Sunshine State Young Readers Award Book--2024-2025 for Grades 6-8

Imagine a world where your only friends are virtual, and big tech companies control access to food, healthcare and leisure. This is Jess's world.

But when she turns fourteen, Jess can go to school with other children for the first time. Most of them hate the 'real' world, but Jess begins to question whether the digital world is 'perfect' after all.

Back home, her sister Chloe's life-saving medication is getting ever more expensive. Determined to help, Jess risks everything by using skills forbidden in the cyber-world, only to stumble on something explosive. Something that will turn her whole world upside down.

It's up to Jess to figure out exactly what is real, and what is fake - Chloe's survival depends on it.