[Review] Drawing Amanda by Stephanie Feuer

Buy from the Book Depository

Title: Drawing Amanda

Author: Stephanie Feuer [ Facebook | Twitter ]

Publisher: Hipso Media

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary Thriller/Mystery

Release Date: June 15, 2014

Source: ARC, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.
#WeNeedDiverseBooks

Inky is a 14 year old high school student who is more interested in drawing than any core subject. He is also recovering from the death of his father. Amanda's father is a diplomat that has led to a life on the move, having lived in several countries throughout her life. Their connection is Megaland, an online game still in the start up phase. Megaland provides Inky motivation and praise for his drawings and Amanda is looking for a friend. Unfortunately, the man behind Megaland is not all roses so Inky and his BFF Rungs start uncovering the truth... 

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Stephanie Feuer. There's a bit of mystery, thriller and social issues. One of the main highlights is the level of character diversity displayed in the school setting. Even better is that it's not out of place. The high school is a private school intended for diplomats and other expats. Aside from ethnicity there are deeper culture highlights of Buddism and the native Amazonian peoples. This really showed through in each character's mannerisms, dialogue and overall personality. As the characters began to band together in an effort to stop Megaland I found myself wanting more cyber mysteries for them to solve.   

Like most mystery/thriller reads the story is plot driven with a strong character-driven sub-plot. The sub-plot center's around the loss of Inky's dad, Amanda's new environment combined with the separation from her siblings and, a secondary character, Hawk's mother passing away. While Inky's character is the only one that really sees a closure, it's easy to see a whole novel flushing out the grieving and healing process for the other two. With that said, there were times where I feel like the plot took the back seat and a lesser word count to the sub-plot. I would have liked to see some scenes moved around so that the sub-plot would help deepen my connection to the characters and drive the main plot forward. Both plots are good and could easily have been split into a contemporary issues novel and a mystery/thriller novel. I had tears on the second to last page! 

The main plot focuses around cybercrime and catfishing. I think is is both relevant and a topic of interest to teenagers today (and parents!). But, I feel like the ages of the characters combined with the plot finishes ripe for middle grade readers. For seasoned YA readers I would've liked to see Inky and Amanda's relationship with Megaland travel deeper down the rabbit hole.

Fav Quote

Here they were in a school that celebrated diversity,
and all they wanted was to fit it.
- subject to change in finished edition

3.5 Stars – I'd definitely recommending this book to middle grade readers who are starting to have more freedom online, personal smartphones, and are exploring online based relationships for the first time.