"Thousand Words" by Jennifer Brown

One of the most impactful books I have read this year!  Thousand Words is the story of Ashleigh, a girl that makes one mistake that could haunt her for the rest of her life.  One night, while at a party, Ashleigh snaps a naked pic of herself and sends it to her boyfriend.  When they break up, he sends it to his friends who then send it on their friends...well, you can see how the problem spirals from there.  The book is told completely from Ashleigh's perspective, but from two different periods of time.  It goes back and forth from her current scenario of going through community service and the events that got her in trouble. This books shows how one moment of poor judgement can change your life and the lives of those around you.

Not only do Ashleigh's action's have a negative effect on her, but many that sent and received the text are in trouble for "distributing" the illegal image and her father, the superintendent, is facing losing his job.  Needless to say it's a lot more than Ashleigh can handle. 

I was very impressed by this book.  Brown takes a topic that is very relevant today and gives it a personal spin.  We see firsthand how Ashleigh regrets her actions and had to learn a tough lesson the hard way.  I hope that this book is an eye opener for teens and makes them step back and think before making the same mistake as Ashleigh.  It is very true that a picture is worth a Thousand Words.

Happy Reading!

-Melly