Beyond Texting: The Fine Art of Face-to-Face Communication for Teenagers

Gr 7 Up—Fine, who has written titles for adults, now turns to teens with advice on conversation and social skills to help with friendship, jobs, and social events. Short chapters use pithy titles to describe various topics ("Entering the Chatroom" discusses icebreakers, while "Sending Instant Messages" deals with body language) and, in a nod to Facebook, end with a "poke," or a brief sum-up. Unfortunately, these metaphors feel a bit forced and may date quickly. The book is divided into three sections: "Conquering the Conversational Basics," "Dealing with Difficult Interactions," and "Managing the Digital World." The first section is the most successful and contains some helpful suggestions for starting a conversation that both adults and teens should find beneficial, while the latter two have some fairly predictable advice without real insight. Overall, the author's style is accessible to teens. However, despite its eye-catching, bright yellow color, the cover is cluttered with writing and lacks illustrations, meaning most teens will probably give this title a pass. A useful book, but one that may have limited appeal to its intended audience.—Michelle Anderson, Tauranga City Libraries, New Zealand