The Most Dangerous Place on Earth (TMDPOE) is set in a wealthy suburb of San Francisco. It follows the high school years of a group of privileged students, and it explores the darkness each one is hiding. Through various narrators and characters, TMDPOE shows how modern technology affects the lives of everyone.

Cassie is best friends with Abigail, but when her actions result in tragedy, Cassie attempts to redefine herself. This feat is considered impossible for most people. Abigail is a straight-A student on the path to success, but she jeopardizes her opportunities by having an inappropriate relationship. Emma Fleed is a gifted dancer driven by her talent when a horrible accident derails her life and reveals to Emma the dark side of the Internet. Dave Chu tries hard to live up to his parents' high expectations, even if it means he has to break the law.  Damon Flintoff is sent to rehabilitation for drug abuse and comes back willing to change; but is it possible to save yourself when everybody expects you to fail?  Ryan Howard has always been the popular jerk. When asked to explain his behavior, Ryan's friends have always shrugged and said, “It’s just Ryan.” Sick of the prison he has built himself, Ryan runs off to become someone new. Molly Nicoll is an idealistic English teacher who tries to understand and care for her students while learning the treacherous truth about them.

These are most of the characters who take a part in this complex book, but there are more. TMDPOE is a heartfelt novel that not only reveals the impact technology is having on our youth, but also touches on many other themes relevant to modern society. Although each story is a nuanced and rich portrayal of a realistic character, the abundance of characters and constant switching of voice and storyline can make it a somewhat confusing (if always interesting and fast-paced) read. I would have loved it if Johnson reduced the number of narrators and instead focused on five or six characters. The lovely swirl of emotions and problems would still exist, but structuting the book in a different way would make it possible to delve deeper into certain characters’ thematic importance. For example, Cassie is the narrator at the beginning of the book and appears to be important, but she only appears again at the very end of the novel. Cassie’s voice could provide a deeper understanding and context for the story, and this would justify Cassie's prominent place at the start of the book.

In conclusion, The Most Dangerous Place on Earth is a fascinating, well-written book, which I fully enjoyed, but Johnson's eagerness to add many themes and messages might have taken away from the whole. I would recommend The Most Dangerous Place on Earth.