How to Make Friends and Go Viral by Accident

 

How to Make Friends and Go Viral by Accident by Y. K. Willemse (Rhiza Edge) RRP: $14.99 ISBN 9781761113109

Reviewed by Rebecca Fung

How to Make Friends and Go Viral by Accident is one of the Rhiza Shorts series, a short fiction for teens. It's laid out as if it's a funny guide to making friends and going viral, following Hayden's journey, where, of course, he ends up doing both. Don't really expect to use it as a real guide, just a funny and touching story! 

Hayden has a stutter, and his parents want to force him into singing lessons to help him find his voice, build his confidence, and improve his social life. I was a little wary of this idea from the parents: Hayden was taking solo classes and resented the idea, so was this the right way to help him feel confident? But it propelled the story, so let's see.

As Hayden is thirteen, this story is pitched at the younger end of the teen spectrum. The language and the simplicity of the story and concepts meant I felt the story would most appeal to the lower-teen to upper-middle-grade spectrum. It's an area where many readers would welcome stories, since many books focus on readers much younger or much older.

Hayden thinks singing is for girls and suffers from his friends' teasing. His story involves befriending girls and changing people's minds - including his own - about sex stereotypes in singing. The singing lessons are a hoot. Mrs Williamson is a funny character who intersperses comedy with sympathy and wisdom. She guides rather than lectures Hayden, so he begins to discover singing and really loves it.

There are elements many teens will relate to, even if they don't relate to singing - the need to fit in, friendship, feeling nervous, finding themselves and what they really care about, being bullied, being embarrassed by parents, and laughing at parents and how they don't understand teen slang!

Willemse captures this journey well in a concise story with a lot of heart. I found Hayden someone I could cheer for and laugh with through his flaws and uncertainty. The music of his world was unifying and inspiring.