School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--Opal Hopper wasn't always Opal Hopper. When she was ten, her father, famed entrepreneur Abba Tal, went missing, leaving behind an ambiguous note. After failing to get answers, Opal changed her name and enrolled at a prestigious boarding school for technical prodigies. Then Howie Mendelsohn, founder of the virtual reality platform WAVE, and her father's old partner, announces a contest where the winner gets to meet him in person. The contest reignites Opal's need for answers, even if it means ruining friendships, engaging in political debates, and reclaiming her name. Jorjeana Marie's inquisitive tone captures Opal's sometimes indecisive and uncertain, occasionally egotistical voice. Listeners will feel Opal's struggle with relentless media inquiries, high school romances, college planning, and family dynamics. Character development is a bit strained, and the abrupt ending leaves room for a sequel. VERDICT Recommended for collections needing more dystopian fiction or where there are a lot of Ready Player One fans.--Amanda Schiavulli, Liverpool Public Library, NY
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this near-future thriller, Ahmadi (Down and Across) questions the benefits of technology and its role in creating instant celebrity, shortening attention spans, and insidiously impacting democracy. When 17-year-old coder Opal Tal's father, Aaron, went missing seven years earlier, she attempted to track him down by reaching out to his business partner, Howie Mendelsohn. But Opal's requests were ignored. Now legally known as Opal Hopper and a senior at Palo Alto Academy of Science and Technology, she is given an opportunity to meet Howie by entering the Make-a-Splash competition on WAVE, a virtual reality social media site that Howie created. All Opal has to do is give up her privacy and become a viral media sensation, which she and her friends do using ill-gotten information about how people react to an infamous personality's very public emotional breakdowns. The narrative blends with texts, transcripts, and other technologies, sometimes affecting pacing, but Ahmadi's relatable characters keep the story engaging. Ages 12-up. Agent: Tina Wexler, ICM Partners. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.