Release Date: November 2013 Genre: Contemporary
Protagonist: Jane Shilling, aged 15
The Story: Jane Shilling's life is not what it is supposed to be; her mother passed away last year, her alcoholic father lives in a bottle, and Jane attends an alternative school where it is better to blend in than to be noticed. Jane's one pleasure in life is social media, where she has created a series of alter-egos that live in a manner in which she aspires. As Jane's online identities blossom, Jane's "real" life spirals further and further downward.
Reaction: Told through instant messages, blog entries, and other social media, 4 to 16 Characters is hard to adequately characterize; just as Jane is hidden within the multiple personalities she displays online, the depth of this novel is also deeply buried. Jane is surprisingly unlikeable, and I'm not entirely sure why - is it because she fails to reveal enough of her true self or because this book is written for digital natives, as opposed to digital immigrants? If you love Facebook, Tumblr, etc., then 4 to 16 is book you may want to check out.
Rating: 3 stars
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