Parents' Guide to

Thousand Words

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Cautionary tale about teen girl whose nude pic goes viral.

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Kids say (2):

Ashleigh's honest narration keeps THOUSAND WORDS from feeling like a scripted problem novel. She readily admits to feeling powerful when she sends her picture to Kaleb, and is equally honest about her mortification when the picture goes viral ("I closed my eyes. Nothing worked to keep the embarrassment from me. Being blind. Being deaf. Being frozen. Being an observer. Being silent. I still felt humiliated no matter what I was.") Readers will feel sick to their stomachs as things just get worse and worse -- but they will also admire her gradual realization that she doesn't have to let one bad decision define her for the rest of her life.

While an extreme situation, this book should help teens develop better cyber-sense so they don't take any kind of picture -- or forward any on -- without thinking of the potential consequences. Hopefully, it also will help them forgive themselves, and each other, when they do make errors in judgment.

Book Details

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