NEED by Joelle Charbonneau

I loved the premise behind this book - Social Media being used to manipulate teens by using their tendency to talk themselves into doing something they know is not morally defensible, justifying their wants by calling them needs.

The story takes place in a small town, targeting a Senior class with just over 100 students. The main protagonist is a young girl who has managed to alienate most of her classmates by naming and shaming those who are not willing to volunteer to get tested as a potential kidney donor for her terminally ill much younger brother. Through one of her remaining friends, she is introduced to a networking site which asks the question - What do you NEED? The site asks you to sign up a certain number of friends, and you will get whatever you need. The only catch is, if you break the rules or can't sign up enough people... you need to perform a task to gain enough points to earn your need. Post pictures. Post comments...  Kaylee asks for a kidney for her brother, and her request is agreed to,  but she is suspicious of the posts that are being shared by her classmates. Then teenagers start dying and no one will listen to her - not the police, not her psychologist and definitely not her mother. 

I enjoyed this book. The main protagonists are very believable, although Kaylee is very intense about absolutely everything. The story progresses and a wide range of side characters are introduced, as we learn about their experiences, thoughts and actions to do with NEED. Sometimes the sheer number of characters, names and side stories becomes confusing - and the ending take quite a large leap into the fantastic, however I enjoyed the story and recommend it for teenagers who are obsessed with social media and 'need' the latest and best of every new gadget.