All This Life

As he commutes with his father into San Francisco, 14-year-old Jake captures a shocking scene on the Golden Gate Bridge on his iPhone. He posts it online, as part of his online persona, and it quickly goes viral. Because of this attention, Jake knows that his worth as an online personality has now reached its peak, and he wants to claim the fame that he is sure is his. His actions spark the events that bring together the novel's large cast of characters: 18-year-old Sara, living in nowhere Nevada, who learns that a sex tape made with her (now ex) boyfriend Nate has gone viral and can't wait to get away from the humiliation and anger it brings; Rodney, Sara's longtime friend, sidelined by a stupid prank that left him speech impaired and ready to get answers from the mother who left him after the accident; Rodney's mother, Kathleen, now living in San Francisco as a caricature artist and three years sober, who longs to reconnect with her son but can't take that first step; and Noah911, who has seen Jake's video and recognizes his connection with the action on the bridge. How these characters intersect becomes a satisfying tale of redemption and forgiveness. Mature teens who recognize the dark irony that threads this story—that the connections made online are not necessarily reliable—will enjoy this work.