Windy hates the way she looks, and she hates 8th grade. She desperately wants to be part of the in-crowd but, in all her years in middle school, has only managed to keep herself out of the out-crowd and in GP (General Public) land. Things seem to change for the better when she meets Nina, the beautiful, fun, popular new girl.

Read the rest of the review at: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2012/07/22/choke-diana-lopez/
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Choke tells the story of middle school students, Nina, Liz, and Windy who delve into the dangerous game of choking. At first, it seems a risk-free way to get high, but as the choking sessions happen for a longer period of time, the results are disastrous. Teenagers are fearless and yet that fearlessness is unrealistic and dangerous at times.

This book brings up an important issue for young people, but the writing and dialogue were often preachy and dull. The lack of character development is maddening and baffling at times...I would have loved to hear the reasons for Nina's recklessness. We never meet the parents she complains about so much, for example, until the end, when the mother is distraught and weepy. There is, however, a lot to discuss in this book, such as the warning signs of choking: bloodshot eyes, headaches, and listlessness are spelled out as clues. ( )

The plot is a little weak. I know that it was supposed to raise awareness about the choking game. Obviously, there is not far you can go with just that topic, though I know exactly what I'd do to make it a better book. You can tell the author added different things to make it more interesting, but it just wasn't doing it for me. The ending of the story was the typical thing any person with half a brain could predict.

The main character, in my opinion, is a little too immature for someone about to go to high school.
I think I am a little out of this book's league because it was in the middle grade genre, even though the main character is in the eighth grade. Had I been in maybe the sixth grade, perhaps this would be a great book for me, but alas, I am not in the sixth grade.

Being that I am in the process of writing a book, I have become critical of books a little more, these days. The writing was not excellent, but it was okay. I can't really judge this book fairly, because it was not meant for my age to read it. So here's the verdict:
For ages 12 and younger, I think they should read this book. It deals with good topics and raises awareness about the choking game. Its an appropriate book for that age.

You know how newspapers have filler articles. This was like a filler book. A quick read. It was okay. Won't be reading anything from this lady again. Not because she's a bad writer, but because, I am a little out of its league.

Read the full review at whoistheserialreader.blogspot.com.

I was a little disappointed in this book, because it lacked details in some of the chapters. I choses this book because it looked interesting.

I totally related with Windy. Not in the popular crowd, but not really completely on the outside crowd either. On that edge and wanting to change so many things about yourself. I also related with the feeling of doing things I didn't necessarily want to but it sounded cool because a new friend thought it was fun.
I felt for Nina. She really stood up for Windy and Elena, which warmed me to her, but I could tell that something wasn't quite right with her. I just wondered what was brewing under the surface, and Diana Lopez peeled back her layers slowly. Obviously she has the problem with the choking game, but you have to wonder what her motivations were.
Elana is the best friend that is awesome. She is so nerdy and that completely appeals to me, as does her loyalty and ability to forgive.
I also really appreciated the idea of finding yourself and looking for what you love and how to incorporate that into your career. We got to see it with Windy and her relationship with her parents as well as in her own life, working at the nursing home with Mrs. Vargas. By the way, I appreciated so much the well written and close family relationships as well as the presence of Mrs. Vargas, Windy's adopt a granny.
Diana Lopez writes with fluidity that got me lost in Windy's story and feeling for her as I read about her self discovery and journey into the dangerous. She also handles such a difficult subject with finesse.
The ending is heartbreaking but a wake up call, and I couldn't really expect much different, although she did surprise me some by the end results.
Bottom line: Important subject, handled well. Great MG read that can appeal to older readers as well.