Cold Calls, written by Charles Benoit, reviewed by Bethany Bratney

Summary: Eric receives the call late one night. A mysterious voice on the other end of the line is
demanding that he bully a student at his school who he does not even know. If Eric doesn’t comply, his most awful secret will be broadcast to the world. That cannot happen. The consequences of Eric’s decision land him in an anti-bullying class with a bunch of other misfits from schools in his area. He only wants to make it through the painful weekend class, but then Shelley approaches him after school. She has guessed that they are there for the same reasons, forced to bully strangers by an unknown source, and she wants them to work together to try to figure out who is targeting them when they seem to have nothing in common. Since the voice on the phone has threatened to take all of their secrets public three days after the class, they will have to work quickly to solve the mystery and confront their blackmailer.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Students will gravitate toward this high-drama, plot heavy mystery. The anticipation of learning why a mystery blackmailer would target such different individuals will keep readers intrigued until the reasoning is revealed late in the book. Eric, Shelley, and Fatima (a third character who is blackmailed and introduced later in the book) all have their own secrets that are slowly revealed to the reader over the course of the book, prolonging and enhancing the suspense. The story is plot-driven and fast-paced, and the characters’ secrets are firmly set in the world of high school drama and discovery, making this a great choice for more reluctant or resistant readers. It also starts off very quickly, without much exposition, which may seem abrupt to an avid reader, but will likely be another plus to infrequent readers. The book includes heavy use of technology, though some of the references are already slightly dated which may turn off a picky teen reader. The three main characters come from different backgrounds and lifestyles, and Fatima is an authentic Muslim girl who wears hijab, representing a frequently marginalized group. There is enough drama, suspense and red herring action to engage an enthusiastic mystery reader and newbie alike. Definitely worth the price of purchase.

Cold Calls Book Trailer