Offline

by Donna Cooner

In this e-book original, acclaimed author Donna Cooner spins a timely and gripping story of how we live our lives on -- and off -- social media.

Annie Webb is constantly online. She loves following influencer accounts, DM'ing with her two best friends, Luna and Caitlin, and posting selfies with her adorable boyfriend, Jameson.

Then Jameson breaks up with Annie -- online. The public humiliation is immediate and intense, and Annie is overwhelmed by the cruel comments that pour in. To help Annie cope, Luna and Caitlin make a plan: the three of them will stay off social media for a month. No posting. No scrolling. No cheating.

But unplugging is much harder than they thought. And when the rest of their school finds out about their offline challenge, can the three girls keep their vow -- and their friendship?

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, School, Contemporary

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

Donna Cooner was born and raised in Texas. She is a three time graduate of Texas A&M University. A former teacher and school administrator, she now teaches teachers and principals at Colorado State University where she is the director of the School of Teacher Education and Principal Preparation. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her two labs and a cat named Stu. She’s a big fan of chocolate and laughing (not necessarily in that order).

Donna is the author of two novels for young adults, SKINNY and CAN’T LOOK AWAY. She’s also the author of over twenty picture books and was a founding member of the Brazos Valley Society of Children’s Bookwriters and Illustrators. She has also written children’s television shows for PBS and textbooks for future teachers.

Reviews

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

Random Comment:
I got this book at a school book fair, so I shouldn't have expected it to be good.


Review:
The concept of Offline was a good one, but it wasn't executed well and fell flat for me. The main character, Annie, was not a likable MC. Her attitude was very hypocritical, and she never tried very hard to change her ways.

My favorite character was Luna. She was very determined to be amazing, and she put a lot of pressure on herself to do well. Her personality was one of my favorite things about the book. When Caitlyn and Annie did something wrong, she made sure they knew that she didn't tolerate it. Her attitude helped them understand that what they did was wrong. And to balance that out, she always forgave them.


Rating: 2 stars

[Savannah]

It was amazing! I show's that you don't need a boyfriend and have social meadia to be happy.

[Avery Elise · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf at 57%

I don't know why I decided to read this one. It just isn't good. The plot is useless, the characters are bland and the pacing is slower than wifi in the artic

[Isadora (GR is evil rn) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Main character should prioritize going to therapy instead of wanting to date a man, two years older than her

[Bridget Nye · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was alright. I mean, I know I can spend too much time on my phone once in awhile but Annie is seriously obsessed. Like I’ve never had my phone out durning school and she can’t even get through the class. She has a real addiction to social media. And seriously why did Jameson want to get back to get her with Annie? We have no reason to know that he changed. So I’m glad she said no.

[Bette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read, ya, importance of bestfriends and truthfulness.

[American Mensa]

This book describes a story of a girl whose life revolves around an app. Annie Webb loses her boyfriend, her dignity and her social status. To recover from public humiliation caused by the app, Annie and her friends, Luna and Caitlin, decide to “unplug” from all social media. To make sure they keep their promises, the girls make their challenge public and invite others to join as well. Will Annie be able to survive without her apps and keep her word and her friendships?

This book is a good read for ages 11-15. It depicts quite accurately the current circumstances of teenagers. In a world filled with social media, this realistic fiction shows a story about self-improvement.
Madhalasa I, 15, North Texas Mensa

[Amanda Medernach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so relevant right now. Three bestfriends are addicted to social media until one of them is dumped in a video posted on an app. While navigating the backlash of this very public break up, the girls decide to take a break from social media for a month. It's turns out to be much harder than they thought it would be.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like this had a good concept, but not enough story to carry through an entire novel. I think the ideas it expressed are important conversation points for teenagers--and many adults--but the story fell a little flat for me.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced read that very clearly sends a message about using social media wisely. I found the language a bit young at times, and there was no subtlety in any aspect of the book, but middle school readers will certainly enjoy it.

[Macy Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book and it shows that online should not get to control your life.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age rating: 12-18

This book was a little self-righteous at times. I liked the little quotes at the beginnings of the chapters.

[Jamie Eagerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great current story for teens!

[Rennie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline has potential. The writing felt juvenile -the characters seemed more middle school but they were in high school and there was too much fashion description that was unnecessary.

[Karri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't understand why the adults are saying that the book isn't what they expected and it had "young language" in it. It's a kids/tweens book. You can literally get this book at the book fair.

[Linnea Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good I liked it way better then Fake.

[Kim Bahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coroner’s books definitely open my eyes in regard to technology. Might have to go offline for a month!

[Wendy Frasier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timely story for young readers about the importance of not being glued to social media. Good character arch and easy to read.

[Gia1314 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books teaches a good lesson

[Baylee Rhoades · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Ezra Volgmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn’t mind blowing. Took a couple chapters to get into it, but was overall good.

[Missy Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

detox, social media, in the moment

Perfect book to talk about the effects of social media on society.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see some young teens maybe liking this book because they can relate to it in some areas. The characters are diverse and sort of flat. To be forthright, I don't typically like teen realistic fiction, but I read this to potentially recommend it to my junior high students. It wasn't a bad story, just not engaging for me as a middle aged person. :-D As an older reader, I thought there were many good messages with only being slightly didactic.

[Serah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A timely novel about this current generation's obsession on social media. I liked how there's a Filipino character in the story but sadly, we couldn't get to know him much as the romance aspect isn't the focus. I thought that the ending was rushed so I took off one star.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[skylar bright · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another one of those books that I would have enjoyed way more, had I read it when I was younger. I think that there is a good lesson within the book for young adult readers to enjoy though.