Caring is Creepy: Book review

Caring is Creepy – David Zimmerman (c. April 2012)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

WARNING – Spoiler Alert. Come on. You’re reading a review. What did you expect?

I love a good book – good stories, yes; but also books that teach and make you wonder. I hadn't read much recently before starting my new job a few weeks ago. Conveniently, my new office is located on the top floor of the largest, most lovely library right in the heart of our city. With all of those books downstairs calling my name, my hiatus from reading has ended.

Caring is Creepy is the story of two 15-year-old best friends, Lynne & Dani. When Dani receives a computer for her birthday, the two girls begin using the Internet as a way to play pranks on people. One day, Lynne makes the huge mistake of using her real identity, and the story progresses from there. She gets caught up with an older man who has gone AWOL from the Army, and the plot twists to intertwine with the story of Lynne’s mother and her drug-dealing boyfriend in the deadly climax of the story.

I was interested in a book that used the Internet in a mostly-modern way (although I don’t necessarily buy that these girls are JUST starting to use a computer) because the Internet itself can be a predator. However, Lynne’s real problems come from a lack of parenting. Lynne is forced to be an adult, and when she gets way in over her head, she just keeps going. She rationalizes the situation to survive it, just as her mother and boyfriend do.

All in all, I give Caring is Creepy 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was interesting and really captured me at the beginning, but it dragged on after that and I had trouble suspending my disbelief. There were too many unanswered questions at the end. This technique has its place, but I hate leaving a huge WHY?! up in the air.

Fun fact: The book is named after The Shin’s 2012 song Caring is Creepy. I hadn't heard it before – and still can’t say I’m a fan after listening – but here’s the video so that you can check it out.