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This Is Not a Drill
Told through text messages, this timely story explores the real dangers kids face with humor, insight, and a ton of heart.
Ava is having a really bad day. Her parents are getting divorced. She just had a big argument with her two best friends. And she forgot to charge her phone… again.
To top it all off, while she is hiding out in the bathroom over lunch, the alarm goes off for a lockdown drill. Ava knows the rules. She has to get herself into a classroom, turn the ringer off on her phone, lock the door, and cover the windows. But all of the rooms have already been locked from the inside and there is no one in the halls.
Pretty soon she realizes there is an intruder in the building. This isn’t a drill.
From the author of From Me to You and House Arrest , comes this timely that explores both the effect of school lockdown drills and the relatable struggles of modern middle grade friendship.
Ava is having a really bad day. Her parents are getting divorced. She just had a big argument with her two best friends. And she forgot to charge her phone… again.
To top it all off, while she is hiding out in the bathroom over lunch, the alarm goes off for a lockdown drill. Ava knows the rules. She has to get herself into a classroom, turn the ringer off on her phone, lock the door, and cover the windows. But all of the rooms have already been locked from the inside and there is no one in the halls.
Pretty soon she realizes there is an intruder in the building. This isn’t a drill.
From the author of From Me to You and House Arrest , comes this timely that explores both the effect of school lockdown drills and the relatable struggles of modern middle grade friendship.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2022
35 people are currently reading
932 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
June 9, 2022
CW: School intruder, asthma attack, anxiety, talk about death and dying
This topic? Super relevant in this day and age in the US unfortunately. The format? Interesting choice and could have worked really well, but it didn't.
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was intrigued to see how this would play out given the amount of trauma our kids have surrounding school shootings and lockdown drills. This could have been a serious, but informative, story but between the kids doing literally nothing correct and not only putting themselves but also their friends in danger by not following the rules and yet are somehow praised for it by miraculously getting away with it unharmed is absolutely not okay. (also, what classroom door has a big enough space to shove not only a phone case but an inhaler through?? I don't know what school you're going to, but all the schools I've been at have doors with clearance for a few sheets of paper at most)
It felt like this super heavy topic was taken too lightly and it's really showing kids that they should ignore the rules set in place to keep them as safe as possible to be the hero and "save their teacher at all costs". No. It's even briefly mentioned in another incident in the book. You put your oxygen mask on first and worry about others later. Ava was rash and foolish and she was called a hero for not only ignoring the rules, but being an encouragement for others to do the same.
I would absolutely not recommend this.
This topic? Super relevant in this day and age in the US unfortunately. The format? Interesting choice and could have worked really well, but it didn't.
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was intrigued to see how this would play out given the amount of trauma our kids have surrounding school shootings and lockdown drills. This could have been a serious, but informative, story but between the kids doing literally nothing correct and not only putting themselves but also their friends in danger by not following the rules and yet are somehow praised for it by miraculously getting away with it unharmed is absolutely not okay. (also, what classroom door has a big enough space to shove not only a phone case but an inhaler through?? I don't know what school you're going to, but all the schools I've been at have doors with clearance for a few sheets of paper at most)
It felt like this super heavy topic was taken too lightly and it's really showing kids that they should ignore the rules set in place to keep them as safe as possible to be the hero and "save their teacher at all costs". No. It's even briefly mentioned in another incident in the book. You put your oxygen mask on first and worry about others later. Ava was rash and foolish and she was called a hero for not only ignoring the rules, but being an encouragement for others to do the same.
I would absolutely not recommend this.
March 15, 2022
1.75
So I'm not the intended audience and while I think some of my students may really like this I had a few problems.
First is a person preference, I just don't like books told entirely through text messages. Sometimes it can be done so well, but here I thought we did not get to see enough of who these characters were. This format made them feel flat and sometimes unrealistic.
My second issue is how this book handled the lock down scenario. Here is where I'm torn, I understand wanting to add drama, but Ava literally did like EVERYTHING YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO. As an Elementary librarian we do lock down drills every year. They suck, they can be scary, especially if you are not sure its a drill. But it really frustrated me that Ava and a whole bunch of other children were doing things that are huge problems. Again I understand for plot they needed to ramp up the drama, but I wanted a section or some comments where they explained that this behavior could be really dangerous. Instead we were told law enforcement applauded the children.
So I'm not the intended audience and while I think some of my students may really like this I had a few problems.
First is a person preference, I just don't like books told entirely through text messages. Sometimes it can be done so well, but here I thought we did not get to see enough of who these characters were. This format made them feel flat and sometimes unrealistic.
My second issue is how this book handled the lock down scenario. Here is where I'm torn, I understand wanting to add drama, but Ava literally did like EVERYTHING YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO. As an Elementary librarian we do lock down drills every year. They suck, they can be scary, especially if you are not sure its a drill. But it really frustrated me that Ava and a whole bunch of other children were doing things that are huge problems. Again I understand for plot they needed to ramp up the drama, but I wanted a section or some comments where they explained that this behavior could be really dangerous. Instead we were told law enforcement applauded the children.
May 2, 2022
I was so disappointed with this book. There is an intruder in the building and Ava does everything you aren't supposed to do. Kids don't need suggestions of poor choices. Kids don't need to get the idea that they could be the hero in this type of situation.
I think it is irresponsible and reckless to put this out for kids.
I think it is irresponsible and reckless to put this out for kids.
February 17, 2022
Children should NOT be reading this book! This book tells the story of a middle school lockdown. However, throughout the book the young characters intentionally choose to ignore all safety procedures, putting themselves and other students in danger. From peeking out windows, to loudly attracting the attention of the intruder, to LITERALLY RUNNING THROUGH THE HALLWAYS to "save" other people. This book is exactly what NOT to do during lockdown.
In the end, the book shows that everything turns out fine and the children are praised as heroes for "saving their teacher at all costs". This is absolutely NOT how it would turn out in real life. This book runs the real risk of getting children killed.
In addition, children who read this will be exposed to a child frantically apologizing for arguing with her dad because what if it's the last time they talked? Children telling each other the things they would have liked to do before they died. And the intruder turns out to be a teacher's raging ex husband. I don't know why anyone would think this was acceptable for children.
In the end, the book shows that everything turns out fine and the children are praised as heroes for "saving their teacher at all costs". This is absolutely NOT how it would turn out in real life. This book runs the real risk of getting children killed.
In addition, children who read this will be exposed to a child frantically apologizing for arguing with her dad because what if it's the last time they talked? Children telling each other the things they would have liked to do before they died. And the intruder turns out to be a teacher's raging ex husband. I don't know why anyone would think this was acceptable for children.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2022
I had a couple issues with the book: The kids did many things wrong and there was no author's note at the end explaining this. The comments from the school app made the book longer than it needed to be.
I personally didn't like the book written in all texts and some of them were hard to read because of the light colors, plus it was hard to keep up with who was texting; however, my students might like this.
Might purchase, but in light of all the school shootings lately, including in my own district, I'm just not sure.
I personally didn't like the book written in all texts and some of them were hard to read because of the light colors, plus it was hard to keep up with who was texting; however, my students might like this.
Might purchase, but in light of all the school shootings lately, including in my own district, I'm just not sure.
July 28, 2022
This book is told exclusively through text messages and phone notification screens about kids during a school lockdown. I remember how freaked out my kids used to get during lockdown drills, and this book captures it perfectly. (Though in Australia, most of our lockdowns are because a dog's wandered into the school looking for pats and usually more exciting than anything else. This situation is a lot more tense).
I did find the screens a little annoying after a while and have much preferred her novels in verse. I did love the auto correct though in the school's official ap. The cenosring in there made me chuckle a few times.
The story plays out well and juggles the balance well between multiple conversation threads and characters and always leaves you wanting that little bit more that gets you hooked.
The voices of each of the characters are captured perfectly. They really sound like kids talking. It has that authenticity to it that really draws you in and I can see kids really loving this story.
I did find the screens a little annoying after a while and have much preferred her novels in verse. I did love the auto correct though in the school's official ap. The cenosring in there made me chuckle a few times.
The story plays out well and juggles the balance well between multiple conversation threads and characters and always leaves you wanting that little bit more that gets you hooked.
The voices of each of the characters are captured perfectly. They really sound like kids talking. It has that authenticity to it that really draws you in and I can see kids really loving this story.
Read
October 31, 2022This came into the library, and I wanted to read it before I handed it out to kids. For one, turns out I don’t like books told in text messages. Second, main character basically does EVERYTHING you are not supposed to do during a lock down drill. Third, the plot really trivializes the trauma of a school intruder. Not sure I could recommend to a kid.
Read
February 18, 2022I'm a huge fan of author K.A. Holt, and I was thrilled to come across THIS IS NOT A DRILL at a local Scholastic Book Fair. Many of Holt's books are novels in verse, but this was a bit different. It is written entirely in a text message and comment format making it a quick read in a style middle grade readers will love.
Ava and several friends are arriving at school one morning and communicating as many middle school students do via texts. To add a bit of levity to their conversations, Ava sadly still has a flip phone with no emojis. Considering her out-of-date technology, she types incredibly fast and creates her own descriptive and entertaining emojis.
Not long after the start of lunch, the alarm sounds for a lockdown drill. As it is during lunch, many of the students are not in classrooms and there's some confusion about where everyone should be. Ava ends up alone in a bathroom and she realizes her phone charge is about to give out. She tries to remember the rules of lockdown and decides she should be heading to the nearest unlocked classroom.
Ava ends up in the art room with a group of students she describes as stinky Tater Tots (sixth graders). It is quickly discovered that the lockdown is not a drill. There really is a dangerous person in the building. What follows is a tense afternoon of figuring out what to do with a sixth grader having an asthma attack, a phone running out of battery power, and a man yelling and running through the halls.
The scenario in THIS IS NOT A DRILL is an all too familiar tale of a school dealing with an emergency situation that has students, staff, and frantic parents trying to stay calm under extremely stressful conditions. Perfect for middle grade readers!
Ava and several friends are arriving at school one morning and communicating as many middle school students do via texts. To add a bit of levity to their conversations, Ava sadly still has a flip phone with no emojis. Considering her out-of-date technology, she types incredibly fast and creates her own descriptive and entertaining emojis.
Not long after the start of lunch, the alarm sounds for a lockdown drill. As it is during lunch, many of the students are not in classrooms and there's some confusion about where everyone should be. Ava ends up alone in a bathroom and she realizes her phone charge is about to give out. She tries to remember the rules of lockdown and decides she should be heading to the nearest unlocked classroom.
Ava ends up in the art room with a group of students she describes as stinky Tater Tots (sixth graders). It is quickly discovered that the lockdown is not a drill. There really is a dangerous person in the building. What follows is a tense afternoon of figuring out what to do with a sixth grader having an asthma attack, a phone running out of battery power, and a man yelling and running through the halls.
The scenario in THIS IS NOT A DRILL is an all too familiar tale of a school dealing with an emergency situation that has students, staff, and frantic parents trying to stay calm under extremely stressful conditions. Perfect for middle grade readers!
February 22, 2023
I’m sorry, but no to all of it. They don’t do drills? They have kids all over the school without teachers? The ENTIRE thing is texts/alerts, even when they are right next to each other? Here are the big problems I see:
1) With todays society, there is NO WAY a school does not have drills and does not have a plan for a drill over the lunch period. Having the students unsure of what to do and where to go is not realistic, even if they are 6th graders and new to that school. Even the elementary schools do lockdown drills.
2) With Ava and Elena hesitant to even obey the lockdown drill, questioning if losing her place in the lunch line or spending the drill in the bathroom was worth taking cover? Leaving the room during a lockdown? None of this is okay and I question if having Ava run the halls even if it was to ‘save the day’ would give kids ideas.
3) While some of the students were without adults most of them should have been with adults. It floors me that even the students that chimed in as being with a teacher, none of them were getting directions FROM the adults.
I’m sure that this story was meant to be an eye-opener. A look at a real lock-down and proof that they do happen. I just don’t think it was well executed. At all.
1) With todays society, there is NO WAY a school does not have drills and does not have a plan for a drill over the lunch period. Having the students unsure of what to do and where to go is not realistic, even if they are 6th graders and new to that school. Even the elementary schools do lockdown drills.
2) With Ava and Elena hesitant to even obey the lockdown drill, questioning if losing her place in the lunch line or spending the drill in the bathroom was worth taking cover? Leaving the room during a lockdown? None of this is okay and I question if having Ava run the halls even if it was to ‘save the day’ would give kids ideas.
3) While some of the students were without adults most of them should have been with adults. It floors me that even the students that chimed in as being with a teacher, none of them were getting directions FROM the adults.
I’m sure that this story was meant to be an eye-opener. A look at a real lock-down and proof that they do happen. I just don’t think it was well executed. At all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2022
It's sad but important to have books around the topic of school shootings. It's the world we live in these days. Drills are a reality for our children. And so, just as we want windows and mirrors in regards to race/color/gender/sexual orientation......experiences are important as well
Here's the thing though....I kind of HATED the book. Well I didn't hate it. The texting medium did not bother me (as I know it did others). But the characters were whiny and bratty. They did everything WRONG during a drill (as did the faculty).....Eh, eh eh.
While I wanted it to be a book where you could talk about the tough things, in my mind, I felt this book took a more humorous approach (in how the characters talked, etc) and I just was not a fan of that
Here's the thing though....I kind of HATED the book. Well I didn't hate it. The texting medium did not bother me (as I know it did others). But the characters were whiny and bratty. They did everything WRONG during a drill (as did the faculty).....Eh, eh eh.
While I wanted it to be a book where you could talk about the tough things, in my mind, I felt this book took a more humorous approach (in how the characters talked, etc) and I just was not a fan of that
July 22, 2021
EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
I could not put down this book, and I loved its format (told through text messages). Ava is truly having a bad day, and it gets worse when she discovers the lockdown is not a drill. Readers will easily relate to her situation- both with friends/family and with the events as the day progresses. This will be an easy “book talk” to share with students, and it will be a good opportunity to promote the author’s previous books (especially House Arrest) as suggested follow ups.
I could not put down this book, and I loved its format (told through text messages). Ava is truly having a bad day, and it gets worse when she discovers the lockdown is not a drill. Readers will easily relate to her situation- both with friends/family and with the events as the day progresses. This will be an easy “book talk” to share with students, and it will be a good opportunity to promote the author’s previous books (especially House Arrest) as suggested follow ups.
March 6, 2023
It's wild that a book like this is relevant to this generation, but I'm glad it was written! There's not much (if any) character development, sadly, and I'm not sure the format allows it to be the most impactful it has the capacity of being, but it's still good for lower middle-grade readers who want to read about something exciting and realistic.
November 10, 2022
Reluctant readers beware! Kari Ann Holt, author of RHYME SCHEMER, a verse novel which I always recommend for MG reluctant readers, has written another novel that will grab the attention of those who like to read and those who thought they did not.
We are all familiar with the rules of lock down drills:
1. Secure and cover classroom windows and move all persons away from the windows.
– but what if your phone has no battery and the only charger you can borrow is solar-powered?
2. Stay with a teacher—but what if the room you ducked into, the art room, was empty except for a bunch of sixth graders?
3. Keep the door windows covered – but what if you are signaling a fellow student who must evade the intruder and the police on her way to safety?
4. Clear hallways, restrooms, and other rooms that cannot be secured – but what if where you were when the drill started was the girls’ bathroom? What if you have to go to the nurse’s office to get an inhaler for a student who passed out from an asthma attack? What if that 6th grade student was your best friend’s younger brother?
Ava McDaniel is texting with her best friends, Em and Char, who has a flip phone and has to write out her emojis, before school and somehow during school. Upset about her parents’ impending divorce and the fact that Char told Em, Ava has a fight with Char and at lunchtime goes into the girls’ bathroom, planning to stay there during lunchtime.
Not one to check the LOLMS (Lila O'Lowry Middle School) APP for announcements, Ava doesn’t realize the school is on lock-down (a real lockdown, not a drill) until it is too late, and the doors to the classrooms in her hall are locked. She finds herself with 20% battery and ducks into the art room with “scared-sweaty tater tots” (her name for 6th graders). There is no teacher in the room—it was open during lunch and the kids went in to hide—and, despite her tater-tot complaints, she has empathy for them and tries to not show her fear and worry. She can text with Em who is hiding in the lunchroom, and later her mom and dad as she tries to figure out how to help Diego who is suffering from an asthma attack. When he faints, Ava realizes it is up to her to find an inhaler.
As the other kids text each other through the school app, which appears to be open to all of them but has become closed to the administrators and teachers, readers “overhear” their discussions about who is in the hall, which Ava (seems there are 4 in the school) is in the hall, whether she is a good person or the intruder. The share Ava stories as they rally behind her to try to pass her an inhaler under a door, and, then when that fails, a phone battery and guide her safely back to the art room through texts.
Certainly, school intrusion and lock-downs are serious subjects, and there will be concerns from some about the topic, especially since the kids do a lot of things wrong and it works out, but the intruder is not a shooter, [SPOILER-ALERT] just a disgruntled ex-husband of a teacher. But there is a balance of light (llamas on the loose tying up town traffic, which is a completely separate news story) and anxious moments that will draw readers in. The story is told completely through text messages and notifications which I thought I would find tedious but actually hooked me into reading the book in one afternoon sitting.
There are also issues of anxiety disorder (Char) and ways to manage it, and parental separation (Em and Ava)which may speak to many young adolescent readers.
We are all familiar with the rules of lock down drills:
1. Secure and cover classroom windows and move all persons away from the windows.
– but what if your phone has no battery and the only charger you can borrow is solar-powered?
2. Stay with a teacher—but what if the room you ducked into, the art room, was empty except for a bunch of sixth graders?
3. Keep the door windows covered – but what if you are signaling a fellow student who must evade the intruder and the police on her way to safety?
4. Clear hallways, restrooms, and other rooms that cannot be secured – but what if where you were when the drill started was the girls’ bathroom? What if you have to go to the nurse’s office to get an inhaler for a student who passed out from an asthma attack? What if that 6th grade student was your best friend’s younger brother?
Ava McDaniel is texting with her best friends, Em and Char, who has a flip phone and has to write out her emojis, before school and somehow during school. Upset about her parents’ impending divorce and the fact that Char told Em, Ava has a fight with Char and at lunchtime goes into the girls’ bathroom, planning to stay there during lunchtime.
Not one to check the LOLMS (Lila O'Lowry Middle School) APP for announcements, Ava doesn’t realize the school is on lock-down (a real lockdown, not a drill) until it is too late, and the doors to the classrooms in her hall are locked. She finds herself with 20% battery and ducks into the art room with “scared-sweaty tater tots” (her name for 6th graders). There is no teacher in the room—it was open during lunch and the kids went in to hide—and, despite her tater-tot complaints, she has empathy for them and tries to not show her fear and worry. She can text with Em who is hiding in the lunchroom, and later her mom and dad as she tries to figure out how to help Diego who is suffering from an asthma attack. When he faints, Ava realizes it is up to her to find an inhaler.
As the other kids text each other through the school app, which appears to be open to all of them but has become closed to the administrators and teachers, readers “overhear” their discussions about who is in the hall, which Ava (seems there are 4 in the school) is in the hall, whether she is a good person or the intruder. The share Ava stories as they rally behind her to try to pass her an inhaler under a door, and, then when that fails, a phone battery and guide her safely back to the art room through texts.
Certainly, school intrusion and lock-downs are serious subjects, and there will be concerns from some about the topic, especially since the kids do a lot of things wrong and it works out, but the intruder is not a shooter, [SPOILER-ALERT] just a disgruntled ex-husband of a teacher. But there is a balance of light (llamas on the loose tying up town traffic, which is a completely separate news story) and anxious moments that will draw readers in. The story is told completely through text messages and notifications which I thought I would find tedious but actually hooked me into reading the book in one afternoon sitting.
There are also issues of anxiety disorder (Char) and ways to manage it, and parental separation (Em and Ava)which may speak to many young adolescent readers.
November 4, 2022
This is single-handedly one of the worst pieces of children's literature that I have ever had the displeasure of coming across.
From a teacher's perspective, the text is simply not written well, and I think it's tacky to write a book about such a serious and RELEVANT topic. School shootings are a very scary thought and a very real concern for students, teachers, and parents everywhere. So the fact that this author thought it was a good idea to publish a book that glorifies a child "being the hero" in such circumstances is repulsive and appalling. Ava, the main character, starts off the story with her bad day getting worse when the lockdown alarm rings while she's in the bathroom. The story is told through a series of texts and notifications. The slang and text phrases used in the story, are outdated and cringe, as the middle schooler tries to navigate finding her brother (who is having an asthma attack btw) and getting him an emergency inhaler. There are elements in this story that glorify the students working together to outsmart the shooter (and the police?) to guide their friend to safety. The main character essentially spends most of the story running around the school worrying about everything except her safety, which I do not think is the message that we should be promoting to students. In every emergency training that I have ever undergone, the message stressed to children is to NOT try and be a hero, as their safety should be their biggest concern. This work is insensitive to those who have experienced a school shooting and is NOT something that I will have in my classroom, which is a shame because if it was written tastefully it could have been a very useful tool to start meaningful discussions within the classroom.
Additionally, the logistics of the book don't make sense? the shooter enters the building at 11:30 am. and yet is not stopped until after 3 pm. AND NO ONE GETS HURT?
Statistically, 50% of active shooter events are over in five minutes, a shot being fired every 4-15 seconds with a 40-70% hit rate. (ALICE training).
In my personal opinion, this book was not written with sensitivity or to inform readers. I understand the value of teaching students about lockdowns without traumatizing students, but I think this book presents an unrealistic expectation and ultimately fumbled the ball on this one...
From a teacher's perspective, the text is simply not written well, and I think it's tacky to write a book about such a serious and RELEVANT topic. School shootings are a very scary thought and a very real concern for students, teachers, and parents everywhere. So the fact that this author thought it was a good idea to publish a book that glorifies a child "being the hero" in such circumstances is repulsive and appalling. Ava, the main character, starts off the story with her bad day getting worse when the lockdown alarm rings while she's in the bathroom. The story is told through a series of texts and notifications. The slang and text phrases used in the story, are outdated and cringe, as the middle schooler tries to navigate finding her brother (who is having an asthma attack btw) and getting him an emergency inhaler. There are elements in this story that glorify the students working together to outsmart the shooter (and the police?) to guide their friend to safety. The main character essentially spends most of the story running around the school worrying about everything except her safety, which I do not think is the message that we should be promoting to students. In every emergency training that I have ever undergone, the message stressed to children is to NOT try and be a hero, as their safety should be their biggest concern. This work is insensitive to those who have experienced a school shooting and is NOT something that I will have in my classroom, which is a shame because if it was written tastefully it could have been a very useful tool to start meaningful discussions within the classroom.
Additionally, the logistics of the book don't make sense? the shooter enters the building at 11:30 am. and yet is not stopped until after 3 pm. AND NO ONE GETS HURT?
Statistically, 50% of active shooter events are over in five minutes, a shot being fired every 4-15 seconds with a 40-70% hit rate. (ALICE training).
In my personal opinion, this book was not written with sensitivity or to inform readers. I understand the value of teaching students about lockdowns without traumatizing students, but I think this book presents an unrealistic expectation and ultimately fumbled the ball on this one...
August 6, 2022
Written entirely in texts and phone alerts, this K.A. Holt realistic drama will keep readers in grades 4-7 glued to the pages, wondering how a school lockdown is going to resolve. Given the events at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary, however, the tension may hit a little close to home for some readers and parents, teachers and librarians should be sensitive to those selecting this book.
Holt’s main characters and best friends, Ava, Char, and Elena, each have distinctly different personalities and even with sparse text and a very short time frame, are well-developed and their voices are distinct. Woven throughout the main plot of a school intruder are several other situations that will ring authentically with MG readers as well-a “fight” between friends and divorce/separation.
Excellent choice for libraries of MG and younger YA readers with no concerns regarding sexual content, violence or profanity. In fact, the “profanity” that occurs is handled in a particularly humorous and possibly genius way by the author! (No spoiler here!) The format makes this an excellent choice for readers who may be intimidated by lengthy books with traditional text.
Holt’s main characters and best friends, Ava, Char, and Elena, each have distinctly different personalities and even with sparse text and a very short time frame, are well-developed and their voices are distinct. Woven throughout the main plot of a school intruder are several other situations that will ring authentically with MG readers as well-a “fight” between friends and divorce/separation.
Excellent choice for libraries of MG and younger YA readers with no concerns regarding sexual content, violence or profanity. In fact, the “profanity” that occurs is handled in a particularly humorous and possibly genius way by the author! (No spoiler here!) The format makes this an excellent choice for readers who may be intimidated by lengthy books with traditional text.
February 23, 2022
I really enjoyed this book at the beginning. I feel like this subject is very relevant, as sad as it is, nowadays. The formatting of the book, having it only told in texts and notifications, was super neat and interesting! My hesitancy to give this a higher rating is the fact that the kids did go against safety orders. It makes me a little nervous to have kids read this and think that they can do the same heroic actions, which could lead to them getting hurt.
It was almost a really great book; there were just some flaws.
It was almost a really great book; there were just some flaws.
June 24, 2022
This book had me riveted from start to finish. The format is a little annoying but kid friendly. My biggest concern is that this book could be very triggering to a child and I’m not sure I can recommend it while practicing trauma informed librarianship without very careful presentation. I definitely won’t be using it for book talks.
August 6, 2022
There are a lot of things I liked about this book - the format, kids working together, and the friendship squabble. But what I HATE about it is that it is a book about a lock down drill with a scary guy in the building. I hate that most kids will relate to the scariness of these types of drills. America has got to get it together and protect its students. It’s about damn time!!!
May 8, 2022
Not the first book written in the form of text messages, but one of the most effective and impactful. As the story involves a lockdown at a school, the students texting each other to calm friends and help make it through is very appropriate. The danger is relieved with bits of humour. 4.5 stars.
January 25, 2025
This is a tough one. I was completely sucked into this story and read it in one sitting. I didn't want to put it down. It felt REAL...the kids texting and commenting felt like exactly what kids would say and think and do in this kind of situation.
But it falls short of being a 5 star read because I agree with pretty much every 1 star review that these kids break pretty much all the rules of lockdown. I worked in a school and I have a kid in school and I would want my kid to follow the lockdown rules 100% to stay safe. But...this isn't a guide on how to act in a lock down. The characters acknowledge that what they're doing isn't safe. But they do it anyway to save a classmate. It all works out...because this is a middle grade book. I expect if someone wrote an adult version of this that it would be very dark and sad...but that's not what this is.
But as is...this was very compelling and I'm glad I read it...and I would read it again.
But it falls short of being a 5 star read because I agree with pretty much every 1 star review that these kids break pretty much all the rules of lockdown. I worked in a school and I have a kid in school and I would want my kid to follow the lockdown rules 100% to stay safe. But...this isn't a guide on how to act in a lock down. The characters acknowledge that what they're doing isn't safe. But they do it anyway to save a classmate. It all works out...because this is a middle grade book. I expect if someone wrote an adult version of this that it would be very dark and sad...but that's not what this is.
But as is...this was very compelling and I'm glad I read it...and I would read it again.
March 6, 2024
TLDR; It’s not a literary masterpiece, but it’s good for middle grade.
I grabbed this book from the scholastic book fair, mind you I’m 25 and was looking for a book that my MG students would be able to read.
Most reviews are right on the money.
—It makes light of a very serious situation.
—It makes a hero out of a student that is directly breaking protocol.
—It’s a very quick read because it’s told through text messages.
—This is a fictional story, with imperfect characters, that follow their fear and guts rather than the rules.
Knowing my middle school students, I think the texting format hits them hard. They spend their lives attached to their phone and the author does a great job giving the characters personality through these messages.
I grabbed this book from the scholastic book fair, mind you I’m 25 and was looking for a book that my MG students would be able to read.
Most reviews are right on the money.
—It makes light of a very serious situation.
—It makes a hero out of a student that is directly breaking protocol.
—It’s a very quick read because it’s told through text messages.
—This is a fictional story, with imperfect characters, that follow their fear and guts rather than the rules.
Knowing my middle school students, I think the texting format hits them hard. They spend their lives attached to their phone and the author does a great job giving the characters personality through these messages.
February 13, 2023
If you have some kids with school intruder anxiety, this may not be the book for them. Or, it may be exactly the book they need. Told entirely through teenage text messages and school app postings, the students at LOL Middle School confront a really scary school day. And, this is not a drill. It's very real. As usual, Ava hasn't charged her phone overnight. Now, she's stuck in the girl's bathroom while the alarm starts blaring. She doesn't have much battery left. What can she do? I love the very truly realistic dialogue between all the friends and their parents. Not over the top scary, but it definitely causes you to make sure your phone is charged.
July 7, 2022
Actually a 4.5.
A very timely read. Without giving away the plot, a lock down is a scary place for a middle-schooler to be.
My quibbles with the book are few. The fear seemed one step removed. As if reading a text made it not seem as real. And, completely a personal thought, the font/color made the texts hard to read at times.
An interesting book. Not sure what age group I would recommend it to. It's scary but also not - a hard line for a book to walk.
A very timely read. Without giving away the plot, a lock down is a scary place for a middle-schooler to be.
My quibbles with the book are few. The fear seemed one step removed. As if reading a text made it not seem as real. And, completely a personal thought, the font/color made the texts hard to read at times.
An interesting book. Not sure what age group I would recommend it to. It's scary but also not - a hard line for a book to walk.
July 27, 2023
This book was okay. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t like how the book was only written in the form of text messages. At parts the book got confusing to understand because of how it was written. The book didn’t have that much interesting parts. The only plot(s) were this kid lost his inhaler and the main character went out to go get it. Overall, it wasn’t that bad, but not the best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2022
This novel was written in text messages and group chat messages which made for tedious reading. Maybe a few kids will be excited about this format though.
February 6, 2024
Good book
October 27, 2024
Held my breath and read it in one sitting.
High action and suspense.
Love the texting format too.
High action and suspense.
Love the texting format too.
July 18, 2025
This book was fast paced and had me so anxious. These freaking kids not doing what they should almost gave me a heart attack.
Read
August 6, 2025I’m 99 percent sure I read this. If it was all texting bubbles not text words then yes I did read it.
June 2, 2023
It's a thrilling book but it has a good ending. My favorite character was Ava because she's the main character she's strong and brave and has a good friendship with Char and E. My favorite part of the story was when they got the inhaler for his for the brother Diego. It was a scary book.
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