Katie.Com : My Story

by Katherine Tarbox

Katherine Tarbox was thirteen when she met twenty-three-year-old "Mark" in an online chat room. A top student, and nationally ranked swimmer, attending an elite school in an affluent Connecticut town, Katie was also a lonely and self-conscious eighth-grader who craved the attention her workaholic parents couldn't give her. Mark seemed to understand her; he told her she was smart and wonderful. When they set a date to finally meet while Katie was in Texas for a swim competition, she walked into a hotel room and discovered who - and what - her cyber soulmate really was.

In Katie.com, Tarbox tells her story, an eye-opening tale of one teenager's descent into the seductive world of the internet. Tarbox's harrowing experience with her online boyfriend would affect her life for years to come, and result in her becoming the first "unnamed minor" to test a federal law enacted to protect kids from online sexual predators. In an age when a new generation is growing up online, Tarbox's memoir is a cautionary tale for the internet age.

Genres: Young Adult, True Crime, Crime, Internet, Banned Books, Abuse, Technology

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Diane in Australia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katie was a lonely 13-year-old who made friends with someone called 'Mark' in an online chat room. Eventually, they began to talk on the phone, too. Then Katie decided to meet Mark in person. She only told one girlfriend - who didn't approve, and said so. If you read the blurb, you'll get a good idea of how that meeting went, so, I won't write anything on that, to avoid any 'spoilers'.

It was just an 'okay' book for me. Others may get more from it.

3 Stars = It was just 'okay'.

[tee · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this can get published then I sure as hell have a chance.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with some of the other reviewers on a couple things. The book is decently written- it's not great but definitely not bad either. For a 17-year-old first time writer it's probably more than okay actually.
I feel like her mother is a first class bitch. From the first couple pages I got that impression and I held it throughout the book. The only real time I felt, given everything in the book is true and represented accurately, that her mother actually gave a damn was later on in the court case. That's it. It seemed like everything was more for her than her daughter. It was obvious, from some of the books parts, that there was love there, but there is something off with that relationship.
I guess I just have trouble with the whole thing- it had a slight ring of falsehood to it. Maybe not that the entire thing was false but I think the author may have switched a few things to shed the light in her favor. Most people probably would but hey, that's not the truth in that case.
I'm not accusing her of lying, I'm stating my feelings while reading by the way.
She also was contradictory all throughout the book. You'd read one paragraph and she'd tell you she felt this man stole years from her life and that he should pay. Then she'd say she didn't feel he was a criminal in any way. What the hell should he pay for if he's not a criminal?
She thought it ridiculous that the police officer told her she was lucky to be alive. (This was written as if she feels this way NOW, not just THEN.) Because "Mark", who had lied to her about everything personal under the sun, didn't give her reason to think he was capable of that. I guess hiding all of his personal info and making up lies in their place isn't a huge hint for her.
"....But if you're over 25, or married, or you really need it, there's something wrong." This is talking about viewing porn. Um, I'm not exactly an expert on the subject and happen to have never actually owned more than a Playboy mag but I take serious issue with this statement. Because her pervert was found with porn, the one who ISN'T a criminal by the way, everyone who looks at porn or uses porn, is strange and gross and disgusting. It's almost like she never matured from 13 or something.
"....I felt upset when he answered no to the judge's question as to whether he had a criminal history." Hey Katherine Tarbox- HE DIDN'T! This is a COURTROOM- in the eyes of the LAW anything he wasn't convicted of DOESN'T COUNT. "....Why can't we count those?"...In reference to crimes he may or may not have commited. (Again, this is a 17-year-old writing this. An almost-adult here.)
She gives a little of an essay she did in school at the end of the book in which she states that "the pedophile who went "after me" threatened to hurt me and my family." "I went almost a week without notifying my parents or any authorities." What? What is this from? The authorities were called at the exact time of the incidence in the hotel room.....at least from what I read. I never read a thing about any threats. In fact, I read just the opposite- that "Mark" was calling to talk and offer money for their favorite charity. Did he do that in between threats? Was this left out of the book on purpose? Notification would have been nice so it didn't seem like I was reading about something other than what I had just read about. I did'nt get it. I still don't.
Oh, here's a good one- "Girls who have goals, real connections to family and friends, and a sense that a world of opportunity awaits them see to be inoculated againts this danger." DID I JUST READ THAT RIGHT????? She had ALL of those things and MORE! NO ONE is INOCULATED from this danger! It's like she sat down and wanted to come up with a certain sentence and didn't really give a shit if it sounded decent or not. UGH.....
I'm not pleased at all. After going through all of this again and thinking about it.....I took a star away.

[Audrey (Warped Shelves) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Katie.com is a memoir/cautionary tale in the same vein as Scared Straight warning of the dangers of the Internet (dun-dun-duuuunnn!) Published in 2000, this Internet-focused book really has not aged well. Or, rather, it has aged supremely well, if you're looking for a laugh.

I am in no way trying to overlook or diminish the severity of this topic. Child predators on the Internet are still prevalent and are still very scary. I am very relieved that nothing too devastating actually happened to Katie (which is not to say that being groped isn't devastating). However, making Katie's list of tips to keep children safe on the Internet into a poster probably would have done more good than publishing this book.

More than anything, the writing is intolerable. There is no cadence, no real voice. It is amateur and lacking at best. Also, there was a whole lot of blathering about stuff that wasn't prevalent to the matter at hand. Something else that bothered me was the lack of closure to the problem. Which, yeah, Katie says she felt a lack of closure as well. But the thing is, you need a finale to close a book on. You need to tie up all loose ends. It doesn't matter that this isn't fiction, don't publish the book until you have a finale.

I really feel that if somebody had explained to Katie what grooming means she wouldn't have felt so isolated and confused in the aftermath of meeting Mark/Frank.

In an age where tv shows like Catfish are entertainment and kids make Facebook profiles at 10 years old with bouts of their information for all to see, this memoir has pretty much become obsolete.


Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge: a book about or involving social media
Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge: A book from a genre or subgenre that starts with a letter in your name the first letter of your first name (autobiography)

[Madison C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating nonfiction books and memoirs is always difficult for me, because usually someone is writing a memoir because they have an important story to tell-- not necessarily because they are a great writer. I feel bad taking off stars, because sometimes the point of a nonfiction book is to get a message across, rather than for it to be the most beautiful thing ever written. A Girl's Life Online is a short little piece detailing a 13 year old girl's online relationship with a 41 year old man (who claimed to be 23), which lead to a sexual assault when they later met in person. This was the first federal case to be brought up against an online predator, so while we hear about these things often today, it was big news at the time. Katie's story is important to tell. Parents and young teenagers should definitely be aware that these dangers exist. I enjoyed the book, but at the same time, had a few issues with it.

Katie's story is frightening, and what happened to her was terrible. The writing, for a young adult, is pretty decent. One of my biggest issues with the book was the flow. Too much time was spent on weird details that didn't apply to the story-- such as the expensive clothes Katie wore to how she got ready in the morning, etc. She also kept emphasizing how much money she (and everyone else in her town) had, which distanced her from me a bit. It also made her hard to sympathize with. Amongst all the random filler sections, I felt like she didn't go into enough detail about her relationship with Mark/Frank. She told us about her feelings, but didn't show the development enough through their conversations. It felt a little odd that they went from small talk to wanting to meet in person so quickly. As controlling as Katie's parents and her whole hometown seemed to be, I can't help but wonder if this book was censored a bit, causing these issues.

There were a few weird things that didn't line up, as well. For instance, Katie gives a speech at the very end, which mentions that Mark/Frank threatened her not to tell anyone about the sexual assault. However, she never wrote that a single time in the book prior, which made it confusing. She would also contradict herself on minor things (she'd say she had no friends, but then introduce two girls she was supposedly close to). It made the book seem as if it were either rushed and sloppy or as if she was trying to cover something up.

Finally, Katie just made a few comments in the book that were unnecessary. She mentions how it is inappropriate for anyone over the age of 25 to watch pornography, which shouldn't really be any of her concern (as long as they're doing it legally, it doesn't affect her). And she goes on and on about how girls face online predators and societal pressures, but leaves out the fact that this can happen to guys, too. I read a few articles about the case after finishing the book, and it sounds like Frank Kufrovich targeted young boys, as well as girls, so it seems odd that she would only mention girls. Maybe I'm just nitpicking at this point.

It may sound as if I'm just complaining about this. It's not a bad book, really. Katie's story is powerful, and I definitely believe everyone should be aware of this danger. She does a great job of showing how horrific society can be, to the point that grown adults can place blame for sexual assault on the victims themselves (even if they are only teenagers). If you're interested in this book, it wouldn't hurt to give it a go. It's short and quick to get through. At the same time, though, I feel like a similarly powerful message could be sent through a fiction book, where the final product is a little more polished.

3/5 stars, but I commend the author for her courage to speak about such a difficult topic.

[victoriarose14 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katie.com by Katherine Tarbox is a non-fiction memoir. The main character in the book is Katie Tarbox, who narrates the book. Katie is a blond eighth grade girl who lives in New Canaan, Connecticut. She wants to find someone that will understand her feelings after her best friend left her. The other main character is Mark. Mark is a young man that is understanding and positive. Katie slowly fell in love with him. To Katie, Mark was the only one who understood her feelings. It all started after Katie’s sister came home from college and brought her laptop along. Her laptop was fully equipped with America Online, a program on the computer that is filled with chat rooms to talk to people all across the country.
When Mark and Katie first meet online, Katie tells him all about herself truthfully. When she asks Mark about himself, he distracts her and doesn’t reveal much. As the story goes on, they get closer and closer. Eventually, Katie falls in love with Mark, and they begin to send pictures of themselves to each other. When Mark tells Katie he finally wants to meet her in person, Katie becomes hesitant. She tells Mark that she can’t because her parents don’t know about their relationship. Mark explains to Katie that if she really loved him, she would fly out to meet him. Katie agrees, and says that she’d meet him at a hotel in Texas where she had a swim competition.
The turning point in the book is when Katie actually meets Mark. He is a lot older than he said he was. During their meet, Mark touches Katie in inappropriate places, making Katie uncomfortable. Katie’s mother came knocking on the door, and the police came in and arrested Mark. Later that night, the police questioned Katie about her relationship with Mark, and there seemed to be a lot of false information about Mark, like that his name was actually Frank.
One thing I disliked about this book was the ending. After Katie actually met Mark and found out who he really was, the book was boring. It told about her life after Mark, and how she recovered from the pain while gaining her parent’s trust back. It was hard to read without getting tired. Although I did not like the ending, I did like the suspense leading up to when they met. It was interesting to hear how Katie felt about this experience. She says how she felt scared, and how even though Mark hurt her, she still loved him. I would recommend this book to someone because it is very interesting to see how Mark persuaded Katie to do what he wanted and how Katie shows her emotions throughout the book. I would recommend this book to a reader who likes drama, real-life stories, or someone who thinks they can relate to Katie’s situation. This book changed the way I look at chatting online.

[Sabrina Rutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few contradictions, but I'm under the impression more happened in the hotel room than she is telling in this book, so that could be the cause.
When she got caught in the guy's room at the hotel her mother should have told the coaches that this is a private matter and not to bring it up with the team. I feel that the way her parents handled it was wrong.

The book kept my interest for the most part and I definantly think it would be a good idea to have teens read this. It will show them that the people they meet on the internet may not be who they say they are.

[eRin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Katie is thirteen, lonely and exploring the internet. She goes into a teen chatroom on AOL and starts conversing with Mark, a 23-year-old man. Mark quickly turns into her best friend and confidant. She tells him everything, trusts him immensely and even falls in love with him. After six months of conversations, she goes to a national swimming meet in Texas and Mark invites himself along so that they can meet in person. She is disappointed to find that he is short, unattractive and much, much older than she thought. But the story only begins there as she goes on to press charges and have him convicted under the Communcations Decency Act.

Ugh. I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't like it very much. Sorry to say, since this is a memoir, but I really didn't like Katie very much at all. I had a hard time garnering sympathy for her when she's spoiled and rich and keeps going on and on about her J. Crew clothes and her Godiva chocolates and her rich community with endless resources. Not that what happened to herwasn't bad--it definitely was. But instead of feeling overwhelmingly bad for her, it just rememinded me of the young girls who don't have the resources and determination her family does to bring pedophiles to justice. She was molested, and yes that's horrible, but there are so many unnamed others who have been raped and kidnapped and even killed by men they meet on the internet. It is a good look at how any child can be taken advantage of, though.

[Benin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had many problems with this book: for one, Katie's parents and the town of New Canaan seem hopelessly stuck in some sort of Stepford Wives type (non) reality. It is no wonder Katie eventually needs a mood stabilizer when the trial is over and she transfers to a boarding school: HER PARENTS!!!! The fact that she was not seen as a victim of a sex offender until near the end of the trial (almost two years later) seemed really shameful. Katie was naive and to equate being a good student and star athlete with being aware of the predatory ways of men at the age of 13, is not realistic or fair. Even more poignant, Katie actually blamed herself and was very confused about her feelings toward "Mark" (real name Frank). This is a classic example of the emotional damage sex offenders inflict on their victims and often shame them into silence. Again, Katie's parents played right into that with their judmental attitude and hostile behavior.

This book ultimately feels like it was written by a young woman still coming to terms with an event that altered- at least for a few years- her perception of herself and those around her. Katie.com is a cautionary tale even with today's media-savvy teenager who are all too often bullied, lured and tricked on the Internet.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wants to shock you, to horrify you, perhaps even to scare you. Unfortunately, in this day and age, Katie's story is common, rather than shocking. Any parent who doesn't believe that their 13-year-old daughter may be preyed upon online is living in an amazing state of denial. Katie's story is from quite a few years ago, though, so her story was breaking news then, a fact which becomes more and more obvious as the story progresses.

It is easy to see how profoundly and deeply this experience affected Katie, though I think a large percentage of that has to do with her friends' and family's responses. As horrible as her experience with "Mark" was, I find her parents' reactions almost as bad. This book definitely tells parents what NOT to do when faced with this sitiuation.

The book did not shock me, unfortunately, though I wish we lived in a world in which behaviour like this WOULD be shocking. Katie was very, very lucky to have escaped as children are abducted and killed every year by online pedophiles. Any parent who, inexplicably, is not monitoring their child's internet use should definitely read this book. Also recommended for young people as a wake-up call.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm really sorry for the author of this book and what she went through at such a young age it sounded dreadful. However, her writing style just didn't gel with me, this book has less than 200 pages but I found myself taking forever to finish it.

[Fernanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I choose "A girls life online" because I wanted to read something simliar to the book "Dear Jo"
A girls life online is a book about internet safety.
Kate is a 13 year old girl who is from Connecticut and whose favorite best hobbie she is good at is swimming.
The problem of the story is that Kate sets up a date to meet up with Mark a 23 year old (thats what kate thinks) later oin the book she figures out he is an old man of 42 years old. Kate was going to go to a meet she had for her swimming pracite and stay at a hotel with her team mates and some parents of the kids and her mom. During the stay at the hotel mark was going to be there because he promise kate he was gonna stay there and meet her in person. Kate realtionship with mark was close, she really trusted him. She could always talk to him and he would understand her. Another problem is that kate during the night goes to marks room number and meets him, once she sees him - she was speechless! he seem more fake than she expected his shoess all torn clothes all gross. (Mark had told kate from the beginng he was rich-turns out he wasnt.) The book at the end is solve by mark going to jail because he had molested Kate when she went to see him in his room.
I did like these book because i like cases like those and i like when a book keeps me reading because you want to know what is happening. But i also didnt like it because Mark was a lair and hurted kids before kate.

[Natalya Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars, but it's definitely on the lower side. This non-fiction memoir was written by 18-year old Katherine Tarbox, telling her story of her online sexual predator when she was thirteen and how that affected the rest of her life. Throughout the book I was furiously frustrated with Katie, her thoughts and feelings throughout the whole ordeal, disgusted by the whole situation, and dreading the outcome. But at the same time, hearing her perspective and events before, I understood what led to that online deception being so easy. She just felt alone and found solace in this perfect idea of a friend, and he eventually became more than that. The ending however was completely contradictory and she stated a lot of things that came out of nowhere! I won't spoil it, but the ending kind of spoiled the book for me. The writing itself was not the best, but it was easy to follow. Reading this book and not being much older than Katie when this happened to her, it's scary. And with the amount of today's technology, children are being introduced into the online world and its potential danger at a much younger age. At the end of the book Tarbox says, "Too many girls seem willing to believe that their worth is determined by other people" (Tarbox 189). I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement, only because it's not just girls, it's everyone born into this society of the "perfect image." For these reasons and more I rated this book 3.5 out of five stars.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing first-person account of a young girl's seduction by an Internet predator and pedophile in the early days of AOL and its chat rooms. The author was 13 when she met "Mark" in AOL chat, she was 14 when she was molested, and 17 when she wrote the book. While the Internet has evolved considerably from the late 1990s, the same safety issues remain and, if anything, have been multiplied by a factor of 100.

And to be sure, this book is about more than just the Internet. Running through it all is the story of parents in a wealthy suburb of NYC raising a teenage girl and managing demanding careers, and the story of a girl in her early teens, grappling with all the questions and insecurities that come with beginning the trasition from young girl to young woman.

Interestingly, I came to this book because I now work with the author, a senior editor on a real estate magazine; and her work on the this book was listed on her resume. I've respected her writing and good work from the day we hired her, but I now have a newfound respect and regard for her as a person -- her courage, her integrity, her inner strength and her all around pluck.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I want to say I have enjoyed “A girl’s life online”, I didn’t. Unfortunately, most of the book did not hold my interest. For one thing, the introduction dragged on and on, it took about 10 pages to describe how Katy gets ready for the day and three more on what she does before school and why. Personally, I don’t really care about how a girl gets ready in the morning and what she does during her day. Another thing that I didn’t like was that between the beginning and the middle of the story just got too tedious for me. It talked about her relationship with her older sister and friends then comparing them to the stranger she meets online. The only thing that I liked about the book was the ending; I thought that the author played it out very nicely. It wasn’t exaggerating or going too fast, it played out very nicely. I thought one of the best parts in the book when Katy was trying to get her life back on track. I wish the whole book could have mainly reflected on Katy like it did in the end, because that is what people could relate too.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

You may think the interesting part of this book is how 13-year-old Katie is seduced by Mark, (is that even his real name?) a pedophile online. The most interesting part is how Katie feels after he is caught and does the right thing by pressing charges. This is the part of the book where Katie convinced me that her story is real and true and not just another "scared straight" book. She writes about the guilt she felt, her lingering feelings for Mark and how difficult it was to find someone to talk to and to trust about her issues.
A little dated as the book was first published in 2000. In this age of personal handheld devices; some of the advice sounds quaint (i.e. Keep the computer in a common area of your home.)

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't the style of the book or anything that decreased its stars. It was how it made me feel. I've always tried to deny the fact that real pedofiles, rapists, and cyberstalkers are out there.
This book scared me a little.

P.S: I hated how Katie went on and on about how she still loved "Mark" even after he molested her. Um, HELLO?! (But I was glad that in the end she could finally distinguish between the fake Mark and the real Frank.)

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book that should be read by all teenage girls who frequent the internet.

[Chamie]

Not for me.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine was thirteen when she met 23 year old "Mark" in an online chat room. In this book she tells about her harrowing experience when she decides to meet Mark in person.

[Becca Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is good I liked how she never thought it was wrong to talk to and meet up with an older man.

[Katie Harder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hear me out, I understand people might not understand a four-star rating for this book. However, I feel like this book actually does what it sets out to do very well. Yes, the writing style is immature and at times annoying – but it is a teen girl who wrote it, and she’s writing, very accurately, in a teen girl cadence. A wealthy, isolated, 90s teen girl specifically, and I think the narration nails that. Discussions about her expensive clothes, her morning routine, her spectacularly well connected swim coaches - I do think that they add to our understanding of her as a character and as the child she was during both the events in the book AND as its writer. It is all pretty on the nose – I really felt like I was reading a long Seventeen article.

Anyway, a lot of reviews are missing the point of the book. This book is about is the psychological impact of victim blaming. Most of the book is simply an accounting of the truly awful responses by her friends and family to Tarbox’s encounter with a predator. Over and over Tarbox drives home how much more traumatic the victim blaming responses were than the actual crime and that these reactions are why girls hide their abuse and protect their abusers. I was devastated for her when she mentioned that her stepfather asked if she felt guilty for messing up the life of “Mark.” I actually audibly gasped. But also I understood the truth of these experiences. This is how girls and women are treated when they are preyed upon, and it is horrible. There are moments in the book that I believe feel hollow, maybe less completely at the “truth,” such as the recounting of what happened at the hotel, but then again, if Tarbox didn’t feel comfortable sharing more, I can’t blame her.

So yeah, I’m not giving a raw, accurate autobiographical portrayal of the way victim blaming destroys girls and women less than 4 stars. I think this story is more relevant now than ever, in this weird era where “Me, too” has been turned into a pejorative

[Michelle Balbuena · Rating 1 out of 5]

In 1995, first-time author Tarbox was leading an upper-middle-class life of quiet desperation. At age 13, she rarely saw her workaholic mother, who seemed only to care about her daughter's swim-team performance, and got on poorly with her stepfather. Overscheduled, ignored and less than perfectly attractive, she felt invisible in her wealthy Connecticut town. Now, at age 17, she evocatively describes how her first romance permanently altered her life. She first encountered Mark in an early AOL chatroom. While his stated age (23) gave her pause, he seemed the perfect boyfriend.He called her every night he called her every night, listened to her opinions and encouraged her to relax. When he wanted to meet her at a swim meet in Texas, she agreed--but Mark turned out to be a middle-age pedophile named Frank, who molested her in a hotel room. When her family pressed charges (eventually making her the first person to prosecute an Internet pedophile), her entire town found out about it and, according to Tarbox, treated her like a whore or a mental patient. Her mother was furious with her, her stepfather told her she had ruined Frank's life and other kids avoided her. Eventually, Tarbox left for boarding school and began to write. While she is angry with Frank, she rather disturbingly assumes a great deal of the blame, believing that, at age 13, she should have known better than to engage in the relationship. And while her family appears to have been quite cruel, she feels she betrayed them by causing them social humiliation. Strong, articulate and conservative, Tarbox evokes pity and admiration with her heartfelt account of a precocious girl who was deceived and then betrayed. 10-city author tour. (May).

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't say the author is a talented writer but I do appreciate her for attempting to sort out her thoughts and feelings, as well as get her story out in the world to help prevent future similar things from happening!

I thought her epilogue, where she expressed her idea that girls who have: goals; social connections; and a sense of hope for the future seemed to be inoculated against the predators who exploit the insecurities faced by youth, was the best part of the book.

Other highlights were learning about what it's like to live in a rich American town and reading of the early days of home internet use (particularly AOL) from the perspective of one of the pioneer users.

As for the critical points: I found the author's judgemental comments sprinkled here and there throughout the book to be annoying. I also found the conversations that were included to help us understand the relationship she had developed with the predator almost pointless as they appeared very jumbled and therefore not authentic.

Overall, I'm glad I took the few hours to read it and gain new perspectives.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was a teenager because I liked learning about the internet and the author/protagonist’s name was also Katie — but a lot of things about this story went over my head at that time.

The main character is from of the wealthiest suburbs in the country, but she feels disconnected from her busy parents/family, and seeks refuge in online AOL chat rooms (early days of the internet) — and it ends in her connecting with a pedophile/predatory older man online who ultimately molests her.

I recall feeling traumatized after reading how her relationship “internet boyfriend” AKA adult sexual predator molested the protagonist…and that her family and swim coach judged HER, the victim, rather than pointing the blame on the predator who groomed her online and assaulted her. At the time I read it, it really made me think about my own online identity and take precautions to remain anonymous as a tween/young teenager (in the days before Facebook!) because I was terrified that something like this could happen to me or my friends.

Definitely a cautionary tale; and a story that sticks with you.

[Damarise Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine Tarbox’s A Girl’s Life Online is a powerful and educational read for young people and parents alike. The book highlights the dangers of online interactions, particularly for impressionable youth who may believe anything they are told while chatting online.

Tarbox’s story is both cautionary and eye-opening. While she survived a potentially devastating situation, she did not escape the emotional impact entirely, which emphasizes the importance of awareness and guidance.

I believe this book is essential for parents, as it serves as a reminder to actively supervise and engage with their children’s online lives. It also encourages open, honest conversations about internet safety, helping children feel loved, included, and supported as they grow and explore the world around them.

Overall, A Girl’s Life Online is an important read that educates, warns, and inspires dialogue about protecting our youth in the digital age.

[Jaime 💛🧁💕🐘 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a reread for me. I had read this book when i was much younger and at that time i know that i did not see just how truthful and informational this book really is. This book should be read by many. Young girls, parents, even guys. This may just help to open a few peoples minds and eyes to just how some things work and how some girls may feel after they are in the same shoes that Katie was in. Many people walk around with the attitude of “oh that would never happen to me”, well i hate to burst peoples bubble but it could. I highly doubt that katie or anyone who has been in her shoes ever thought that this could happen to them. With the internet, you never know who is on the other side of that screen. Just because someone says something or does something online does not mean that that is necessarily who they really are in real life.

[Allison Renner · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was interesting because apparently it was the first legal case of an internet predator molesting an underage girl. The writing was very stilted and hard to get into; Katie was 17 or so when she wrote it so I’ll give her a pass on that. I think it was supposed to be a confessional but I think it was mostly her “coming clean” by putting it all out there in one place but still keeping some stuff under wraps. There were a few places towards the end where she said things that weren’t mentioned previously in the book, like the predator threatening her family, etc. There was no emotion in the writing so it was hard to identify with Katie falling in love with someone online and wanting to meet him - the whole thing was pretty bland.

[Monica Caldicott]

Raise your hand if you've ever gotten the lecture from your family or teachers about being safe while being online. You know, the one that goes "Don’t give our your personal information, name, address, phone number, etc."

Good, I'm glad you all know and follow that excellent advice. You do follow that excellent advice, don't you?

If you don't your life might be like A Girl's Life Online, the true story of the author, Katie Tarbox, and her online boyfriend, Mark, a 23-year-old Californian with the screen name "Valley Guy." Raise your hand if you think Mark is really a 23-year-old California guy. Too bad Katie didn't figure it out until it was too late.

This is a true story about the first criminal prosecution under a federal Internet safety law.

[amna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another book on my library's free books cart, and nobody had ever checked this one out either. At first I thought this was just a work of fiction (since the cart is in the fiction section), but it turned out to be a memoir of Tarbox's experience with being assaulted by a man she met online, detailing what led up to it and how it ended. I really liked how she portrayed everything instead of sugarcoating it—how her family & friends ostracized her despite none of it being her fault, and the guilt she felt due to that. I think that this was a good read and especially to younger audiences (e.g. middle or early high school) & I'm glad that she was able to recover from what was done to her.