A Reading Daydreamer: elizabeth woods

Name: Choker

Author: Elizabeth Woods

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Date published: 1st March 2012

Number of pages: 233
Source: Chicklish
Rating: 4.5 stars

Cara has always felt like an outsider, and since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, she feels more alone than ever. Cara spends her time avoiding the popular girls who call her ‘choker’ following a humiliating lunchroom incident, and wishing that gorgeous Ethan Gray would finally notice her. Then one day, Cara comes home and finds Zoe waiting for her. With her best friend back, Cara’s life changes overnight, and with a new look and new found confidence, her popularity soars.
But when a girl goes missing and everyone comes under suspicion, Cara’s new life starts to unravel. Worse still, Zoe is behaving very strangely, and Cara begins to wonder exactly what her friend does all day while she’s at school. You’re supposed to trust your best friend no matter what, but what if she turns into a total stranger?

Cara is a loner and is always taunted by the popular girls in school. Following a particularly embarrassing accident in the canteen, she is dubbed ‘Choker.’ The ‘queen bee’ Alexis and her friends are intent on causing Cara unnecessary grief, pushing her to the limits. Unhappiness builds up within Cara but when her childhood friend Zoe returns, she feels like everything will be okay. Zoe radiates confidence and this seems to influence Cara, boosting her social status. The hot guy Ethan Gray even seems to show an interest in her. However after a series of very serious events, Cara questions her friend’s motives and wonders whether Zoe is what she seems…

The storyline of this book really kept me turning the pages, despite the start which was a bit too slow for me. Once you get into it, it becomes a very gripping read which leaves your heart beating rapidly. I guessed how it would turn out quite early on in the book though some parts made me question my assumptions, however in the end, I was right. Despite this, I still felt thoroughly shocked and slightly freaked out by some of the events in the book.

I must admit that it was difficult to warm to Cara. She is a very detached figure and Elizabeth Woods does not directly reveal what she is feeling, leaving the reader guessing restlessly. Her vulnerability and fragility was portrayed perfectly: at times, I felt great pity for her and I just wanted to reach out and hug her. Another character who was equally worthy of a hug was Ethan. I gathered that he was good-looking from the descriptions but the one thing that made my heart melt was that he would openly cry! I’m a sucker for males who aren’t afraid to express their innermost feelings. His relationship with Cara was quite surreal: is it possible for a guy to see you in a new light that quickly? But he was so sweet and nice that I soon forgot about that. However, I HATED Zoe, I have never read about such a manipulative, controlling character! She just infuriated me so badly! I hated how she constantly tried to make Cara guilty and - I can’t even articulate my loathing for her…

One aspect of the book that I wouldn’t normally like in another is the third-person narrative. Usually, I strongly dislike third-person: it doesn’t allow me to feel what the characters are feeling, I can’t put myself in their position, I can’t delve into their innermost thoughts and uncover their secrets… But it worked rather well in Choker. It added to the sense of mystery and didn’t allow you to get too close to Cara so that you’re always left asked guessing and out in the cold.

Overall, this book really creeped me out. It wasn’t scary in a bloody and gory way, but it played tricks on my mind and even days after reading it, I’m still a bit confused. The ending disappointed me a little because my questions weren’t answered and I felt it was a little rushed. Although I guessed how it would turn out, it still shocked me and left me sitting at the edge of my seat. It is a very chilling, gripping read that is different from any other book that I have read. I would recommend it to older teenagers who are looking for a unique book to enjoy. 4.5 stars, simply because I wanted a better conclusion to it that answered my questions.