Predator by Terri Blackstock: A Book Review
"Riding my bike to Sinbad's. Dying for a soda, and Dad won't keep them in the house." That was 14-year-old Ella Carmichael's last Thought Bubble posted to the social network Grapevyne. But someone was watching - someone with sinister intentions - and took the opportunity to abduct, rape, and brutally murder the unsuspecting teen. Now her older sister Krista is taking on GrapeVyne and laying a trap for the killer, determined that no other young girls become his next victim. Despite the horrible pain of losing the baby sister she practically raised after their mother's death, Krista turns the tragedy into an opportunity to educate teens and young women about the dangers of posting personal information and current locations on social networking sites. In the process, she ends up working alongside the site's creator and CEO, both of them fighting for their lives as they seek to uncover a potential conspiracy or criminal activity originating with GrapeVyne's parent company and stay a step ahead of a killer.
Not only does Blackstock achieve another suspenseful story with a great surprise ending, but she really makes you stop to consider how our innocent comments on social networking sites can be used for malicious purposes by the wrong person. I want every young woman I care about to read this book and take to heart that particular message. This book will give you nightmares, which is the hallmark of a great thriller, and it will certainly leave you contemplating your own online activities. But it's also a story about using personal adversity to reach out to others, about healing in the midst of tragedy, and about the power of our faith and God's grace to carry us through our darkest trial.
View the book trailer and buy the book here
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
