The Dare out now from Random House; 368 pages
Content Warning: Murder, animal death, violence
About the Author: “Natasha Preston is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Cellar, The Cabin, Awake, You Will Be Mine, The Lost, The Twin, The Lake, The Fear, and her latest, The Island. A UK native, she discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online—and hasn’t looked back. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer” (Bio from Barnes & Noble).
Find Natasha Preston on the following platforms:
Marley’s ex-best friend, Rhett, is a Wilder brother, who are known for their insane amounts of money and fearless personalities. Each time a Wilder reaches senior year, the graduating brother takes total control of the senior pranks, daring each of their classmates to complete dangerous and risky tasks in and out of school. Choose to accept the dare and you might find yourself locked up at graduation. Choose not to do it, and your life will be ruined by secrets—real or fabricated. When Marley and her friends are targeted by Rhett due to their past and his strange infatuation with her, they find themselves having to perform dares more dangerous than the rest. When one of the dares ultimately spirals out of control, Marley has to face decisions that could ruin her future.
For a while I have been hearing about Natasha Preston’s long list of YA thriller novels, such as The Cellar and The Cabin, so I was hopeful that The Dare would introduce me to her fictional world and keep my TBR fresh. What I discovered from reading this novel, however, was a bit disappointing to me. Although The Dare was an easy read with an overall enjoyable plot, there were several factors that did not impress me. The novel contains a lot of clichés, with no seriously notable or unique details to make it stand out from any other YA thriller. Along with a few possible grammatical errors and inconsistencies with characters, I found myself getting frustrated while reading. Despite all of this, I wouldn’t say that The Dare was absolutely horrible and unbearable. I liked Marley’s character even though I couldn’t exactly empathize with her or her decisions, and I appreciated the suspenseful feeling as the story unraveled. Preston also did a good job of creating strong relationships, which makes certain events in the story more impactful for the reader. The Dare may not have been my cup of tea, but I understand why readers find comfort in Preston’s easy-to-read thrillers.
Callie Andrews, Pine Reads Review Writer, Social Media, & Web