Cathy’s Book: If Found Call (650) 266-8233 by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman definitely fits this month’s category! First in a trilogy, it’s a teen mystery/thriller with speculative fiction and interactive elements, such as phone numbers you can call to get actual messages and websites you can visit, or at least could visit when the book came out in 2006. I did call the phone number in the title, and the message was still there in 2024! My hardcover edition also had supplemental print materials in a pocket inside the front cover.
All that said, you don’t need the supplementary materials to enjoy the story. The main character, high school senior Cathy, has just been dumped by her boyfriend and subsequently has a fight with her mother. Soon after, as she talks with her friend Emma, we learn the boyfriend is much older than Cathy, and might have done something shady before the breakup.
I thought this was an intriguing concept for a book and apparently it sold quite well when it came out. Sean Stewart is one of my favorite fantasy writers, and his characterization and prose are truly excellent. I did not attempt, however, to use the supplemental clues to solve anything, so I can’t speak to that element. But I’m glad I finally pulled this one off the TBR shelf!
