, so the slang is a bit weird for someone from the US, but the book is very easy to read and follow. Amy is a very realistic character and was exactly what I was like at 15. Reading this, I felt like I was reading a memory from my own life. Everyone deserves a friend like Beaky, and these things really do / did happen, especially when the internet was new. A great read that was powerful and emotional.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I probably would have enjoyed more if I was a teenager but sadly I'm not. I found some of it too predictable. Still it covers a difficult and very relevant topic which hopefully serves as a warning to the kids of today - don't meet up with some random person you meet on the internet because chances are they're a total weirdo and for that I'll give it three stars instead of two :)

[Ellie]

From the very beginning of this story, the reader is made aware that the main character, Amy, has been in danger. While her decisions caused me to feel significant frustration toward her, she was in a situation familiar and relevant to society now. The format of this book - written as a retelling of events to the police - made this topic accessible for the pre-teen/teen target audience. Overall, this is easy to read and good for young adults.

[Griselda Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy a very astonishing story best book ive read so far I loved every single detail from it, from its characters to there plot.It made me realize I should be very aware of alot more things in life such as meeting people online and maybe there really not who you say they are.This book captured my attention as soon as i set my eyes to it I was hooked literally I finished it in one whole day I just couldn't wait to see whats next every chapter was a new surprise. I highly recommend this book.

[Mandiann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only picked this up for a reading challenge. I found myself feeling that it was outdated and unrealistic but after I realized it was written over 10 years ago I felt I was being overly critical. While this may not be as pertinent to today's tween, it definitely was when it was published. I felt it had a good message and enjoyed the supporting character (I can't remember her name, only that she likes birds).

[Faith-Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an okay book to be honest, I checked it out from my local library `cause I was bored. It raises good points on meeting someone off the internet alone and this book is a good lesson to not to, but I felt that it was too fast paced and the characters wern`t really in much depth... though I liked the sort of plot twists and how everything pieced together with no loose ends.