Stranger in the Chat Room

I truly appreciate a well-crafted story with a point, so I loved this book! The characters are intriguing and well-drawn, as they reveal themselves through a series of on-line-style chats. Further, the careful plotting keeps the story moving along -- providing some shocking surprises along the way. If you're like me, and often find yourself saying, "I wish I could read something that's beyond the run-of-the-mill, the formulaic," "Stranger in the Chat Room" just might be the perfect book for you.

It is not necessary to read the first book in this series, "In the Chat Room with God", but after reading this one, a reader will definitely want to catch the buzz created from the first effort. It is the summer and all the characters, Blake, Jenn, Krys, Lorri and A.C. keep track of one another via the computer. Lorri, Blake's younger sister, is going through a difficult phase. She is finding her "righteous" brother to be annoying and overbearing. Jenn, a new Christian, provides a listening ear for Lorri. During a chat room session, an intruder breaks into the two girls' conversation. The mysterious stranger continues to invade the group's chats, challenging them about their faith. The online experience quickly moves to being "threatening" as the stranger attempts to touch base offline.While the storyline is geared towards teens, adults may find this book just as valuable. The "chat room" dialogue can be easily understood by the "Generation X" crowd. On the flip side, a parent can read this book and receive an inside look at the cyber world their teenager may spend a great time "inhabiting". The message from this book is very real on two levels. Physically, there are "dangerous" online strangers teenagers come in contact via chat rooms all the time. At the same time, spiritually we all are invaded by "strangers" who want to do us harm. Promoting online safety as well as safety in God's arms, this is short eye-opening read!

As a parent this book was eye opening. I wonder often who my kids are talking to online, even though we have warned them about talking to strangers. The book is plausible and really makes you think because obviously there are evil people out there. The plot moves along quickly and keeps your atttention. Some of the characters appear gullible at first especially Lori. The twisted logic of Watcher55 is well exposed and I really liked the ending, when Light and darkness meet. This is a good book for parents to read if they are uninformed of the down side of the Web. Even if they are informed, it is a good reminder to be vigilant of who their kids are meeting.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I found it to be creative and captivating. Everything that Tricia Brock from Superchick says in the foreword is true! I found myself really caring about the characters, and the plot kept things moving briskly along. This story involves you more and more as you get into it, and, if you're like me, the ending will take you completely by surprise. Even though this is a fiction book, the characters are believable and real. "Stranger in the Chat Room" would be a particularly good choice for readers who aren't into traditional novels.