The Virtual Life of Lexie Diamond Review
THE VIRTUAL LIFE OF LEXIE DIAMOND is a suspenseful "whodunit" from actress and screenwriter Victoria Foyt, a first novel that effectively covers a wide gamut of emotional ground.
Fourteen-year-old Lexie copes with alienation at school and her divorced parents' disappointment with her computer-driven life. When her mother is killed in a mysterious car crash, Lexie finds credible evidence of foul play and is forced to adapt, change, and grow as person in order to follow the clues.
Lexie's suspicions grow as her father's fiancé shows her dark side after a series of private confrontations, actions which drive Lexie to make contact with her mother in cyberspace. To further complicate her life, Lexie must learn to trust people in "real time;" both her hunky neighbor and a popular "diva" at school, both of whom wish to be her friend.
Foyt adroitly welds the ether world of cyberspace with many common teen issues in both of Lexie's worlds. Her teen protagonist must use her strengths and weaknesses to solve the mystery of her mother's death and to save her father. As a result, the author has created a compelling character and an electrifying story that will hold younger readers until the last page.
A must-read! 5 stars.
Reviewed by: Mark Frye, author and reviewer
The Virtual Life of Lexie Diamond Overview
Lexie Diamond loves her computer. She loves to surf the Web more than anything else—and to the exclusion of a social life. Beyond being just a computer geek, Lexie has developed a unique philosophy that the essential truth about life is found on the Internet, which she navigates with the expertise and finesse of a true believer.
Then a tragic accident rocks Lexie's cyber-driven world and forces her to navigate the real world after all. With the aid of an unexpected ally—her first actual friend—not only is Lexie drawn into a mystery surrounding the accident, but she discovers more magic in the Web than she ever dreamed possible.
Along the way Lexie's beliefs are challenged, her family is turned upside down, and her future is threatened. In this visionary tour de force by a promising new novelist, Lexie must decide what is real and what is virtual: Her life depends on it.
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Customer Reviews
Virtual comes to life - H - Ciincinnati
A young reader mystery built around adult themes of disconnection and isolation. Very feminine in its treatment of character's inner life. Would recommend for 7th through 9th grade girls. A light fun read without controversial scenes, or language.
Already Dated and Published in 2007? - Leslie Blount - Addison, IL United States
I picked this book up looking for a tale that a modern teenager could relate to, but instead found a bunch of out of date computer talk and too much spiritual rambling that made no sense. I know many people believe that kids spend too much time online and don't spend enough time making friends, but this girl is just unbelievable. It was like she born right before the story began. If she had lived 14 years of life, she would have to experience at least a few relationships and have a few acquaintances that she could talk to. I also couldn't stand all her rambling about aliens and bubbles and stuff. It was totally unbelievable and went on and on and on....... The topper for me though, was the out of date the computer information. The girl has a GAME BOY!! The Nintendo DS, the successor to the Game Boy was released in 2004 and any kid as computer savvy as Lexie would have only the latest handheld. Plus as far as a could tell, all she does is instant message and surf the internet. Where is her My Space page? The book was published in 2007! The editor should have insisted on an update before this went to print. Any teenager that uses a computer is going to be frustrated by this book's computer information and the weird way Lexie relates to the world.
A teen as appealing as Holden Caulfield - Judith Searle - Santa Monica, CA United States
This is a terrific piece of work, an engaging and original
combination of coming-of-age drama, detective story and magic realism
with strong elements of comedy. Lexie Diamond, the 13-year-old narrator
of the story, copes with the death of her mother, her father's
developing romantic relationship, and insecurity about her relationships
with peers. So compete is Lexie's immersion in the virtual world of
computers and the internet that she sees the world and other people in
terms of computer and web metaphors.
The reader fears for Lexie's mental health at times (because
of her obsessiveness about the cyberworld), but we are made to care as
deeply about her as readers a half century ago did about J.D. Salinger's
Holden Caulfield
Ms. Foyt's courage and sheer nerve are wonderful to behold,
and this book offers great inspiration and understanding to girls at
this awkward stage of life.
--Judith Searle, author of The Literary Enneagram
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