Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer (review)

Kritzer, Naomi Catfishing on CatNet. Tor Teen, 2019 [304p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-250-16508-4 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-250-16507-7 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 8-12

Steph starts eleventh grade in yet another town because she and her mom are on the run from her violent, controlling hacker father. When Steph and her new friend Rachel hack the sex ed robot, the media attention they accidentally attract puts Steph in grave danger. Teaching robots aren't the only futuristic twist; one of Steph's online friends on CatNet, a chat forum for animal photo enthusiasts, discloses to Steph that they are a sentient artificial intelligence who can track Steph's dad through his phone messages, internet purchases, and other internet activity. This novel has a taste of thriller with a pretty sure win for those on the side of good, making it a solid choice for fans of science fiction. Readers who want a break from dystopias will find an optimistic account of a near future that includes not only a benevolent AI but also self-driving cars and pie-making robots. Steph's group of online and in-person friends are an interesting bunch of mutually supportive, artsy, teens both straight and genderqueer. Narration alternates between first person accounts from Steph and the AI with occasional interludes of CatNet chat sequences, delivering a steady dose of suspense, both about what's happening IRL and what is being discovered in virtual space.