RANDOM by Tom Leveen

Tori is known as one of the Canyon Seven, a group of teens whose malicious online comments may have caused the death of one of their classmates.  It is the night before her trial begins, and she is busy hating everything about her life.  She hates her parents who removed the computer from her room and took away her iPhone, leaving her with a crappy, old flip phone.  She hates her brother who stopped talking to her when she was arrested.  She hates the reporters who keep pounding on the door wanting her to make a statement.


When the piece of crap phone she's being forced to rely on rings, Tori assumes it is someone calling to harass her about the trial.  Great, a crank call, just when all she wants to do is sleep until this whole thing is over.


Tori doesn't recognize the voice at the other end of the line.  When the male voice identifies itself as someone named Andy, Tori still doesn't have a clue who he is.  It turns out this Andy fellow has punched in her number at random.  At least that's what he tells her.  He then tells her he is planning to commit suicide.  He describes how he is in his car parked at the top of a mountain road, and unless she can convince him that life is worth living, he plans to drive his car off the cliff.


Can Tori convince Andy not to end his life?  Will talking to him help her make sense of the mess she is in and the potentially life-changing trial she faces in a few short hours? 


Author Tom Leveen presents a powerful story with a plot so real, readers will be gripped from the very first page.  With all the attention on bullying and the connection to social media, RANDOM strikes just the right tone and its message will resonate with teens.  RANDOM is a must read for teens and anyone with the power to influence young people.