Queen B’s Decree: Averil Offline was recommended by PRH Audio as an upcoming release and I can never resist a colorful cover, so once I read the blurb I knew this was a book I wanted to listen to.
I am an older Millennial, so I never had to deal with the constant monitoring like Averil does. Her mom is constantly looking at her location, requiring photos of her eating lunch; her mom even reads her private journal/notebook despite previously promising she won’t. So when her friend Max finds out the monitoring app is planning a new update that invades their privacy even more, they make a plan to sneak away and appeal to the app creator.
These kids are WAY more resourceful than I was at the age of twelve (but smart phones hadn’t been invented then, so that’s my excuse). They’re both smart, interesting characters, and I loved watching them figure out the problems and become closer friends. Averil Offline was a great read for both middle grade readers and adults. I think it helps give some perspective on the overprotection that can occur with modern technology.
Emily Marsh was a great narrator and really gave life to the characters. Overall a great and engaging listen!
Book: Averil Offline by Amy Noelle Parks
Series: standalone
Genre: Fiction
Hotness: no salsa
Plot Devices/Tropes: middle grade