Are U 4 Real? [Hardcover]

Sara Kadefors (Author), Tara Chace (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 14, 2009

Kyla is exactly the kind of girl Alex could never talk to in real life. She's a gorgeous, outspoken L.A. girl who parties to forget about her absent father and depressed mother. He's a shy ballet dancer from outside San Francisco who's never been kissed. Luckily, when these sixteen-year-olds meet for the first time it's not in real life - it's in a chat room, where they can share their feelings of isolation and frustration away from the conformity-obsessed high school scene. Alex and Kyla quickly forge a friendship that's far from virtual - maybe they're even falling in love. But what happens when the soul mate you've never met moves from online to in person?

Sara Kadefors's wildly romantic, award-winning Swedish bestseller perfectly captures the universal angst of being a teenager, and the perhaps even more universal struggle to negotiate identity in a multi-platform world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this bestselling Swedish novel, Kadefors shows a thorough understanding of teenage dialogue and anxieties. When they first meet online, L.A. party girl, Kyla, and male ballet dancer, Alex, are careful not to reveal too much about their troubled backgrounds. But as lies lead to hurtful misunderstandings, truths about their dysfunctional families and problems with friends emerge (Kyla's mother is clinically depressed; Alex's Russian mother is overbearing and overprotective). Email messages, inserted into the text, reveal plenty of emotion ("Why can't our moms get that we're human beings, not some puppets they can use to act out scenes in the lives they want?"), but little information about specific issues; Kadefors's third-person narrative proves more enlightening in revealing the teens' conflicts and insecurities. There are some pacing problems: it seems to take forever for Kyla and Alex to feel comfortable enough with each other to be honest, and the story's denouement drags on. However, there is enough drama present throughout the book to keep readers on board until Kyla's and Alex's roller-coaster relationship turns into a romantic connection. Ages 14-up.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Alex is a shy and socially awkward boy from Oakland, and although he is straight, everyone thinks he is gay because he is a ballet dancer. Kyla is a beautiful party girl from Los Angeles who drinks too much and sleeps around. Her parents are divorced, her mother is clinically depressed, and her father is uninvolved in her life, except for an occasional check. One night, the teens meet online, and they develop a relationship, gradually opening up more and more to one another about their lives. When they meet in real life, however, the conflicts between them threaten to derail their budding romance. This is an English translation of an award-winning Swedish book, Sandor Slash Ida, originally published in 2001 and later made into a film. At times, it shows its age, but its essential appeal is in its portrayal of how two very different teens manage to connect with each other, despite all their insecurities and missteps along the way. Kadefors also has fun with subverting some of the usual stereotypes. Of the two, Alex is the more sympathetic. Kyla does some cruel things to him and other people, actions that are only partially explained by her painful family situation, and it is often difficult to understand why Alex would continue to be attracted to her. Parts of the plot have not translated well from the Swedish setting to contemporary California, but this book may appeal to some readers because of the online angle and the romance between opposites.—Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dial (May 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803732767
• ISBN-13: 978-0803732766
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,930,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Searching for connections, August 10, 2009

By 

The Compulsive Reader (Big Rapids, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Are U 4 Real? (Hardcover)

Both Kyla and Alex are lost. They feel so alone, despite everyone around them, and don't have anyone that truly understands their uncertainties, fears, and insecurities. Both deal with their feelings in different ways. For Kyla, it's partying and the never ending parade of guys. Alex, an introvert, seeks comfort in ballet. When they meet up in an online chat room, they find understanding and acceptance in each other. But despite their connection online, meeting face-to-face is different, and they find that neither of them are exactly the same as they are online. Can their relationship endure?

Written by Sara Kadefors, a Swedish author, Are U 4 Real was originally published in Sweden and is its bestselling YA novel of all time, and with good reason. Kyla and Alex's characters are full of depth and dimension, from Alex's uncertainties about dancing and wanting to discover his true motivations for continuing it, to Kyla's confusion and her fierce protectiveness and independence. Both Alex and Kyla are struggling with their identities and figuring out who they are and who they want to become. Their efforts and the pressures exerted on them don't always make them the best people, and they continually mess up in their search for acceptance. Both make mistakes, and both learn how to correct them and admit they were wrong, which is one of the most important and endearing aspects of the novel. Kadefors also deal with the issue of coping, and demonstrates how different people can be, despite how they may feel inside.

Despite the writing being occasionally vague and slightly bumpy in spots (which may be a result of how the novel translated into English), Are U 4 Real is a realistic, straightforward, and appropriately and believably complex novel for anyone who has ever felt alone in life. It's a book about reaching out, searching for connections, and learning how to deal with differences and mistakes. Are U 4 Real? is as genuine as it gets.

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 14, 2010

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Are U 4 Real? (Hardcover)

Alex and Kyla are two teens from California who meet on the computer and develop a close friendship. Though their online relationship is growing, it hits a brick wall when they meet in real life because they are so different.

Alex is a shy ballet dancer while Kyla is a wild party girl. With these huge differences, will their relationship survive?

ARE U 4 REAL? was originally published in Sweden in 2001, so it does sound a bit outdated in parts, but overall Alex and Kyla's story is one that readers can relate to. It's a smart novel with family issues, relationship drama, and other situations that teens could easily picture themselves in.

Reviewed by: Angela S.

3.0 out of 5 stars An Adorable Read!, February 6, 2010

By 

Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf (PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Are U 4 Real? (Hardcover)

I've been eagerly awaiting the time that I would finally be able to read this novel. Since, the premise sound interesting and the cover is one word: adorable! Lucky for me, this novel defiantly came close to my expectations and was one cute book!

In Are U 4 Real? you became involved in the two main characters- Kyla and Alex- struggles and issues that are present in their complex lives. These two are people who many can possibly relate to in some ways. For example, Alex deals with bullying at school and the consequences that come from being a male ballet dancer while Kyla is reeling from her mother's depression and the father who is not that present in her life. While I always like Alex, it was a bit hard to like Kyla at times. For one, she wined a bit too much for my liking and that constant winning lead to her making some choices that were not very good. Plus, I hated the generalization that Sara made throughout this book which was if your not living the best possible life and have to deal with issues you fall into skanky behavior and a slight drinking problem. It was just annoying. Other than those two things, I truly did come to like both characters by the end, and the message they brought out in the end "Be yourself and don't let anyone stop you from being who you want to be."

The plot in this book was fast paced and constantly made you wonder if Alex and Kyla were ever going to be together. Also, I loved how emails and instant messages were incorporated in the book's main plot, because they brought a realistic feeling to the book.

Overall, Are U 4 Real? is a sweet romance type book that many teen girls will come to enjoy. Though, I highly suggest you should see if your library has it before you buy it, because it seemed at times that it wouldn't be worth the full 16.99 price tag.

Grade: B