Choke - Couverture rigide

A heartfelt novel about the disturbing "choking game" trend -- and one girl's struggle for self-acceptance.

If she could -- if her parents would let her -- eighth-grader Windy would change everything about herself. She'd get highlights in her hair, a new wardrobe; she'd wear makeup. But nothing ever changes. The mean girls at school are still mean, and Windy's best friend Elena is still more interested in making up words than talking about boys.

And then one day, Windy gets the change she's been looking for. New girl Nina -- impossibly cool, confident, and not afraid of anyone -- starts hanging out with Windy! Nina even wants to be "breath sisters." Windy isn't sure what that means, exactly, but she knows she wants to find out. It sounds even better than a BFF.

Windy is right, at first. Being a breath sister gains her a whole new set of friends, girls she feels closer to and cooler with than anyone else. But her inclusion in the new crowd comes at a dangerous price. Windy wants to change everything about her life ... but is she really willing to give up everything in the process?

I knew it was a stupid question, but I had to ask. "Is this how you become a breath sister?"
Nina laughed a little, and I felt like a kid who still believes thunder is the sound of angels bowling. "I thought you knew what a breath sister was," she said.
"I do. It's like being a blood brother, right?"
"The concept's the same."
I stared at her, waiting for more.
She stopped blowing on my nails but still held my hands. Then she asked, "Have you ever heard of the choking game?"