Staff Picks
Teen Viral Sensations
- Alison B.
- Thursday, September 03, 2020
Collection
This year we've all been a bit more plugged in than usual. Whether you're connecting with friends and family via Zoom, emailing in your homework assignments, scrolling through social media on your phone, or even participating in virtual role playing games with your peers, the internet and technology is essential. But have you ever wondered what would happen if you went viral?
This list of teen fiction titles explores what it would be like to experience a sudden onslaught of fame and attention from viral videos, blogs, YouTube channels, comics, and more.
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Girl Gone Viral
Published in 2019
"Smart, timely and riveting."? The New York Times Book Review Perfect for fans of Warcross and Black Mirror , Girl Gone Viral is the inventive and timely story of a seventeen-year-old coder's catapult to stardom. For seventeen-year-old Opal Hopper, code is magic. She builds entire worlds from scratch: Mars craters, shimmering lakes, any virtual experience her heart desires. But she can't code her dad back into her life. When he disappeared after her tenth birthday, leaving only a cryptic note, Opal tried desperately to find him. And when he never turned up, she enrolled at a boarding school for technical prodigies and tried to forget. Until now. Because WAVE, the world's biggest virtual reality platform, has announced a contest where the winner gets to meet its billionaire founder. The same billionaire who worked closely with Opal's dad. The one she always believed might know where he went. The one who maybe even murdered him. What begins as a small data hack to win the contest spirals out of control when Opal goes viral, digging her deeper into a hole of lies, hacks, and manipulation. How far will Opal go for the answers?or is it the attention?she's wanted for years?
Girl Gone Viral
Published in 2019
Seventeen-year-old coding prodigy Opal Hopper enters in a virtual reality contest in order to find answers about her father, who vanished seven years ago, and had close ties to the contest's billionaire founder.
Audrey, Wait!
Published in 2008
While trying to score a date with her cute co-worker at the Scooper Dooper, sixteen-year-old Audrey gains unwanted fame and celebrity status when her ex-boyfriend, a rock musician, records a breakup song about her that soars to the top of the Billboard charts.
Audrey, Wait!
Published in 2009
The wait is over for the paperback of this irresistible, fast-paced, hit-worthy debut! When funny, charming, absolutely-normal Audrey Cuttler dumps her boyfriend Evan, he writes a song about her that becomes a number-one hit?and rockets Audrey to stardom! Suddenly, tabloid paparazzi are on her tail and Audrey can barely hang with her friends at concerts or the movies without getting mobbed?let alone score a date with James, her adorable coworker at the Scooper Dooper. Her life will never be the same?at least, not until Audrey confronts Evan live on MTV and lets the world know exactly who she is!
Can't Look Away
Published in 2014
Donna Cooner establishes herself as our own Jodi Picoult in this timely tale of sisters, loss, and redemption. -- As the Day of the Dead draws near, Torrey will have to really look at her own feelings about death, and life, and everything in between. Can she learn to mourn her sister out of the public eye?
Can't Look Away
Published in 2014
Donna Cooner establishes herself as our own Jodi Picoult in this timely tale of sisters, loss, and redemption. Torrey Grey is famous. At least, on the internet. Thousands of people watch her popular videos on fashion and beauty. But when Torrey's sister is killed in an accident ? maybe because of Torrey and her videos ? Torrey's perfect world implodes. Now, strangers online are bashing Torrey. And at her new school, she doesn't know who to trust. Is queen bee Blair only being sweet because of Torrey's internet infamy? What about Raylene, who is decidedly unpopular, but seems accepts Torrey for who she is? And then there's Luis, with his brooding dark eyes, whose family runs the local funeral home. Torrey finds herself drawn to Luis, and his fascinating stories about El dio de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. As the Day of the Dead draws near, Torrey will have to really look at her own feelings about death, and life, and everything in between. Can she learn to mourn her sister out of the public eye?
Can't Look Away
Published in 2014
Torrey Grey is famous. At least, on the Internet. Thousands of people watch her popular videos on fashion and beauty. But when Torrey's sister is killed in an accident, maybe because of Torrey and her videos, Torrey's perfect world implodes. Now, strangers online are bashing Torrey. At her new school, she doesn't know who to trust. Is queen bee Blair only being sweet because of Torrey's Internet infamy? What about Raylene, who is decidedly unpopular, but seems to accept Torrey for who she is?
Can't Look Away
Published in 2014
Sixteen-year-old Torrey Grey's YouTube videos on fashion and beauty for teenagers were famous, but when her younger sister is killed by a drunk driver during a filming her world falls apart--cyber bullies are attacking her, her father moves them to Texas, and she does not know who to trust at her new school or whether her cousin is really a friend.
Symptoms of Being Human
Published in 2016
"A gender-fluid teenager who struggles with identity creates a blog on the topic that goes viral, and faces ridicule at the hands of fellow students"-- Provided by publisher.
Symptoms of Being Human
Published in 2016
A sharply honest and moving debut perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Ask the Passengers. Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. But Riley isn't exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in ?ber-conservative Orange County, the pressure?media and otherwise?is building up in Riley's life. On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it's really like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley's starting to settle in at school?even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast?the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley's real identity, threatening exposure. And Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created?a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in?or stand up, come out, and risk everything. From debut author Jeff Garvin comes a powerful and uplifting portrait of a modern teen struggling with high school, relationships, and what it means to be a person.
Symptoms of Being Human
Published in 2016
A sharply honest and moving debut perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Ask the Passengers. Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. But Riley isn't exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in ?ber-conservative Orange County, the pressure?media and otherwise?is building up in Riley's life. On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it's really like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley's starting to settle in at school?even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast?the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley's real identity, threatening exposure. And Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created?a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in?or stand up, come out, and risk everything. From debut author Jeff Garvin comes a powerful and uplifting portrait of a modern teen struggling with high school, relationships, and what it means to be a person.
Symptoms of Being Human
Published in 2016
Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is ... Riley isn't exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection, the pressure-media and otherwise-is building up in Riley's so-called "normal" life. On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it's REALLY like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley's starting to settle in at school-even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast-the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley's real identity, threatening exposure. And Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created-a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in-or stand up, come out, and risk everything.
Girl Code
Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting It Done
Published in 2017
The teenage phenoms behind viral video game Tampon Run share the story of their experience at Girls Who Code and their rise to fame, plus a savvy look at starts-ups, women in tech, and the power of coding. This book includes bonus content to help you get started coding.
Not Your #lovestory
Published in 2020
"Macy Evans dreams of earning enough income from her YouTube channel, R3ntal Wor1d, to leave her small, Midwestern town. But when she meets a boy named Eric at a baseball game, and accidently dumps her hotdog in his lap, her disastrous "meet-cute" becomes the topic of a viral thread. Now it's not loyal subscribers flocking to her channel, it's Internet trolls. And they aren't interested in her reviews of VHS tapes--they only care about her relationship with Eric. Eric is overly eager to stretch out his fifteen minutes of fame, but Macy fears this unwanted attention could sabotage her "real-life" relationships--namely with the shy boy-next-door, Paxton, who she's actually developing feelings for. Macy knows she should shut the lie down, though she can't ignore the advertising money, or the spark she gets in her chest whenever someone clicks on her videos. Eric shouldn't be the only one allowed to reap the viral benefits. But is faking a relationship for clicks and subscribers worth hurting actual people?"-- Provided by publisher.
Ship It.
Published in 2018
CLAIRE is a sixteen-year-old fan girl obsessed with the show Demon Heart. FOREST is an actor on Demon Heart who dreams of bigger roles. When the two meet at a local Comic-Con panel, it's a dream come true for Claire. Until the Q&A, that is, when Forest laughs off Claire's assertion that his character is gay. Claire is devastated. After all, every last word of her super-popular fanfic revolves around the romance between Forest's character and his male frenemy. She can't believe her hero turned out to be a closed-minded jerk. Forest is mostly confused that anyone would think his character is gay. Because he's not. Definitely not. Unfortunately for Demon Heart, when the video of the disastrous Q&A goes viral, the producers have a PR nightmare on their hands. In order to help bolster their image within the LGBTQ+ community-as well as with their fans-they hire Claire to join the cast for the rest of their publicity tour. What ensues is a series of colorful Comic-Con clashes between the fans and the show that lead Forest to question his assumptions about sexuality and help Claire come out of her shell. But how far will Claire go to make her ship canon? To what lengths will Forest go to stop her and protect his career? And will Claire ever get the guts to make a move on Tess, the very cute, extremely cool fan artist she keeps running into? Ship It is a funny, tender, and honest look at all the feels that come with being a fan.
Ship It
Published in 2018
Told from two viewpoints, Forest, a television actor who needs more fans, and Claire, a teen fan fiction blogger, are teamed to raise his profile despite their disagreement over whether his character is gay.
SLAY
Published in 2019
"Gripping and timely." ? People "The YA debut we're most excited for this year." ? Entertainment Weekly "A book that knocks you off your feet while dropping the kind of knowledge that'll keep you down for the count. Prepare to BE slain." ?Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther ?inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for Black gamers. By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the "downfall of the Black man." But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for "anti-white discrimination." Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?
Slay
Published in 2019
An honors student at Jefferson Academy, seventeen-year-old Keira enjoys developing and playing Slay, a secret, multiplayer online role-playing game celebrating black culture, until the two worlds collide.
Tash Hearts Tolstoy
Published in 2017
Fame and success come at a cost for Natasha "Tash" Zelenka when she creates the web series "Unhappy Families," a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina--written by Tash's eternal love Leo Tolstoy.
The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly
Published in 2020
Working as a Wench-i.e. waitress-at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a Knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.Company policy allows only guys to be Knights. So when Kit takes her brother's place, clobbers the Green Knight, and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But this Girl Knight won't go down without a fight. As other Wenches and cast members join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they'll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval-if they don't get fired first.
Don't Read the Comments
Published in 2020
Divya Sharma is a queen. Or she is when she's playing Reclaim the Sun, the years hottest online game. Divya-better known as popular streaming gamer D1V-regularly leads her #AngstArmada on quests through the game's vast and gorgeous virtual universe. But for Divya, this is more than just a game. Out in the real world, she's trading her rising-star status for sponsorships to help her struggling single mom pay the rent. Gaming is basically Aaron Jericho's entire life. Much to his mother's frustration, Aaron has zero interest in becoming a doctor like her, and spends his free time writing games for a local developer. At least he can escape into Reclaim the Sun-and with a trillion worlds to explore, disappearing should be easy. But to his surprise, he somehow ends up on the same remote planet as celebrity gamer D1V. At home, Divya and Aaron grapple with their problems alone, but in the game, they have each other to face infinite new worlds...and the growing legion of trolls populating them. Soon the virtual harassment seeps into reality when a group called the Vox Populi begin launching real-world doxxing campaigns, threatening Aaron's dreams and Divya's actual life. The online trolls think they can drive her out of the game, but everything and everyone Divya cares about is on the line... And she isn't going down without a fight.
Girl Online
Going Solo
Published in 2016
Beginning the school year without her demigod beau who vanished after his rock concert tour, Penny decides to accepts Megan's invitation to a performing arts school, in hope to make new friends.
Girl Online
On Tour
Published in 2015
"Penny joins her rock-star boyfriend on the road in Europe. Can Penny learn to balance life and love on the road, or will she lose everything in pursuit of the perfect summer?"-- Provided by publisher.
Queens of Geek
Published in 2017
"Three friends go to a convention and find love--and themselves"-- Provided by publisher.
Eliza and Her Monsters
Published in 2017
Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she's worked for begins to crumble. Scott Westerfeld's Afterworlds meets Nimona in this novel about art, fandom, and finding the courage to be yourself. Features illustrations by the author throughout. Perfect for readers of Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, this is the second novel by the acclaimed author of Made You Up. In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza's persona is popular. Eliza can't imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza's secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she's built?her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity?begins to fall apart. With pages from Eliza's webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza's online forums, this uniquely formatted book will appeal to fans of Noelle Stevenson's Nimona and Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl.
Eliza and Her Monsters
Published in 2017
When the teen creator of "Monstrous Sea," a popular webcomic, is tempted by a school newcomer to pursue real-world relationships, everything she has worked so hard to build crumbles in the wake of their highly publicized romance.
Eliza and Her Monsters
Published in 2017
Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she's worked for begins to crumble. Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl meets Noelle Stevenson's Nimona in this acclaimed novel about art, fandom, and finding the courage to be yourself. In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza's persona is popular. Eliza can't imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza's secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she's built-her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity-begins to fall apart. With pages from Eliza's webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza's online forums, this book will appeal to fans of Noelle Stevenson's Nimona and Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. Young Adult Library Services Association Best Book Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten Kirkus Best Book Texas Tayshas Pick