ttyl ~ Lauren Myracle

Publisher: Amulet Books (2004)
ISBN: 978-0-8109-8788-3
209 pgs

Classification: YA fiction
Genre: Realistic, chick lit
Age Level: 13+

Reader’s Annotation: Tenth-graders Zoe, Madigan and Angela have been friends since childhood and hope to remain close as they grow up but the challenges of high school threaten their friendships as the girls cope with crushes, parents, rivals and teachers and begin to keep secrets from one another.

Summary: Zoe has a crush on her teacher, who in turn seems to be paying an unseemly amount of attention to Zoe. Madigan befriends a long-time rival and finds herself in over her head when her “friend’s” loyalty is tested. Angela struggles to see the best in herself after being treated badly by her boyfriend. And these three childhood friends have developed the bad habit of keeping secrets from one another, precisely at a time when true friends are the one thing they each need. The story unfolds entirely via instant messages, the girls’ primary means of communication outside of school.

Notes: This book reads like a hybrid of a diary and a play, and has the delicious, absorbing feeling of eavesdropping on a good conversation.
Flags: 3