Name: Random
ISBN: 9781442499560

Tom Leveen

The night before going on trial in a sensational felony case that has ruined her life, sixteen-year-old Tori Hershberger receives a random phone call from a stranger contemplating suicide and she begins a race against time to save him.

Random

Who’s the real victim here? This tense and gripping novel explores of the consequences of cyberbullying. Late at night Tori receives a random phone call. It’s a wrong number. But the caller seems to want to talk, so she stays on the line. He asks for a single thing—one reason not to kill himself. The request plunges her into confusion. Because if this random caller actually does what he plans, he’ll be the second person connected to Tori to take his own life. And the first just might land her in jail. After her Facebook page became Exhibit A in a tragic national news story about cyberbullying, Tori can’t help but suspect the caller is a fraud. But what if he’s not? Her words alone may hold the power of life or death. With the clock ticking, Tori has little time to save a stranger—and maybe redeem herself—leading to a startling conclusion that changes everything…

Daniela V.

It's been a while since I'd read a book in exactly one day or less. I remember those books with fondness, because they had something to keep me reading until I finished them. Random is one of those books.

The idea was very original. A boy committed suicide because his former friend, Tori, and a few of her new friends molested him through the internet. Yes, cyberbullying. She is still trying to convince herself that she is innocent. As Tori waits for the trial, she receives a random call. Someone is asking her for one reason not to kill himself.

I liked that the novel is mainly a dialog. I don't know why but I adore when there are very long dialogs inserted in a novel. The same thing happens with movies: I like movies that focus on dialog. So that's why the book is pretty fast-paced.

The only thing I have to criticize is that the plot twist was absolutely obvious. I saw it coming halfway through the book. It was very very very obvious, that's why the rating is two stars down. Anyway, I liked the idea. I've read many reviews that said that the plot twist killed the book, but I disagree. That turn of events is the only reasonable one.

The approach of a bullying case through the eyes of the bully was innovative.

Since some time ago someone threatened me saying that he would commit suicide, this novel touched me deep inside. So it's a good read but hard to swallow.

Rebeca 

Very quick read. I think what also made me read it quickly was that I was intrigued by the synopsis and really wanted to find out if she could save this stranger. Really did not like the main character, I think she was really bitchy even after everything that "happened" and everything that's been happening to her I didn't like her, at all. And even at the end of the story, I still felt she didn't get the whole point. She was annoying and all she cared about was saving herself. Other than not liking her, I think the plot was excellent.