Posted

Posted by John David Anderson (Walden Pond Press, 2016) follows a group of middle-school children as they navigate changing friendships, bullying, and the effect of words on themselves and others. Anderson is the multi-genre author of numerous books for young readers, and he was honored as a 2017 Genre Excellence Winner in Middle Grade Fiction (Indiana Authors Awards). He is most known for titles Granted (2018), One Last Shot (2020), Stowaway (2021), and the New York Times Notable Book Ms. Bixby’s Last Day (2016). Anderson received his undergraduate degree in English Literature from Indiana University and a master’s in English Literature from the University of Illinois. He currently resides in Indiana with his family.

Plot Summary

Posted takes place in the fictional town of Branton, Michigan and is told from the perspective of Eric Voss, a student at Branton Middle School (BMS). The book revolves around Eric and his friends (Wolf, Deedee, and Bench), as well as new girl Rose Holland. Their story centers around the posting of sticky notes at BMS, following a ban on cell phones, building to the “TOTAL ROMAN” incident where this hurtful message is written on Wolf’s locker in permanent marker. The book opens in media res during what Eric calls the sticky note “war;” in Chapter 19, the Prologue is revealed to be a show of support toward Wolf in the form of many posted sticky notes.

After a student is caught sending a nasty text about a BMS teacher, phones are banned at BMS. Shortly after, new girl Rose arrives, throwing Eric’s group of friends into chaos. Wolf takes to Rose while Bench dislikes her from the start. Eric and Deedee get caught in the middle, uncertain how to feel. As a new student at a new school, Rose realizes her presence is troublesome for Eric’s friends, but finds comfort in them—prompting the group’s dynamics to change.

In response to the phone ban, Deedee starts leaving sticky notes on his friends’ lockers for fun. The idea catches on, and within a few days, the entire student body takes part in messages ranging from harmless to vicious. One of Eric’s teachers tries to impart the importance of words by forcing students to write meaningful notes. While some comply with the assignment, others continue to abuse the sticky notes—leading to their ban as well.

Stereotyped as “geeks,” Eric and his friends are subject to bullying. The group believes bringing the bullying to the administration’s attention will only make things worse, and so it escalates.

One afternoon, a group of bullies corners Eric and Deedee in the bathroom, one threatening to dunk Deedee’s head in the toilet. Rose intervenes and offers the bullies a compromise. She challenges one to a bicycle race down “the Gauntlet,” a steep obstacle-course-like hill. If she beats him, he has to wear a sticky note with words of her choice for an entire day, and if he beats her, he and his friends can dunk her, Eric, and Deedee. Not wanting to appear weak, the bully agrees. That afternoon, the two race, and Rose not only wins, but makes it through the entire Gauntlet without injury.

The following day, the bully wears a sticky note that reads “I’m sorry.” At the end of the day, he leaves the sticky note on Deedee’s locker. Eric and Deedee think this means their trouble with the bullies is over, but the next day, someone defaces Wolf’s locker with “TOTAL ROMAN.” The message refers to the fact that Wolf is gay, and he leaves school, devastated.

Rose, Eric, and Deedee visit a reluctant Wolf. Bench is absent, and Eric goes to his house to confront him. The two argue, and Bench admits he doesn’t want to be a part of the group anymore. Despite his feelings, Bench still cares about the group and tells Eric who wrote the message on Wolf’s locker.

A few days later, Eric finds the wall of sticky notes described in the Prologue. The students and staff of BMS posted positive messages on Wolf’s locker, covering the earlier “TOTAL ROMAN.” Bench and Eric report the bully, who gets suspended, and Wolf decides to change schools.

After the “TOTAL ROMAN” incident, Eric, Rose, Deedee, and Wolf remain close friends. Bench moves on from the group, but none of the preteens feel like they lost anything. They acknowledge that friends change, and the new group moves forward, knowing they have each others’ backs.