Friend Me by John Faubion

Genre: Fiction

Pages: Soft Cover

Author:  John Faubion

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster

Reviewer:  Virginia Armstrong

Rating:  8 Jags

Rachel is a stay- at- home mom who is losing sight of who she is and what her purpose in life is about.  Worse, her marriage to Scott, a businessman in a high-stress job, is stagnating. In a dire need to confide to someone, she stumbles across a virtual website that allows her to custom-make an friend who she can confide in.

Soon, she has a virtual re-creation of her best friend who has passed away years earlier.  It is only a matter of time before she is able to rekindle her past friendship over the web. Scott, who witnesses his wife’s joy and fulfillment with her new found friend online, decides to explore the same website. Unbeknownst to his wife, Scott’s career is taking a turn for the worst and the day to day stress is mounting. He creates a female avatar and begins to share things he could never tell his wife. 

Little do either of them realize, Melissa a raging psychotic, is not only the mastermind behind the software, but she is also manipulating Rachel and Scott without their knowledge. Soon, the intimate online relationship becomes a fatal attraction, leaving both of them to fight for not only their marriage, but their lives.

From the first page, the story grabbed my attention and kept me on the edge of my seat.  The Characters are true-to-life facing the same issues many couples of today are.  Then the author interweaves another faction, bringing in virtual computer software.  The entire time you are reading, you’re wondering about the people who actually create these types of programs and what makes them tick.  Are they crazy like Melissa?  Did they have ulterior motives when they devised their plans?  It leaves you more cautious about the information you give and the people you befriend on the web.  John Faubion did an excellent job on this novel. 

The Jag Review has received a free copy of this book from Howard Books for our honest review. The opinions expressed here are our own.