Head Games by Mariah Fredericks

Reality? I'd give it a C-.

That's what fifteen-year-old Judith Ellis thinks, anyway. Reality is her former best friend not talking to her this year. Reality is her dad living three thousand miles away. Reality is what happened outside 158 West Seventy-first Street, New York City.

To Judith, fantasy rules. Particularly in the Game, which she plays online with a bunch of strangers she knows only as the Witch, the Drunken Warrior, and Irgan the Head Case. In the gaming world it's strictly alternative identities. No one knows who you are, no one gets too close.

But one player in the Game is coming after her -- and he's a lot closer than Judith guesses.

Close enough to see her, close enough to talk with her.

Close enough to like her.

"Head Games" started very strong and I was intrigued by Judith's ability to live in reality and in her virtual world online. When she is almost killed off in her virtual video game, Judith becomes intrigued and curious about the player who almost took her out. Surprisingly this "online player" is actually quite close in proximity in Judith' real world. Later in the book, we discover more about Judith's background and why she lost a close girlfriend. The book just has too many problems and internal struggles for the protagonist. It became difficult to buy into Judith's issues. We also are left very confused as to whether or not she has really worked through them. The ending felt very rushed. This book can be found in Mrs. Brown's classroom library.