If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say

Reviewed by: Sheila Dube - Springvale Public Library, Springvale, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 5, 2018

Review

This is a cautionary tale about public shaming on social media that could be taken from the current headlines. After posting a tweet that she believes to be witty, Seventeen-year-old Winter Halperin goes to bed and in the few hours that she is off line the internet world calls her out on her racist tweet. Her ability to get a job is hampered, her college acceptance rescinded, her past spelling bee title is stripped and her friendships are seriously ruined. As she navigates how to fix her reputation and tries to explain her misunderstood racial comment to her closest friends, she agrees to go to a retreat called Revibe that promises to assist her in claiming her emotional identity back. The retreat provides the plot for half of the story. Although it may be a real thing, the concept, counselors and their expectations seemed somewhat "hokey". The various characters at the retreat provide essential steps along Winter's journal to understanding or a least apologizing for the insensitivity of her tweets. Readers will get a clear picture from the various pariticipant's stories of how one could be targeted by internet users. The romance Winter begins with one of the Revibe participants, who is in a wheelchair from a suicide attempt, is sweet, but left open ended in the story which is not satisfying to a romance fan.

Overall Book Score: good