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Truth or Dare #1
Truth or Dare
When a simple round of truth or dare spins out of control, three girls find it’s no longer a party game. It’s do or die.
It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t even there; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.
How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game?
Set against the backdrop of Echo Bay, an isolated beach town haunted by misfortune, Truth or Dare is a highly charged debut that will keep readers in suspense from beginning to end.
It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t even there; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.
How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game?
Set against the backdrop of Echo Bay, an isolated beach town haunted by misfortune, Truth or Dare is a highly charged debut that will keep readers in suspense from beginning to end.
389 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2013
About the author
Jacqueline Green
5 books176 followersA pen name of Jacqueline Resnick.
Jacqueline Green received her BA from Cornell University and her MFA in writing for children from The New School. She grew up in Wynnewood, PA and now lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and their tiny dog (who sometimes moonlights as her writing companion). Truth or Dare, the first novel in a trilogy, is her young adult debut.
Jacqueline Green received her BA from Cornell University and her MFA in writing for children from The New School. She grew up in Wynnewood, PA and now lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and their tiny dog (who sometimes moonlights as her writing companion). Truth or Dare, the first novel in a trilogy, is her young adult debut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 386 reviews
March 22, 2014
I received an ARC in a contest giving away books.
Truth or Dare was a pleasant surprise after reading some disappointing books prior to it. I usually don't like more than alternating POV's but Green does a great job getting us into the heads of three very different girls: Sydney, the artsy photographer, with a deadly secret, Caitlin, a pretty and popular but sweet girl who is buckling under pressure to get into Harvard, and Tenley, the mean girl who left town and is back to reclaim her throne. Soon, we realize that someone is playing a very nasty trick on these three girls and somehow, they are connected in ways we don't know. Will they figure out who is playing them before it's too late?
I loved the prose in this novel. Usually in books like these that sort of represent the Christopher Pike genre back in the day are not very well written (i.e. the recent Ten), and I can barely get through them. But this book is very well written, and every description is meaningful, every word is on purpose. The plot is very fast paced, and while I figured out who the trickster is about 25% in, I didn't really care because I wanted to find out what happened to the girls, and there are plenty of other mysteries that need to be solved on the sidelines. It was really worth the ride. I started to care or at least be interested in each of the characters and their many secrets and was definitely surprised by many of them.
So you are probably asking now, so why only 4 stars? Honestly, I totally would have given in 5 except for the really big fact that this is the FIRST BOOK IN A TRILOGY. I feel like the remaining mysteries could have been resolved pretty easily in the first and made this an extremely strong stand alone. Instead, this story is going to be dragged out for two more books? Of similar length? (this isn't a short book). I can't say that I'm that excited to pick up the next one, although Green is undoubtedly talented, but I think this was not the right move.
Overall, a well written, gripping, intense ride in three points of views-- you'll want to pick this one up. But just beware, it's the first in a trilogy.
Truth or Dare was a pleasant surprise after reading some disappointing books prior to it. I usually don't like more than alternating POV's but Green does a great job getting us into the heads of three very different girls: Sydney, the artsy photographer, with a deadly secret, Caitlin, a pretty and popular but sweet girl who is buckling under pressure to get into Harvard, and Tenley, the mean girl who left town and is back to reclaim her throne. Soon, we realize that someone is playing a very nasty trick on these three girls and somehow, they are connected in ways we don't know. Will they figure out who is playing them before it's too late?
I loved the prose in this novel. Usually in books like these that sort of represent the Christopher Pike genre back in the day are not very well written (i.e. the recent Ten), and I can barely get through them. But this book is very well written, and every description is meaningful, every word is on purpose. The plot is very fast paced, and while I figured out who the trickster is about 25% in, I didn't really care because I wanted to find out what happened to the girls, and there are plenty of other mysteries that need to be solved on the sidelines. It was really worth the ride. I started to care or at least be interested in each of the characters and their many secrets and was definitely surprised by many of them.
So you are probably asking now, so why only 4 stars? Honestly, I totally would have given in 5 except for the really big fact that this is the FIRST BOOK IN A TRILOGY. I feel like the remaining mysteries could have been resolved pretty easily in the first and made this an extremely strong stand alone. Instead, this story is going to be dragged out for two more books? Of similar length? (this isn't a short book). I can't say that I'm that excited to pick up the next one, although Green is undoubtedly talented, but I think this was not the right move.
Overall, a well written, gripping, intense ride in three points of views-- you'll want to pick this one up. But just beware, it's the first in a trilogy.
May 22, 2013
Imagine someone knows all your darkest secrets. Now, imagine that person is not your friend. That person has a grudge against you. And that person wants you to play a game. A dangerous game of truth or dare, with your life at stake. Will you play?
I really looked forward to reading Truth or Dare. The plot line sounded very promising, bringing to mind classic teen horror movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, or popular series such as Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars. Teens forced to play a twisted game in order to protect their secrets? Sounds like a lot of fun! Sadly, my initial excitement quickly turned into disappointment when I realized that Truth or Dare was more of a slow-paced teenage drama and less of an actual thriller. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. For the most part, it was merely an OK read for me.
What I really enjoyed about this book is the setting. The story is set in an eerie, isolated town of Echo Bay. I loved the feeling of seclusion and vulnerability this setting offered. Echo Bay is a small town, everyone knows each other. If you make a mistake, everyone will know and remember that. People will talk and point fingers. That alone made the story a lot more exciting. And then there was also the Lost Girls Curse. The story of three beautiful local girls who, over the course of years, had each died in the ocean during Echo Bay's historic Fall Festival is something that both scares and fascinates the local folk. With this year's Fall Festival only days away, everyone in Echo Bay is wondering one thing: Is the Lost Girls Curse finished? Or Will the ocean claim yet another life?
As much as I loved the premise, I found the plot line to be very convoluted and twisty. Every one of the characters is - at one point or another - a suspect. Personally, I knew right off the bat who the darer was, no surprise there. I thought the "big reveal" was rather predictable - even the cliffhanger ending involving (GASP!) yet another mysterious note was completely foreseeable, considering this was the first in a series of books. The story itself, while a bit short on logic and full of cliches, wouldn't be half as bad if only the pacing was better. While I can handle the flaws in the story and characters, I just can't stand a book that crawls along at a snail-like pace. For a thriller, Truth or Dare was remarkably suspenseless. There was no real sense of danger, no burning need to discover who the "bad guy" was, no feeling of being trapped, cornered or stalked. I expected to be scared, thrilled or - at the very least - thoroughly creeped out, but in the end I wasn't even entertained. I suspect it's partly because a lot of time is spent on talking about characters and their pasts, their personal issues and relationships with others. In the end though, all the lengthy passages, dialogues and flashbacks managed to do one thing (and one thing only): weigh down the plot line, making it dreadfully slow and boring.
There were a couple plot threads that had the potential to be something poignant - plot threads involving bullying, infidelity, mental illness, abandonment, homosexuality and more - but the author never explored any of them in depth, preventing me from getting truly invested in the story. This story would have been great as either fast-paced thriller or slow-moving issue book, but as a mixture of both it just didn't work for me.
I found the characters to be quite stereotypical, underdeveloped and often times unbelievably, unforgivably stupid. Their actions were random and weirdly motivated (if at all). On top of that, it seemed to me that all these kids ever cared about was their social status, popularity and how they're perceived by others. Personally, I find it impossible to care about or relate to characters who only care about themselves. We're talking kids who would gladly destroy your life to make sure their little secrets remain hidden. And the secrets they were trying to protect? With an exception of one person, they were all laughably silly. I know teenagers tend to be overly dramatic. I know their whole lives revolve around school, friends, parties and first crushes. And trust me, I know that when you're sixteen and you spend 80% of your time around your friends / at school, bad reputation and mean gossip can really hurt you (teenagers can be really cruel), but I still find it hard to feel for selfish characters who would rather see others getting hurt than own up to their mistakes or face their ghosts.
The ending, while more twisty than a corkscrew lollipop, did not provide any real closure. Nothing much was explained, the characters didn't seem to have learned anything, nor did they become more wise or mature. It was... pretty much punchless. Maybe all that is yet to come, maybe we'll see some character growth in the next instalments, I'm just not sure if I have enough patience to stick around and wait for that to happen.
___
I really looked forward to reading Truth or Dare. The plot line sounded very promising, bringing to mind classic teen horror movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, or popular series such as Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars. Teens forced to play a twisted game in order to protect their secrets? Sounds like a lot of fun! Sadly, my initial excitement quickly turned into disappointment when I realized that Truth or Dare was more of a slow-paced teenage drama and less of an actual thriller. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. For the most part, it was merely an OK read for me.
What I really enjoyed about this book is the setting. The story is set in an eerie, isolated town of Echo Bay. I loved the feeling of seclusion and vulnerability this setting offered. Echo Bay is a small town, everyone knows each other. If you make a mistake, everyone will know and remember that. People will talk and point fingers. That alone made the story a lot more exciting. And then there was also the Lost Girls Curse. The story of three beautiful local girls who, over the course of years, had each died in the ocean during Echo Bay's historic Fall Festival is something that both scares and fascinates the local folk. With this year's Fall Festival only days away, everyone in Echo Bay is wondering one thing: Is the Lost Girls Curse finished? Or Will the ocean claim yet another life?
As much as I loved the premise, I found the plot line to be very convoluted and twisty. Every one of the characters is - at one point or another - a suspect. Personally, I knew right off the bat who the darer was, no surprise there. I thought the "big reveal" was rather predictable - even the cliffhanger ending involving (GASP!) yet another mysterious note was completely foreseeable, considering this was the first in a series of books. The story itself, while a bit short on logic and full of cliches, wouldn't be half as bad if only the pacing was better. While I can handle the flaws in the story and characters, I just can't stand a book that crawls along at a snail-like pace. For a thriller, Truth or Dare was remarkably suspenseless. There was no real sense of danger, no burning need to discover who the "bad guy" was, no feeling of being trapped, cornered or stalked. I expected to be scared, thrilled or - at the very least - thoroughly creeped out, but in the end I wasn't even entertained. I suspect it's partly because a lot of time is spent on talking about characters and their pasts, their personal issues and relationships with others. In the end though, all the lengthy passages, dialogues and flashbacks managed to do one thing (and one thing only): weigh down the plot line, making it dreadfully slow and boring.
There were a couple plot threads that had the potential to be something poignant - plot threads involving bullying, infidelity, mental illness, abandonment, homosexuality and more - but the author never explored any of them in depth, preventing me from getting truly invested in the story. This story would have been great as either fast-paced thriller or slow-moving issue book, but as a mixture of both it just didn't work for me.
I found the characters to be quite stereotypical, underdeveloped and often times unbelievably, unforgivably stupid. Their actions were random and weirdly motivated (if at all). On top of that, it seemed to me that all these kids ever cared about was their social status, popularity and how they're perceived by others. Personally, I find it impossible to care about or relate to characters who only care about themselves. We're talking kids who would gladly destroy your life to make sure their little secrets remain hidden. And the secrets they were trying to protect? With an exception of one person, they were all laughably silly. I know teenagers tend to be overly dramatic. I know their whole lives revolve around school, friends, parties and first crushes. And trust me, I know that when you're sixteen and you spend 80% of your time around your friends / at school, bad reputation and mean gossip can really hurt you (teenagers can be really cruel), but I still find it hard to feel for selfish characters who would rather see others getting hurt than own up to their mistakes or face their ghosts.
The ending, while more twisty than a corkscrew lollipop, did not provide any real closure. Nothing much was explained, the characters didn't seem to have learned anything, nor did they become more wise or mature. It was... pretty much punchless. Maybe all that is yet to come, maybe we'll see some character growth in the next instalments, I'm just not sure if I have enough patience to stick around and wait for that to happen.
___
July 5, 2013
Truth or Dare was a suspenseful, addicting read, although it may not be for everyone. I was rushing through the pages to finish. And then wished for the second book, immediately. The one word I think describes this read most is darkly "fun" though. Truth or Dare was just the break I needed.
I have heard that Truth or Dare is often compared to Pretty Little Liars. Admitedly, I have not read the series, but I believe they both have an awesome amount of drama and mystery. Speaking of the mystery aspects, I loved all the suspense built on the da
res! And then that cliff hanger... Ugh!
The characters were nothing short of amazing. They felt realistic and were so vibrant, they jumped right into my head fully formed. I also loved how throughout the book the author added layers of secrets and personality traits to the character... the character growth was pretty awesome!
Another thing I liked about Truth or Dare is how well we get to know the secondary characters. Parents, brothers, friends, enemies, teacher... I remember all their personalities and some even played crucial roles! I applaud the author on how she incorporated so many original characters into the story, and none of them were useless or unnecessary!
The pacing of the book was great. I never felt like the book was moving to slowly. I couldn't it down during the plane ride and car ride (I read it on vacation). Also, I loved that this was a thick book. I needed a nice long read with enough pages to provide character development and a good mystery!
Overall, this comes highly recommended to lovers of YA Drama and Suspense/Mystery. Oh, and I just have to mention that gorgeous cover! It is so suspenseful with a great color scheme... warning that the book is a wild, addictive roller coaster ride in Echo Bay!
4/5 stars
*I received this book via the first reads program on Goodreads. This is a 100% honest review*
I have heard that Truth or Dare is often compared to Pretty Little Liars. Admitedly, I have not read the series, but I believe they both have an awesome amount of drama and mystery. Speaking of the mystery aspects, I loved all the suspense built on the da
res! And then that cliff hanger... Ugh!
The characters were nothing short of amazing. They felt realistic and were so vibrant, they jumped right into my head fully formed. I also loved how throughout the book the author added layers of secrets and personality traits to the character... the character growth was pretty awesome!
Another thing I liked about Truth or Dare is how well we get to know the secondary characters. Parents, brothers, friends, enemies, teacher... I remember all their personalities and some even played crucial roles! I applaud the author on how she incorporated so many original characters into the story, and none of them were useless or unnecessary!
The pacing of the book was great. I never felt like the book was moving to slowly. I couldn't it down during the plane ride and car ride (I read it on vacation). Also, I loved that this was a thick book. I needed a nice long read with enough pages to provide character development and a good mystery!
Overall, this comes highly recommended to lovers of YA Drama and Suspense/Mystery. Oh, and I just have to mention that gorgeous cover! It is so suspenseful with a great color scheme... warning that the book is a wild, addictive roller coaster ride in Echo Bay!
4/5 stars
*I received this book via the first reads program on Goodreads. This is a 100% honest review*
July 22, 2014
This book was so suspensful! Whenever I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. The author did a fabulous job of revealing information just when we needed it to keep the intrigue. I also loved that out of the three narrating characters, one was a more normal girl who saw the rudeness of the spoiled rich girl, and another narrating character was the spoiled rich girl. It was great to read what was going on in each of their heads, and still be able to relate with two very different characters.
May 1, 2016
Review to come
May 13, 2013
Oh, boy. I can't remember the last time I read a book this insanely convoluted. And really, it's already far too long at 400 pages! Why must EVERYTHING be a series?
Grumpy review to come.
Grumpy review to come.
June 18, 2022
THIS BOOK IS SO SO GOOD! I couldn't put it down!
April 22, 2013
I was hoping, when I picked this book up, that it would defy my expectations. With a synopsis that sounded like it had been lifted directly from a rejected Pretty Little Liars installment, I’ll admit that my expectations weren’t high. And while I did finish the book (which says something, I suppose, considering how I’m not afraid to DNF a book that I don’t have a chance of loving), I kind of wish that, well, I hadn’t.
Throughout the whole book, I kept on shaking my head and saying to myself, “What’s wrong with this, Steph? The writing is decent—it fulfills the basic requirements of a YA blockbuster—and yet, despite the fact that I am reading it, I have an utter lack of investment in the characters and their fates.” What, exactly, did TRUTH OR DARE lack that kept it only mediocre?
And then I realized: it was lacking a heart. There is no non-superficial reason for caring about the characters. Superficiality in fiction differs from superficiality in real life. In real life, superficiality refers to physical, tangible things like appearances or dress or money. In fiction, it refers to the lack of spark that makes the characters never read like anything more than a couple of puppets. And it doesn’t matter how many oh-so-sad tragedies you want to pile on a character—Tenley’s father, Sydney’s past, Caitlin’s kidnapping, Caitlin’s panic attacks, Caitlin’s everything—the fact is that the author did not succeed in making her characters come alive with personality quirks and turns of phrase and all those things that make a person unique. It doesn’t take a really jaded reader to notice this.
(Side note: TRUTH OR DARE is a product of Paper Lantern Lit, a company that essentially develops elaborate plots and then hires new authors to write the stories. I didn’t learn this until after I had already finished the book. The correlation between PLL-style books and—in my opinion—their general lack of heart has yet to be scientifically examined.)
Despite the lack of heart and my lack of investment in the characters, I still kept on reading, drawn by the idea that all would be revealed, and several hours’ worth of my time would be justified. That was before I got to the thoroughly unrewarding ending, which, compared to the tight plotting of the rest of the book, was sloppy, a slap-dash anti-climax put together as a weak payoff before the mystery continues painfully on to a Book Two. What the hell?! Is it too much to ask for some sort of payoff, some sort of conclusion, after trudging through 400 pages of drivel tailor-made for the nonthinking YA reader? There is no clearer sign that this was a concept created for purely financial reasons than such a cop-out ending that basically demands that if you wanted to be invested in the story, you had better be in it for the long haul. Too bad that wasn’t made clear earlier in the story for the rest of us who have no interest in making that sort of an investment in a forgettable teen mystery series.
Oh, I have no doubt that this book will find its audience. It’s just the sort of mediocre copycat drivel that drives the market nowadays.
Throughout the whole book, I kept on shaking my head and saying to myself, “What’s wrong with this, Steph? The writing is decent—it fulfills the basic requirements of a YA blockbuster—and yet, despite the fact that I am reading it, I have an utter lack of investment in the characters and their fates.” What, exactly, did TRUTH OR DARE lack that kept it only mediocre?
And then I realized: it was lacking a heart. There is no non-superficial reason for caring about the characters. Superficiality in fiction differs from superficiality in real life. In real life, superficiality refers to physical, tangible things like appearances or dress or money. In fiction, it refers to the lack of spark that makes the characters never read like anything more than a couple of puppets. And it doesn’t matter how many oh-so-sad tragedies you want to pile on a character—Tenley’s father, Sydney’s past, Caitlin’s kidnapping, Caitlin’s panic attacks, Caitlin’s everything—the fact is that the author did not succeed in making her characters come alive with personality quirks and turns of phrase and all those things that make a person unique. It doesn’t take a really jaded reader to notice this.
(Side note: TRUTH OR DARE is a product of Paper Lantern Lit, a company that essentially develops elaborate plots and then hires new authors to write the stories. I didn’t learn this until after I had already finished the book. The correlation between PLL-style books and—in my opinion—their general lack of heart has yet to be scientifically examined.)
Despite the lack of heart and my lack of investment in the characters, I still kept on reading, drawn by the idea that all would be revealed, and several hours’ worth of my time would be justified. That was before I got to the thoroughly unrewarding ending, which, compared to the tight plotting of the rest of the book, was sloppy, a slap-dash anti-climax put together as a weak payoff before the mystery continues painfully on to a Book Two. What the hell?! Is it too much to ask for some sort of payoff, some sort of conclusion, after trudging through 400 pages of drivel tailor-made for the nonthinking YA reader? There is no clearer sign that this was a concept created for purely financial reasons than such a cop-out ending that basically demands that if you wanted to be invested in the story, you had better be in it for the long haul. Too bad that wasn’t made clear earlier in the story for the rest of us who have no interest in making that sort of an investment in a forgettable teen mystery series.
Oh, I have no doubt that this book will find its audience. It’s just the sort of mediocre copycat drivel that drives the market nowadays.
March 4, 2017
THIS BOOK!!
First of all, I haven't read Pretty Little Liars, so I have nothing to compare this book to, like many people have in other reviews.
Truth or Dare is about 3 girls who, after a game of truth or dare at a party, keep on receiving dares long after the game is over. Throughout this book the three girls try to figure out who is sending these dares.
This book was so suspenseful! For most of the book I had no idea who was sending these dares, and when I did guess correctly, I didn't entirely relieve myself until the characters knew as well.
Continued on my blog!
http://booknook24676.blogspot.ca/2013...
First of all, I haven't read Pretty Little Liars, so I have nothing to compare this book to, like many people have in other reviews.
Truth or Dare is about 3 girls who, after a game of truth or dare at a party, keep on receiving dares long after the game is over. Throughout this book the three girls try to figure out who is sending these dares.
This book was so suspenseful! For most of the book I had no idea who was sending these dares, and when I did guess correctly, I didn't entirely relieve myself until the characters knew as well.
Continued on my blog!
http://booknook24676.blogspot.ca/2013...
November 28, 2013
2.5 stars.
Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog:
At one point, I didn’t think I would finish Truth or Dare. But it was sort of like a game of Clue, I just had to figure out who was stalking these girls, making them do outrageous things to prevent their deepest, darkest secrets from being exploited. So I kept reading, I got completely sucked in, and I stayed up until almost 2 a.m. to finish.
And I felt major disappointment.
While Green’s writing is pretty strong (especially when it comes to characterization and navigating these tangled plotlines), I felt like Truth or Dare tricked me. Big time. In 400 pages, there was no reason why the ending had to feel rushed, totally lacking emotion, and left me with a cliffhanger.
THE KING OF ALL CLIFFHANGERS.
This is why I rarely invest my time with a series. It has to be getting RAVE reviews from my most-trusted friends for me to pick it up because I refuse to pay for three books just because. I prefer books in a series to hold on to some of its secrets but for them to also feel complete on their own. I don’t want to feel pushed into reading book two for any reason except I want to continue on a journey with these characters. I should never feel like I lost 400 pages of my reading time to be left with not one single resolution.
With three characters like Sydney, Caitlin, and Tenley, there is no shortage of storyline though. Sydney does not come from a well-to-do family like many in Echo Bay and works hard, using photography as a de-stresser, and figuring out what the guy of her dreams (Guinness) really wants from her. Caitlin and Tenley are old best friends, reunited and starting their senior year together. There are some growing pains because Caitlin has a new close friend (Emerson) and Tenley’s not sure where she stands. But she’s super confident and ready to take the school by storm, yet again. She’s always been known for her killer parties and crazy games of truth or dare, which is how our story get its start. With her squeaky clean reputation, Caitlin is involved in every activity imaginable and hoping to win class president, all the while dealing with flashbacks from her kidnapping, unsure that the right man was framed for the act.
Whew! It’s a mouthful, isn’t it?
Super drama (think Gossip Girl), everyone suspecting the other, and the giant mask of a town “curse”… life for these three turns into an even bigger mess than it was initially. It’s pretty terrifying to think that someone knows details about your life that you have never ever shared with anyone.
(One thing I was curious about: how Green would handle new step-siblings with an obvious attraction to each other? Go figure that I found that interesting and hated that a smaller character was sleeping around with the family member of one of our main girls.)
In the thick of Truth or Dare, I felt just as glued to growing mystery and suspense as I did reading R.L. Stine books (Goosebumps and his other thrillers) back in the day. I was slowly going through the cast of characters trying to figure out the culprit before I hit the last page, but, alas, I feel like I ended the book with less knowledge than I had when I started. And the worst part? Less of a desire to find out the particulars.
Cue the big, old sigh.
Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog:
At one point, I didn’t think I would finish Truth or Dare. But it was sort of like a game of Clue, I just had to figure out who was stalking these girls, making them do outrageous things to prevent their deepest, darkest secrets from being exploited. So I kept reading, I got completely sucked in, and I stayed up until almost 2 a.m. to finish.
And I felt major disappointment.
While Green’s writing is pretty strong (especially when it comes to characterization and navigating these tangled plotlines), I felt like Truth or Dare tricked me. Big time. In 400 pages, there was no reason why the ending had to feel rushed, totally lacking emotion, and left me with a cliffhanger.
THE KING OF ALL CLIFFHANGERS.
This is why I rarely invest my time with a series. It has to be getting RAVE reviews from my most-trusted friends for me to pick it up because I refuse to pay for three books just because. I prefer books in a series to hold on to some of its secrets but for them to also feel complete on their own. I don’t want to feel pushed into reading book two for any reason except I want to continue on a journey with these characters. I should never feel like I lost 400 pages of my reading time to be left with not one single resolution.
With three characters like Sydney, Caitlin, and Tenley, there is no shortage of storyline though. Sydney does not come from a well-to-do family like many in Echo Bay and works hard, using photography as a de-stresser, and figuring out what the guy of her dreams (Guinness) really wants from her. Caitlin and Tenley are old best friends, reunited and starting their senior year together. There are some growing pains because Caitlin has a new close friend (Emerson) and Tenley’s not sure where she stands. But she’s super confident and ready to take the school by storm, yet again. She’s always been known for her killer parties and crazy games of truth or dare, which is how our story get its start. With her squeaky clean reputation, Caitlin is involved in every activity imaginable and hoping to win class president, all the while dealing with flashbacks from her kidnapping, unsure that the right man was framed for the act.
Whew! It’s a mouthful, isn’t it?
Super drama (think Gossip Girl), everyone suspecting the other, and the giant mask of a town “curse”… life for these three turns into an even bigger mess than it was initially. It’s pretty terrifying to think that someone knows details about your life that you have never ever shared with anyone.
(One thing I was curious about: how Green would handle new step-siblings with an obvious attraction to each other? Go figure that I found that interesting and hated that a smaller character was sleeping around with the family member of one of our main girls.)
In the thick of Truth or Dare, I felt just as glued to growing mystery and suspense as I did reading R.L. Stine books (Goosebumps and his other thrillers) back in the day. I was slowly going through the cast of characters trying to figure out the culprit before I hit the last page, but, alas, I feel like I ended the book with less knowledge than I had when I started. And the worst part? Less of a desire to find out the particulars.
Cue the big, old sigh.
June 9, 2013
I don’t know where to start! The book has so much going for it that kept me turning the pages and wondering what would happen next. Truth or Dare, in my world has always been a kid’s game but with Tenley and Caitlin, they take it to a new level. Tenley and Caitlin live in a small seaside town and become the popular girls. As the girls got older, they have included others in their game and humiliation and embarrassment are just part of the game. Tenley moves away and in her senior year of high school she finally moves back and she wants it to be like old time but Caitlin has another new bestie, Emerson. I don’t have to tell you how this agrees with the girls, but the drama is just beginning. Tenley decides to have a huge party and with all the drinking, the two girls decide to play Truth or Dare. Anyone can play and that is when the ball starts rolling as we start to see how some individuals really are, for what they say and what they make other do really says something about them. For after this night, some individuals at the party will never want to play this game again. A new darer starts to terrorize some of the girls with some typed notes making them do some activities that push their boundaries. These girls fear the darer’s retaliation of revealing their past secrets that only each of the girls knows and this put everyone on edge. You can’t flip the pages fast enough with all the suspense and the secret finger pointing, to find out who is slipping in these notes in and why. The connection between the characters is so mixed, that I loved it! Some friendships are not questioned but others are put to the test as the tension of the new darer has them inquiring the integrity of the individual. They are being pulled like a stretched piece of taffy- just waiting for the tension to be too much and it breaks.
I loved the way the characters all relayed their stories to you so you got to see the story from all angles. It kept the story fresh and made you not take sides and although I thought I had the story figured out, I had to keep changing my mind as each character kept covering up those tracks for me. The author did a fabulous job revealing to the reader just a little bit of information at a time to keep the suspense flowing and not overwhelm you with details. Besides dealing with the high school crowd, the girls also had other relationships and that added drama to the story. Each girl brought her family into the picture and that added baggage to what they were also dealing with so you got the whole picture here. You got to see the girl’s lives from all angles and see the story played out. Great read!!
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
I loved the way the characters all relayed their stories to you so you got to see the story from all angles. It kept the story fresh and made you not take sides and although I thought I had the story figured out, I had to keep changing my mind as each character kept covering up those tracks for me. The author did a fabulous job revealing to the reader just a little bit of information at a time to keep the suspense flowing and not overwhelm you with details. Besides dealing with the high school crowd, the girls also had other relationships and that added drama to the story. Each girl brought her family into the picture and that added baggage to what they were also dealing with so you got the whole picture here. You got to see the girl’s lives from all angles and see the story played out. Great read!!
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
June 6, 2013
This book was exactly like Pretty Little Liars. It's kind of ridiculous how similar they are.
Ok so technically, the girls from Rosewood don't have a truth or dare game to play per se, but they're all blackmailed into doing things to ensure that their secrets stay buried, just like the heroines of this book.
The fact that it reminded a lot of PLL isn't a big deal but unfortunately, because I've already read this type of story before, I knew what to look for this time around and therefore easily figured out who the culprit was. As a result, there wasn't much suspense going on. That person's motive was so unbelievably silly too that even if I didn't enjoy ToD as much as I wanted to, I will most definitely check out book 2 when it's out because in all seriousness, that can't be it. Please (oh and because, again, I have read PLL, now i'm like a hundred percent sure that they are more than one person involved. Duh). Especially not when we're told that one of the girls was abducted as a kid - and has been having a hard time uncovering what exactly happened to her during this time - which was tons more exciting than the others' petty high school affairs and well, I wish Jacqueline Green had focused a bit more on it. Even though it was obviously meant to drag out the mystery a little while longer and yadee yada. Bleh. I'm just being annoyingly impatient. And it's been a pet peeve of mine lately : how authors never focus on things that interest me the most argh! Now I'm just whining. Don't mind me ;)
Ok so technically, the girls from Rosewood don't have a truth or dare game to play per se, but they're all blackmailed into doing things to ensure that their secrets stay buried, just like the heroines of this book.
The fact that it reminded a lot of PLL isn't a big deal but unfortunately, because I've already read this type of story before, I knew what to look for this time around and therefore easily figured out who the culprit was. As a result, there wasn't much suspense going on. That person's motive was so unbelievably silly too that even if I didn't enjoy ToD as much as I wanted to, I will most definitely check out book 2 when it's out because in all seriousness, that can't be it. Please (oh and because, again, I have read PLL, now i'm like a hundred percent sure that they are more than one person involved. Duh). Especially not when we're told that one of the girls was abducted as a kid - and has been having a hard time uncovering what exactly happened to her during this time - which was tons more exciting than the others' petty high school affairs and well, I wish Jacqueline Green had focused a bit more on it. Even though it was obviously meant to drag out the mystery a little while longer and yadee yada. Bleh. I'm just being annoyingly impatient. And it's been a pet peeve of mine lately : how authors never focus on things that interest me the most argh! Now I'm just whining. Don't mind me ;)
April 25, 2013
This felt like a knock-off of Pretty Little Liars/Burn For Burn. While I liked both those books, I just couldn't get into this one. It did start off well, and I was intrigued till about mid-way into the book. After that it just got boring and I wanted it to end. The pacing was terrible, and the ending was just so typical that it left me unsatisfied and disappointed. If it weren't for the cliche ending and the fact that it was way too long, I think this book could of been redeemable. Another issue I had with this book was the constant physical descriptions of Emerson. Every single page she was on, the author had to drag out a long description about how beautiful-gorgeous-breathtaking Emerson was and the amazing way she can wear a dress or a pair of shorts. There was barely any description for the main 3, yet Emerson was described every scene she was in. I just thought it was kind of odd.
With that said, I did love the cover art of the book, and I did enjoy the three alternate character views. It was cool to have three different takes on what was going on in the story.
With that said, I did love the cover art of the book, and I did enjoy the three alternate character views. It was cool to have three different takes on what was going on in the story.
August 19, 2022
3.75
This book wasn't drawing me in at the start. That all changed about half way through when the book became suspenseful and I actually started to fear for the characters.
I'm usually good at picking the twists and bad guys way before they're revealed. This book was no different but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. I had guess about 5 suspects with one really major one so I wasn't majorly taken back when they ended up being the big bad.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and was taking a look for the 2nd and 3rd installment in the library.
AND THAT'S WHEN
This book wasn't drawing me in at the start. That all changed about half way through when the book became suspenseful and I actually started to fear for the characters.
I'm usually good at picking the twists and bad guys way before they're revealed. This book was no different but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. I had guess about 5 suspects with one really major one so I wasn't majorly taken back when they ended up being the big bad.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and was taking a look for the 2nd and 3rd installment in the library.
AND THAT'S WHEN
July 12, 2013
Update review 7/12/13
I have to add 1 more star because I have still be thinking about this book off and off since I read it. It stuck with me. So 1 star added. i wan't to read more.
Original review on 6/21/13
I liked this book I really did but it was just slow. It took me a while to get into it and then once I was into it, it felt like it was over. The best parts were at the end when it picked up. I am going to read the next book because it was entertaining, I just wanted more. It reminded me of Pretty Little Liars but not quit there.
I have to add 1 more star because I have still be thinking about this book off and off since I read it. It stuck with me. So 1 star added. i wan't to read more.
Original review on 6/21/13
I liked this book I really did but it was just slow. It took me a while to get into it and then once I was into it, it felt like it was over. The best parts were at the end when it picked up. I am going to read the next book because it was entertaining, I just wanted more. It reminded me of Pretty Little Liars but not quit there.
March 1, 2013
This book kept me reading, nearly straight through---the characters were believable, and included those you liked and disliked, just like real life. The stakes were high for the 'players' of the game, and you sympathized with them. Although the book is set up to be part of a trilogy, if not for the last three pages, it could easily have been a stand-alone. My high school students will like this--I've already handed it off to one who I know will read and pass it along quickly. Thanks to the publisher for sharing advance copy at NCTE!
July 16, 2018
I had very mixed feelings with this book. Some parts I really enjoyed and I thought were done well, others I really couldn't be bothered with.
October 24, 2019
I love PLL and I loved this!!! this encapsulates the theme that PLL captures! Must read for EVERYONE!
February 23, 2016
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Truth or Dare unlike you have ever played before.
Opening Sentence: The water was everywhere.
The Review:
My first impression of this ARC was pure frustration. This was because the prologue begins in a very cursive font to the point that it looked like weird swirls linked together. Try as I might, I just COULD NOT READ IT and we all know that the first sentence is sooo important! First I tried reading on my laptop and then on my kindle, which was a little better. I could just make out a couple of the words but it was a headache trying to decipher the rest of the sentence. I hoped that this was a one-off but unfortunately, the first line of each chapter was written in the same irksome font! I gave up even trying to make out the first line so I skipped it when starting each chapter. I assume the use of differing fonts was to make the writing different and appealing but I hope they realised this wasn’t a success and apply a user-friendly font in the final version!
I’m sure we’ve all played truth or dare at some point, but in this book the game is far more menacing and borders on blackmail. The mysterious darer knows everyone’s secrets and threatens to expose them if they don’t play along. The game is targeted at three girls: Caitlin, Tenley and Sydney and each chapter is told from the POV of one of these girls.
I like how the story flowed together in an almost domino effect. One seemingly unrelated dare affected someone else’s truth and so on. The girls’ histories are intertwined without their knowledge, but the darer knows all. It reminded me of ‘A’ from Pretty Little Liars because A also knew everyone’s secrets, stalked the girls and threatened to reveal them. It was fun trying to guess who the darer was and I suspected practically everyone because of the misleading clues.
Sydney looked over at Calum, who had his face screwed up as if he’d just eaten something rotten. “You ready?”
“About as ready as a nuclear detonator without uranium,” Calum sighed. “But don’t worry,” he added when Sydney shot him a flabbergasted look. “That’s never stopped me before.”
From the three, Tenley’s character was the least impressive; she’s a self-obsessed mean girl that can never let go of being Queen Bee. Her loyalty to Cait was sweet but that was literally her only redeeming quality. She’s horrible to the less-popular students, attempts to flirt her way into everything and what annoyed me most was that she tends to succeed!
Cait’s kidnapping intrigued me, especially her flashbacks. The toy train she kept remembering led me to believe that Joey Bakersfield had something to do with it but I’m sure the kidnapper’s identity will be explored further in the next book. It would have been helpful if the author had expanded on how the kidnapping took place and her subsequent discovery. Cait was too meek for my liking, especially since she’s running for student body president. Her popularity stemmed from her friends rather than any personal attributes as she was constantly hiding in either Tenley or Emmerson’s shadow.
My favourite character was Sydney, particularly because she’s dragged into this ‘game’ targeting the rich, popular girls, when she’s the complete opposite. Sydney is a photography geek and it was good to see someone ‘normal’ playing the game, if you can call it playing. She’s like the Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl; someone who doesn’t fit in but ends up being pushed into the elite circle and soon realises that even the most popular girls have their secrets.
“What did you do, Calum? Break into an aquarium?”
“No, Sydney,” Calum said gravely. “I had a battle with the ocean.”
Sydney eyed his bedraggled half-naked form. “I’m guesing the ocean won?”
“I’d call it more fo a tie,” Calum said, hopping from foot to foot to keep warm. “The ocean got my clothes, but I got-“
“Pneumonia?” Sydney supplied.
Calum narrowed his eyes at her. “I was going to say my pride.”
“Ah. Of course.”
I was teetering on a score of 2.5 out of 5 until the ending, which reduced the overall rating to 2 stars. Without giving too much away, I felt the ending was rushed, messy and unexpected. There were a few gaps that could have been better explained, especially the history of the darer. It’s unfortunate that the poor cliff-hanger ending has lowered any chances of continuing this series…
Notable Scene:
There was no way she was going through with the dare but she would go to the docks at midnight. She’d got and she’d find out who this person was, and then she’d put them in their place.
Because there was one truth she did want everyone to know: when it came to dares, Tenley Reed was the master.
FTC Advisory: Poppy/Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of Truth or Dare. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Truth or Dare unlike you have ever played before.
Opening Sentence: The water was everywhere.
The Review:
My first impression of this ARC was pure frustration. This was because the prologue begins in a very cursive font to the point that it looked like weird swirls linked together. Try as I might, I just COULD NOT READ IT and we all know that the first sentence is sooo important! First I tried reading on my laptop and then on my kindle, which was a little better. I could just make out a couple of the words but it was a headache trying to decipher the rest of the sentence. I hoped that this was a one-off but unfortunately, the first line of each chapter was written in the same irksome font! I gave up even trying to make out the first line so I skipped it when starting each chapter. I assume the use of differing fonts was to make the writing different and appealing but I hope they realised this wasn’t a success and apply a user-friendly font in the final version!
I’m sure we’ve all played truth or dare at some point, but in this book the game is far more menacing and borders on blackmail. The mysterious darer knows everyone’s secrets and threatens to expose them if they don’t play along. The game is targeted at three girls: Caitlin, Tenley and Sydney and each chapter is told from the POV of one of these girls.
I like how the story flowed together in an almost domino effect. One seemingly unrelated dare affected someone else’s truth and so on. The girls’ histories are intertwined without their knowledge, but the darer knows all. It reminded me of ‘A’ from Pretty Little Liars because A also knew everyone’s secrets, stalked the girls and threatened to reveal them. It was fun trying to guess who the darer was and I suspected practically everyone because of the misleading clues.
Sydney looked over at Calum, who had his face screwed up as if he’d just eaten something rotten. “You ready?”
“About as ready as a nuclear detonator without uranium,” Calum sighed. “But don’t worry,” he added when Sydney shot him a flabbergasted look. “That’s never stopped me before.”
From the three, Tenley’s character was the least impressive; she’s a self-obsessed mean girl that can never let go of being Queen Bee. Her loyalty to Cait was sweet but that was literally her only redeeming quality. She’s horrible to the less-popular students, attempts to flirt her way into everything and what annoyed me most was that she tends to succeed!
Cait’s kidnapping intrigued me, especially her flashbacks. The toy train she kept remembering led me to believe that Joey Bakersfield had something to do with it but I’m sure the kidnapper’s identity will be explored further in the next book. It would have been helpful if the author had expanded on how the kidnapping took place and her subsequent discovery. Cait was too meek for my liking, especially since she’s running for student body president. Her popularity stemmed from her friends rather than any personal attributes as she was constantly hiding in either Tenley or Emmerson’s shadow.
My favourite character was Sydney, particularly because she’s dragged into this ‘game’ targeting the rich, popular girls, when she’s the complete opposite. Sydney is a photography geek and it was good to see someone ‘normal’ playing the game, if you can call it playing. She’s like the Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl; someone who doesn’t fit in but ends up being pushed into the elite circle and soon realises that even the most popular girls have their secrets.
“What did you do, Calum? Break into an aquarium?”
“No, Sydney,” Calum said gravely. “I had a battle with the ocean.”
Sydney eyed his bedraggled half-naked form. “I’m guesing the ocean won?”
“I’d call it more fo a tie,” Calum said, hopping from foot to foot to keep warm. “The ocean got my clothes, but I got-“
“Pneumonia?” Sydney supplied.
Calum narrowed his eyes at her. “I was going to say my pride.”
“Ah. Of course.”
I was teetering on a score of 2.5 out of 5 until the ending, which reduced the overall rating to 2 stars. Without giving too much away, I felt the ending was rushed, messy and unexpected. There were a few gaps that could have been better explained, especially the history of the darer. It’s unfortunate that the poor cliff-hanger ending has lowered any chances of continuing this series…
Notable Scene:
There was no way she was going through with the dare but she would go to the docks at midnight. She’d got and she’d find out who this person was, and then she’d put them in their place.
Because there was one truth she did want everyone to know: when it came to dares, Tenley Reed was the master.
FTC Advisory: Poppy/Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of Truth or Dare. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
June 24, 2023
i feel like the whole thing was a drag and the ending was weird idk why they’re making it a trilogy but overall it was good I don’t plan on reading the rest of the series
July 3, 2013
I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for a review.
I absolutely loved this novel. Reminded me a bit of Pretty Little Liars, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Gossip Girl. This book was very suspenseful and terrifyingly creepy. I loved how much it kept me on my toes since anything and everything could happen.
The novel is about three girls all at the same elite school but not friends with each other. All three have secrets to hide - big secrets that would ruin their lives if ever revealed. All three end up getting dares delivered to them in mysterious ways. Each dare is riskier than the next and consequences of not completing a dare is a secret unveiled.
I had my favorite among the three throughout the novel but the great thing in this story was the character growth. Every character was a times better or worse and I really couldn't pick a favorite anymore by the end.
Sydney was the shy scholarship kid waiting on her schoolmates at the country club. She's artistic and loves photography. And she thinks she might be in love. Her secret was probably the most fascinating. She's a fire-starter and had been to rehab for this. And she's responsible for a fire that burned down three homes.
Tenley was rather grating for most of the book. Stuck up popular rich girl in love with her stepbrother, Guinness, - the very boy Sydney's been seeing. Her secret was plastic surgery, a consequence could be losing her beauty pageant. She's also responsible for one of Caitlin's secrets photographic evidence of a wild night Caitlin can't recall. But her growth came from the lengths she was willing to take to protect her friend.
Caitlin, was the angel of the school. Scholarly, popular, and driven. She was also the victim of a kidnapping years ago. I liked how the author gave a realistic approach to this character. She was traumatized, anti-depressant popping, and had nightmares. But she still tried not to let this run her life: striving to be popular, wholesome, and campaigning for class president. Her romance with Tim was very sweet and I loved how he used the very thing she always mocked to get her to fall for him.
All three characters ended up being fascinating and it was very suspenseful watching them go through their dares. Some other standout side characters were Callum, Guinness, and Emerson. I hope the next book goes into more detail about these three. The ending was a whopper of a climax with the darer revealed and I can't wait to read the next book in this trilogy.
I absolutely loved this novel. Reminded me a bit of Pretty Little Liars, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Gossip Girl. This book was very suspenseful and terrifyingly creepy. I loved how much it kept me on my toes since anything and everything could happen.
The novel is about three girls all at the same elite school but not friends with each other. All three have secrets to hide - big secrets that would ruin their lives if ever revealed. All three end up getting dares delivered to them in mysterious ways. Each dare is riskier than the next and consequences of not completing a dare is a secret unveiled.
I had my favorite among the three throughout the novel but the great thing in this story was the character growth. Every character was a times better or worse and I really couldn't pick a favorite anymore by the end.
Sydney was the shy scholarship kid waiting on her schoolmates at the country club. She's artistic and loves photography. And she thinks she might be in love. Her secret was probably the most fascinating. She's a fire-starter and had been to rehab for this. And she's responsible for a fire that burned down three homes.
Tenley was rather grating for most of the book. Stuck up popular rich girl in love with her stepbrother, Guinness, - the very boy Sydney's been seeing. Her secret was plastic surgery, a consequence could be losing her beauty pageant. She's also responsible for one of Caitlin's secrets photographic evidence of a wild night Caitlin can't recall. But her growth came from the lengths she was willing to take to protect her friend.
Caitlin, was the angel of the school. Scholarly, popular, and driven. She was also the victim of a kidnapping years ago. I liked how the author gave a realistic approach to this character. She was traumatized, anti-depressant popping, and had nightmares. But she still tried not to let this run her life: striving to be popular, wholesome, and campaigning for class president. Her romance with Tim was very sweet and I loved how he used the very thing she always mocked to get her to fall for him.
All three characters ended up being fascinating and it was very suspenseful watching them go through their dares. Some other standout side characters were Callum, Guinness, and Emerson. I hope the next book goes into more detail about these three. The ending was a whopper of a climax with the darer revealed and I can't wait to read the next book in this trilogy.
February 25, 2014
Disons 4.5 pour cette lecture vraiment réussie...
"Ce premier tome contient tout ce qu’il faut là où il faut et nous dévoile les informations qu’il faut quand il le faut. C’est addictif, c’est sombre, c’est obsédant. Je me suis laissée portée par le récit et royalement laissée berner par l’auteur. Un vrai bonheur que je vous recommande chaudement même s’il n’est pas parfait, que les personnages n’agissent pas toujours comme il le faudrait (c'est le moins qu'on puisse dire car des fois, on a vraiment envie de les secouer !) et que l’intrigue met un certain temps à démarrer (ce qui a aussi son intérêt)."
Pour voir ma chronique entière, c'est ici : http://l0raahbooks.blogspot.fr/2014/0...
"Ce premier tome contient tout ce qu’il faut là où il faut et nous dévoile les informations qu’il faut quand il le faut. C’est addictif, c’est sombre, c’est obsédant. Je me suis laissée portée par le récit et royalement laissée berner par l’auteur. Un vrai bonheur que je vous recommande chaudement même s’il n’est pas parfait, que les personnages n’agissent pas toujours comme il le faudrait (c'est le moins qu'on puisse dire car des fois, on a vraiment envie de les secouer !) et que l’intrigue met un certain temps à démarrer (ce qui a aussi son intérêt)."
Pour voir ma chronique entière, c'est ici : http://l0raahbooks.blogspot.fr/2014/0...
February 11, 2013
Recommended for fans of: YA Contemporary/Suspense
I loved the premise of this book, what would you do if someone threatened to expose your darkest secrets? Would you betray your friends? Hurt others? Damage your own rep? This book was very suspenseful, keeping you guessing as to the identity of the “darer” till the very end. You also get the POV from not one, not two, but three different characters, each with a unique (if purposefully limited) perspective that lets the reader have more clues and a more rounded picture than any one character. I also loved how each girl had issues but also their strong side, each a complete person and not a caricature.
I loved the premise of this book, what would you do if someone threatened to expose your darkest secrets? Would you betray your friends? Hurt others? Damage your own rep? This book was very suspenseful, keeping you guessing as to the identity of the “darer” till the very end. You also get the POV from not one, not two, but three different characters, each with a unique (if purposefully limited) perspective that lets the reader have more clues and a more rounded picture than any one character. I also loved how each girl had issues but also their strong side, each a complete person and not a caricature.
February 9, 2014
I can't help but think how so much of the story was brought on by stupidity. These girls allowed themselves to get sucked into a game of truth or dare, even though they had the power to stop it right from the beginning. Caitlin and Syndey, I can understand why they don't want their secret revealed. But Tenley? Compared to the other two, her problems were so small.
I just can't. The book was too long, the scenarios were stupid, but the ending was good.
I just can't. The book was too long, the scenarios were stupid, but the ending was good.
November 7, 2016
Mediocre. Predictable. And, above all, a Pretty Little Liars meets The Lying Game. It offered nothing new, its characters were steretypical, and the plot was boring. It dragged for so long, and the ending was just like one you could've found on a PLL book. How original.
May 20, 2013
I couldn't put this book down. I really liked all the characters and totally had a surprise ending - I can't wait for the next book!
July 29, 2016
You can also read this review on my blog at http://wiredreader.blogspot.com/
Is it cheating to say that Jacqueline Green's book Truth or Dare is a lot like Sara Shepard's book series and the even more popular TV series Pretty Little Liars? Maybe it is, but there is truly no better way to describe Truth or Dare - a book that is just as focused on high school drama and filled with unrealistic situations as the teen series Pretty Little Liars. However, while Pretty Little Liars is grossly unrealistic and often outright stupid, I, and obviously millions of other fans, can somehow find it in our hearts to accept it as a guilty pleasure for namely two reasons. 1. Pretty Little Liars has likable and relatable characters, even if their situations and actions are very similar to that of a soap opera. 2. Pretty Little Liars does not take itself too seriously.
Unfortunately I cannot say the same for Jacqueline Green's book, which while it certainly qualifies as entertaining and succeeds in keeping you on the edge of your seat, it is missing something that is quintessential to all young adult books. Truth or Dare does not have at least one endearing character; a fan favorite, so that while you alternately laugh and roll your eyes you still have some sort of human connection to ground you with the series and the main character. Also, the book takes itself entirely too seriously, delving into the realms of kidnapping and blackmail without the levity that series such as Pretty Little Liars bring to the situation.
It is needless to say that while I found Truth or Dare somewhat entertaining I do not recommend it for just any reader. While I might suggest this book for fans of Pretty Little Liars, I do not presume to thrust it upon just any hapless reader, in less they are looking to be constantly harassed and miffed by unrealistic, selfish, superficial and annoying characters, and just generally disappointed throughout their reading experience.
For those of you who did read the book lets talk...
The Good:
Truth or Dare certainly was not all bad and there were some elements of the story that I enjoyed. Strangely enough my favorite part of the book had nothing to do with the central premise of the book: the dares and threats that the three girls received and endeavored to carry out. Actually, my favorite part of the entire book was the relationship between Tim Holland and Caitlin Thomas. To me, their relationship was the most realistic part of the book. Their romance was subtle and understated. Tim made Caitlin come alive, without him she would have continued to be the inhuman "angel" throughout the entirety of the book. Their romance was so sweet and refreshing which is a huge part of the reason why I was so displeased with the end of the book and Caitlin's untimely death, leaving Cait and Tim's relationship unresolved.
Jacqueline Green also did a good job with the pacing of her novel. The dares and the consequent drama to follow was well paced and certainly managed to keep me reading; constantly turning the page to see what Caitlin, Tenley and Sydney would do next.
As far as the characters go, I had trouble really connecting with any of them. I somewhat understood Sydney, she was the classic outcast turned loner. I guess it just bothered me how stereotypical her role in the story felt to me. Guinness was a total ass and because of how Sydney let him use her I had a hard time sympathizing with her plight. I was really surprised by how tolerant I found myself of Emerson. Yes she was a classic "mean girl," but there is also something more to her character and I admired how she really tried to be a good friend to Caitlin. I almost wish Emerson could have been more involved in the story by getting the dares as well. Also, as I mentioned before, I loved the Cait and Tim relationship and just Tim himself, but I absolutely hated Tenley. As a reader, and just generally as a human being, I found Tenley to be absolutely insufferable. By far my favorite character was Caitlin. I expected to hate her in the beginning because of her "angel" status, but I found her to have the most character and personality of the entire cast of Truth or Dare.
The Bad (and the ugly):
Because I actually grew to love the character of Caitlin Thomas throughout the novel, the ending was particularly jarring for me. Did Jacqueline Green really have to kill off her most developed and interesting character? Also, did Tim not deserve any closer after her death? After Caitlin died on the boat and even at her funeral he had absolutely no closure, no time to mourn what could have been; even the reader does not get to fully digest what her death means. I was outraged! Tim helped Cait, he morphed her into an almost normal human being. How could the author kill her off like that and not deal with the repercussions of their almost relationship?
Furthermore, what about Caitlin's kidnapping? This often referenced but never explained kidnapping lurks throughout Caitlin and even sometimes Tenley's narrative, but we never learn anything about it. What is the point? How can Jacqueline Green expect her readers to wonder and be curious about something that they barely have any clue about?
As I mentioned earlier on, another key part of the book that I disliked was the character of Tenley. As one of three narrators, and one of two to actually survive the book, Tenley is a very important character yet I couldn't find it in my heart to offer her anything, but disgust and hate. Tenley is the stereotypical high school beauty queen: she is beautiful, superficial, insecure and mean. Essentially, Tenley is everything that is wrong with the female gender. She is the kind of girl that makes me want to scratch my eyes out in shame for being a female myself. Not only is she selfish and shallow, but she also has a thing for her step-brother. I know that they are technically not related, but still this element of her character really bothered me. She was constantly throwing herself at him in the sluttiest ways possible. Tenley had absolutely no self respect.
While I did not absolutely hate Sydney, her weakness regarding Guiness really bothered me. The most empowering part for her character throughout the entire book was when she stopped letting Guiness play games with her, and basically walk all over her. However, even when she finally broke off her unhealthy relationship with Guiness, she was only partially redeemed in my eyes. I got so tired of listening to her criticize her mom for being weak regarding her father, while Sydney turned around and displayed the same weakness for Guiness.
Another one of my pet peeves with this book was how unrealistic it was. The characters did not have believable lives and actions. The whole story felt so canned to me. For example we had the character of Tenley: a pageant queen who got implants! I mean really? She's a teenage girl! How many teenage girls do you know with breast implants? And how did Caitlin and Tenley get to Vegas? What parents would let their children go to Vegas, especially after Caitlin had been supposedly kidnapped when she was younger? If my child had been kidnapped,even if I thought the killer had been caught, I would still keep a close eye on her and be aware of her painful experience. Caitlin was kidnapped for gods sake and her parents aren't checking in to see how she is doing, rather than pressuring her about Harvard! These are just some of many unrealistic elements of the story that got to me. Sometimes I can tolerate and even enjoy an unrealistic story, but like I said earlier on, Truth or Dare was not willing to poke fun at its cheesy story line and thus it made the fatal mistake of being a young adult book that took itself too seriously.
Okay, maybe this is placing too much emphasis on the Pretty Little Liars similarities, but I was really disappointed that the characters receiving the threats did not band together sooner. It could have been much more fun and interesting if Caitlin, Tenley, Sydney, and even Emerson had banded together to find their persecutor earlier on in the story, rather than in the last quarter of the book. Than the monotony of Tenley and Caitlin suspecting Sydney of being the darer, wouldn't have gone on for almost the entire book.
Finally, one of my biggest bones to pick with Jacqueline Green was that when Trisha was revealed as the darer it could not have been more obviously like Pretty Little Liars. The only difference between the two is that it took the Liars three books to find Mona, and Trisha only one book to reveal herself. In the beginning of Truth or Dare I wondered vaguely if it was Trisha, but it just seemed too obvious to me. In my opinion this was a weak move on the author's part. The fat girl who was always picked on, turned popular girl who wants revenge is just so run of the mill in young adult contemporary books. Also the way the girls got another dare after Caitlin's funeral felt so much like the scene from Pretty Little Liars at Ali's funeral. Even Joey Bakersfield is like Toby from Pretty Little Liars. Overall, finding out Trisha is supposedly the darer was a big let down, even when the daring continued after Caitlin and Trisha's deaths.
The End:
I realize this review is kind of harsh and that Truth or Dare did have some good parts, but I was really excited to read this book and when I was finished with it I was genuinely disappointed. Truth or Dare despite its similarities to Pretty Little Liars had a lot of potential and it didn't live up to it, at least not in my opinion. Ultimately, despite my critical rampage, I would say if you read this book and you tolerated it from start to finish than why not read the next book and see if it gets better? Somehow, I still have some faith in the unexploited potential of the story line. Thus,I will most likely read the next book in the series, even though I will probably regret it.
You can also read this review on my blog at http://wiredreader.blogspot.com/
Is it cheating to say that Jacqueline Green's book Truth or Dare is a lot like Sara Shepard's book series and the even more popular TV series Pretty Little Liars? Maybe it is, but there is truly no better way to describe Truth or Dare - a book that is just as focused on high school drama and filled with unrealistic situations as the teen series Pretty Little Liars. However, while Pretty Little Liars is grossly unrealistic and often outright stupid, I, and obviously millions of other fans, can somehow find it in our hearts to accept it as a guilty pleasure for namely two reasons. 1. Pretty Little Liars has likable and relatable characters, even if their situations and actions are very similar to that of a soap opera. 2. Pretty Little Liars does not take itself too seriously.
Unfortunately I cannot say the same for Jacqueline Green's book, which while it certainly qualifies as entertaining and succeeds in keeping you on the edge of your seat, it is missing something that is quintessential to all young adult books. Truth or Dare does not have at least one endearing character; a fan favorite, so that while you alternately laugh and roll your eyes you still have some sort of human connection to ground you with the series and the main character. Also, the book takes itself entirely too seriously, delving into the realms of kidnapping and blackmail without the levity that series such as Pretty Little Liars bring to the situation.
It is needless to say that while I found Truth or Dare somewhat entertaining I do not recommend it for just any reader. While I might suggest this book for fans of Pretty Little Liars, I do not presume to thrust it upon just any hapless reader, in less they are looking to be constantly harassed and miffed by unrealistic, selfish, superficial and annoying characters, and just generally disappointed throughout their reading experience.
For those of you who did read the book lets talk...
The Good:
Truth or Dare certainly was not all bad and there were some elements of the story that I enjoyed. Strangely enough my favorite part of the book had nothing to do with the central premise of the book: the dares and threats that the three girls received and endeavored to carry out. Actually, my favorite part of the entire book was the relationship between Tim Holland and Caitlin Thomas. To me, their relationship was the most realistic part of the book. Their romance was subtle and understated. Tim made Caitlin come alive, without him she would have continued to be the inhuman "angel" throughout the entirety of the book. Their romance was so sweet and refreshing which is a huge part of the reason why I was so displeased with the end of the book and Caitlin's untimely death, leaving Cait and Tim's relationship unresolved.
Jacqueline Green also did a good job with the pacing of her novel. The dares and the consequent drama to follow was well paced and certainly managed to keep me reading; constantly turning the page to see what Caitlin, Tenley and Sydney would do next.
As far as the characters go, I had trouble really connecting with any of them. I somewhat understood Sydney, she was the classic outcast turned loner. I guess it just bothered me how stereotypical her role in the story felt to me. Guinness was a total ass and because of how Sydney let him use her I had a hard time sympathizing with her plight. I was really surprised by how tolerant I found myself of Emerson. Yes she was a classic "mean girl," but there is also something more to her character and I admired how she really tried to be a good friend to Caitlin. I almost wish Emerson could have been more involved in the story by getting the dares as well. Also, as I mentioned before, I loved the Cait and Tim relationship and just Tim himself, but I absolutely hated Tenley. As a reader, and just generally as a human being, I found Tenley to be absolutely insufferable. By far my favorite character was Caitlin. I expected to hate her in the beginning because of her "angel" status, but I found her to have the most character and personality of the entire cast of Truth or Dare.
The Bad (and the ugly):
Because I actually grew to love the character of Caitlin Thomas throughout the novel, the ending was particularly jarring for me. Did Jacqueline Green really have to kill off her most developed and interesting character? Also, did Tim not deserve any closer after her death? After Caitlin died on the boat and even at her funeral he had absolutely no closure, no time to mourn what could have been; even the reader does not get to fully digest what her death means. I was outraged! Tim helped Cait, he morphed her into an almost normal human being. How could the author kill her off like that and not deal with the repercussions of their almost relationship?
Furthermore, what about Caitlin's kidnapping? This often referenced but never explained kidnapping lurks throughout Caitlin and even sometimes Tenley's narrative, but we never learn anything about it. What is the point? How can Jacqueline Green expect her readers to wonder and be curious about something that they barely have any clue about?
As I mentioned earlier on, another key part of the book that I disliked was the character of Tenley. As one of three narrators, and one of two to actually survive the book, Tenley is a very important character yet I couldn't find it in my heart to offer her anything, but disgust and hate. Tenley is the stereotypical high school beauty queen: she is beautiful, superficial, insecure and mean. Essentially, Tenley is everything that is wrong with the female gender. She is the kind of girl that makes me want to scratch my eyes out in shame for being a female myself. Not only is she selfish and shallow, but she also has a thing for her step-brother. I know that they are technically not related, but still this element of her character really bothered me. She was constantly throwing herself at him in the sluttiest ways possible. Tenley had absolutely no self respect.
While I did not absolutely hate Sydney, her weakness regarding Guiness really bothered me. The most empowering part for her character throughout the entire book was when she stopped letting Guiness play games with her, and basically walk all over her. However, even when she finally broke off her unhealthy relationship with Guiness, she was only partially redeemed in my eyes. I got so tired of listening to her criticize her mom for being weak regarding her father, while Sydney turned around and displayed the same weakness for Guiness.
Another one of my pet peeves with this book was how unrealistic it was. The characters did not have believable lives and actions. The whole story felt so canned to me. For example we had the character of Tenley: a pageant queen who got implants! I mean really? She's a teenage girl! How many teenage girls do you know with breast implants? And how did Caitlin and Tenley get to Vegas? What parents would let their children go to Vegas, especially after Caitlin had been supposedly kidnapped when she was younger? If my child had been kidnapped,even if I thought the killer had been caught, I would still keep a close eye on her and be aware of her painful experience. Caitlin was kidnapped for gods sake and her parents aren't checking in to see how she is doing, rather than pressuring her about Harvard! These are just some of many unrealistic elements of the story that got to me. Sometimes I can tolerate and even enjoy an unrealistic story, but like I said earlier on, Truth or Dare was not willing to poke fun at its cheesy story line and thus it made the fatal mistake of being a young adult book that took itself too seriously.
Okay, maybe this is placing too much emphasis on the Pretty Little Liars similarities, but I was really disappointed that the characters receiving the threats did not band together sooner. It could have been much more fun and interesting if Caitlin, Tenley, Sydney, and even Emerson had banded together to find their persecutor earlier on in the story, rather than in the last quarter of the book. Than the monotony of Tenley and Caitlin suspecting Sydney of being the darer, wouldn't have gone on for almost the entire book.
Finally, one of my biggest bones to pick with Jacqueline Green was that when Trisha was revealed as the darer it could not have been more obviously like Pretty Little Liars. The only difference between the two is that it took the Liars three books to find Mona, and Trisha only one book to reveal herself. In the beginning of Truth or Dare I wondered vaguely if it was Trisha, but it just seemed too obvious to me. In my opinion this was a weak move on the author's part. The fat girl who was always picked on, turned popular girl who wants revenge is just so run of the mill in young adult contemporary books. Also the way the girls got another dare after Caitlin's funeral felt so much like the scene from Pretty Little Liars at Ali's funeral. Even Joey Bakersfield is like Toby from Pretty Little Liars. Overall, finding out Trisha is supposedly the darer was a big let down, even when the daring continued after Caitlin and Trisha's deaths.
The End:
I realize this review is kind of harsh and that Truth or Dare did have some good parts, but I was really excited to read this book and when I was finished with it I was genuinely disappointed. Truth or Dare despite its similarities to Pretty Little Liars had a lot of potential and it didn't live up to it, at least not in my opinion. Ultimately, despite my critical rampage, I would say if you read this book and you tolerated it from start to finish than why not read the next book and see if it gets better? Somehow, I still have some faith in the unexploited potential of the story line. Thus,I will most likely read the next book in the series, even though I will probably regret it.
You can also read this review on my blog at http://wiredreader.blogspot.com/
June 2, 2017
I want to cry. You know those books that you look at on the bookstore shelf forever? You don’t want to or can’t buy it at full price even though it sounds amazing? You wait and wait and finally you have your hands on it. You open it and at first it’s exciting and you’re complete into it and then… something happens. You realize you’re putting the book down more and more often. You get into the reading mood but when you begin to read you suddenly feel like you don’t want to read anymore. Not even for the next few days. You find looking at other books more exciting then reading the one you’ve been trying to finish?
Well that was this book…
Truth or Dare does remind me a lot of Pretty Little Liars but I love pretty little liars (okay, okay so I haven’t read the books but the shows are amazing)! I disagree with everyone saying ”It’s a knock off of Pretty Little Liars”. Sure it may be but I bet I can find two other books like this published before Pretty Little Liars was even thought up. That is just how books work. One idea spun around in a million different ways.
At first I thought this is a better sexier version of Pretty Little Liars. Even better I get all my answers at the end of the book not after how many long seasons or twelve or more books? Did I mention how much sexier it seemed? Mmmm… anyways.
The beginning of the book was amazing. It seemed to start off slow but began picking up. I loved the idea of it being on an island and the ‘ghost lights’ and ‘lost girls’. A mystery within a mystery. I thought it would keep things interesting.
The Guinness mystery needed to be solved! Sexy jerk man! What was going to happen with his stepsister? Was Sydney ever going to get him? What is this dudes deal? And at the beginning I hated him. He was a jerk and he blew Sydney off I wanted him to meet his demise. She was so strong willed in the beginning. I was sure I’d love her. Finally a woman who can say no to an asshole guy! And then… she went right back into his arms. UGH gage me. Strike one, STRIKE ONE.
Later I did start to really like him for some unknown reason. Sigh.
The ugly duckling turning into a hot ‘it girl’, STRIKE TWO. Now that Jacqueline Green was to bold and too much like Pretty Little Liars. .
These words leaving Guinness's mouth or well fingers while texting Sydney, STRIKE THREE. “More dares? Is this some game u and ur friends are playing, Blue? I didn’t realize our age gap was THAT big…”. Yeah I’m pretty sure he just belittled you but hey girls like that now a days don’t they!? Oh they don’t? Seems like that in every badly written book these days.
I trudged through though, I did. I was strong! Then chapter twenty rolled around. Third day of me ‘waiting til late’ to crack open the pages. My boyfriend looked up and went “you’re not done yet”? I usually finish a good book in 24 hours. I sighed and that’s when I put it down.
The pace was dragging and I still wanted to find out what happened to Guinness but I couldn’t hear about the characters anymore. They were so annoying. Prissy little spoiled brats with secrets they don’t want smeared all over. This fact made it much worse than Pretty Little Liars. At least their secrets were a bit more interesting. At least I wanted to find out their secrets. The secrets being kept in this book wouldn’t have been the end of the world if they came out. I’ve had worse secrets about me spilled and I survived!
I gave up because of the slow pace. Now this may bother some because even if they hated it they want to know what happened. I still want to know what happened with Guinness but my head is throbbing so bad because of this book. I couldn’t care less anymore! Goodbye and good riddance Jacqueline Green!
May 28, 2013
CHRI: So, what did you think of Truth or Dare?
MEG: On the whole? It was disappointing. Truth or dare isn't something I see very often in YA fiction nowadays (since the rise of dystopias and post-apocalyptics and so on), so I was actually really excited for this one. Unfortunately, by the end of it I wasn't very satisfied.
CHRI: I wasn't as excited about it as you seemed to be, though dude, Truth or Dare. The story could go in so many directions, and I was really disappointed with how it turned out. It was basically a Sara Shepard book (mostly Pretty Little Liars), with a little bit of Truth or Dare (not much) and a few mentions of psychology-related things (again, not much).
MEG: I know, right? I haven't read anything by Shepard, and I was a little surprised that there wasn't anything paranormal involved, so I thought, "Hey, this could actually turn it to be pretty different." But no. While some parts did grab my attention, the book dragged on for too long a time. The narration was monotonous and boring. I kept wondering when the story would end, or checking the progress bar at the bottom of my Kindle. Definitely not a good sign.
CHRI: *nods* Always a bad sign. I was really looking forward to the Truth or Dare games... but there wasn't really anything Truth or Dare-ish. The notes were just Pretty Little Liars notes with "Truth or Dare" included in it. Eh. And the characters were unbelievably stupid and cliche at times. It seemed more like a race to see who had the most screwups and secrets to cover up, and less like what I was expecting from the blurb.
MEG: Yeah, I didn't feel very threatened or that the story was very suspenseful. It just failed to thrill me. I can't say I liked the characters much either. None of them were exactly relatable to, though if I had to pick the most interesting one, I'd say Tenley. I think I warmed up to her best. Which reminds me... did we ever get to find out who kidnapped Caitlin? Because if we did, I can't remember who. Yikes.
CHRI: I don't remember either D: I don't think so? But also, at one point, the characters kind of lost their voice and began sounding like the same person, so I couldn't really tell what was happening to who and who had what past and did what that they weren't supposed to - it just all blended together. And, um, Trisha, was it? I think she was the most interesting person in the book to me. Which is pretty sad, considering that she was virtually nonexistant for most of the novel (I think).
MEG: Well, there IS a sequel, so I guess if we really wanted to find out, we could read that. AGREED. Yes, they definitely did. And Guinness. The hell? Anyone named after beer can't be good news. I don't know why Sydney didn't see him as the jerk he was, but - okay, she probably didn't know he was flirting with his STEPSISTER behind her back, but still. Not answering her calls, going MIA for months... that guy's definitely not boyfriend material. Aha! I change my vote. I'm voting for Trisha, as well. That big twist definitely took me by surprise, though yeah, it was disappointing we didn't get to see more of her character.
CHRI: LOL! Definitely. But then she goes and looks forward to his return after going MIA for months, brushes aside almost all the blatant hints that Guinness is a world class jerk, and continues to meet with him in secret. I thought she was supposed to be sweet and smart and observant and all that? He doesn't even want to be SEEN in public with her. Obviously there's something wrong here. The surfer guy who skipped classes (um... Will, was it? *can't remember*) was pretty cute, and probably had the best personality of all the guys in Truth or Dare. Him and Tessa get my vote, I think. Maybe. The details are a little fuzzy - like I said, all the characters felt the same after a while >__<
MEG: Yeah. She was supposed to be the only down-to-earth one, in my opinion. Meh. I think his name was Tim. But we hardly saw much of him anyway, so. The characters did turn bland toward the end. Who's Tessa? O_O
CHRI: Tim. I KNEW IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THREE-LETTER NAMES. Gah, sorry. Trisha. I can't think properly tonight - I'm blaming it on all this final exam prep.
The ending made me furious, though. I dragged myself through 400+ pages of one-dimensional storylines and stereotypical characters, and that's how it all ends?
MEG: Note to self: three-letter names are the most unmemorable ones! Ugh, exams. We all hate 'em and yet no one's doing nothing about 'em. Back to the book: there was also the part about the Lost Girls. I expected SO MUCH from that. More mystery, maybe something tied into the story, but no. There was nothing. Just more useless backdrop. I do think it was interesting, just unnecessary.
CHRI: This was pretty much my reaction to the ending:
MEG: Count that as mine, too.
CHRI: Hold up: Lost Girls? I vaguely remember... something to do with girls drowing on the beach? I think there were a lot of loose scenes and tidbits that could've been something really interesting but the author just left out to die instead. Like pyromania, for one.
MEG: Yep, three girls who drowned themselves in the sea - though one of them was counted as murder or something. Definitely a lot of loose scenes. Yes! Honestly, how Sydney turned to fire to cure her problems wasn't believable to me, at all. I wanted a more reasons for that, but the author didn't give me any.
CHRI: She wasn't really ever cured though, right? I mean, she still gave into the temptation to burn things at various points throughout the story. How they even let her out of the psychiatric hospital is beyond me.
MEG: Nope, she wasn't, but I guess she was really stressed, what with Guinness and her father and the dares, so it was pretty understandable. I think.
CHRI: Yeah, I suppose. But still. Gah. That ending. Why does every single book have to become a series?
STANDALONES MAKE GREAT BOOKS TOO D:
MEG: I know! I'm not even sure if I'm up to read the next book, because wow, more than four hundred pages for a book about dares! It was TEDIOUS reading through the entire of Truth or Dare.
CHRI: Truth or Dare was 200 pages too long >__<
MEG: Yep. Overall, the book held so much potential, but the execution wasn't good, and it just didn't wow me. I really, really like that cover, though. All those blue tones are pretty.
This review also appears on our YA book blog, Ink Skies!
MEG: On the whole? It was disappointing. Truth or dare isn't something I see very often in YA fiction nowadays (since the rise of dystopias and post-apocalyptics and so on), so I was actually really excited for this one. Unfortunately, by the end of it I wasn't very satisfied.
CHRI: I wasn't as excited about it as you seemed to be, though dude, Truth or Dare. The story could go in so many directions, and I was really disappointed with how it turned out. It was basically a Sara Shepard book (mostly Pretty Little Liars), with a little bit of Truth or Dare (not much) and a few mentions of psychology-related things (again, not much).
MEG: I know, right? I haven't read anything by Shepard, and I was a little surprised that there wasn't anything paranormal involved, so I thought, "Hey, this could actually turn it to be pretty different." But no. While some parts did grab my attention, the book dragged on for too long a time. The narration was monotonous and boring. I kept wondering when the story would end, or checking the progress bar at the bottom of my Kindle. Definitely not a good sign.
CHRI: *nods* Always a bad sign. I was really looking forward to the Truth or Dare games... but there wasn't really anything Truth or Dare-ish. The notes were just Pretty Little Liars notes with "Truth or Dare" included in it. Eh. And the characters were unbelievably stupid and cliche at times. It seemed more like a race to see who had the most screwups and secrets to cover up, and less like what I was expecting from the blurb.
MEG: Yeah, I didn't feel very threatened or that the story was very suspenseful. It just failed to thrill me. I can't say I liked the characters much either. None of them were exactly relatable to, though if I had to pick the most interesting one, I'd say Tenley. I think I warmed up to her best. Which reminds me... did we ever get to find out who kidnapped Caitlin? Because if we did, I can't remember who. Yikes.
CHRI: I don't remember either D: I don't think so? But also, at one point, the characters kind of lost their voice and began sounding like the same person, so I couldn't really tell what was happening to who and who had what past and did what that they weren't supposed to - it just all blended together. And, um, Trisha, was it? I think she was the most interesting person in the book to me. Which is pretty sad, considering that she was virtually nonexistant for most of the novel (I think).
MEG: Well, there IS a sequel, so I guess if we really wanted to find out, we could read that. AGREED. Yes, they definitely did. And Guinness. The hell? Anyone named after beer can't be good news. I don't know why Sydney didn't see him as the jerk he was, but - okay, she probably didn't know he was flirting with his STEPSISTER behind her back, but still. Not answering her calls, going MIA for months... that guy's definitely not boyfriend material. Aha! I change my vote. I'm voting for Trisha, as well. That big twist definitely took me by surprise, though yeah, it was disappointing we didn't get to see more of her character.
CHRI: LOL! Definitely. But then she goes and looks forward to his return after going MIA for months, brushes aside almost all the blatant hints that Guinness is a world class jerk, and continues to meet with him in secret. I thought she was supposed to be sweet and smart and observant and all that? He doesn't even want to be SEEN in public with her. Obviously there's something wrong here. The surfer guy who skipped classes (um... Will, was it? *can't remember*) was pretty cute, and probably had the best personality of all the guys in Truth or Dare. Him and Tessa get my vote, I think. Maybe. The details are a little fuzzy - like I said, all the characters felt the same after a while >__<
MEG: Yeah. She was supposed to be the only down-to-earth one, in my opinion. Meh. I think his name was Tim. But we hardly saw much of him anyway, so. The characters did turn bland toward the end. Who's Tessa? O_O
CHRI: Tim. I KNEW IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THREE-LETTER NAMES. Gah, sorry. Trisha. I can't think properly tonight - I'm blaming it on all this final exam prep.
The ending made me furious, though. I dragged myself through 400+ pages of one-dimensional storylines and stereotypical characters, and that's how it all ends?
MEG: Note to self: three-letter names are the most unmemorable ones! Ugh, exams. We all hate 'em and yet no one's doing nothing about 'em. Back to the book: there was also the part about the Lost Girls. I expected SO MUCH from that. More mystery, maybe something tied into the story, but no. There was nothing. Just more useless backdrop. I do think it was interesting, just unnecessary.
CHRI: This was pretty much my reaction to the ending:
MEG: Count that as mine, too.
CHRI: Hold up: Lost Girls? I vaguely remember... something to do with girls drowing on the beach? I think there were a lot of loose scenes and tidbits that could've been something really interesting but the author just left out to die instead. Like pyromania, for one.
MEG: Yep, three girls who drowned themselves in the sea - though one of them was counted as murder or something. Definitely a lot of loose scenes. Yes! Honestly, how Sydney turned to fire to cure her problems wasn't believable to me, at all. I wanted a more reasons for that, but the author didn't give me any.
CHRI: She wasn't really ever cured though, right? I mean, she still gave into the temptation to burn things at various points throughout the story. How they even let her out of the psychiatric hospital is beyond me.
MEG: Nope, she wasn't, but I guess she was really stressed, what with Guinness and her father and the dares, so it was pretty understandable. I think.
CHRI: Yeah, I suppose. But still. Gah. That ending. Why does every single book have to become a series?
STANDALONES MAKE GREAT BOOKS TOO D:
MEG: I know! I'm not even sure if I'm up to read the next book, because wow, more than four hundred pages for a book about dares! It was TEDIOUS reading through the entire of Truth or Dare.
CHRI: Truth or Dare was 200 pages too long >__<
MEG: Yep. Overall, the book held so much potential, but the execution wasn't good, and it just didn't wow me. I really, really like that cover, though. All those blue tones are pretty.
recommendation level: borrow from the library
This review also appears on our YA book blog, Ink Skies!
January 17, 2018
** 3 DARING STARS! **
“The water was everywhere. It was soaking her clothes and in her ears and burning her eyes. It wrapped around her like a cocoon, like arms, like chains. She waited for the terror to hit. But all she could think was: Finally.”
***
I enjoyed this book but it felt like I was reading fan fiction or something.
With that I mean something written by an amateur writer, very simple writing and nothing mind blowing. Didn't quite care for the characters that much either and the parts that were supposed to be "scary" weren't. Tbh, rather than a thriller, this book was just teen drama. It felt like something in the direction of Pretty Little Liars, but the cheap version.
You know those memes going around "Chanel vs. Walmart"?
Pretty Little Liars is Chanel and Truth or Dare Walmart.
Looking at these words it seems as if I thought this book was absolute trash but I swear it wasn't, it was enjoyable enough and the plot did take me by surprise.
It just wasn't mind blowing or engrossing and I don't feel the need to continue the series but also don't regret reading the book.
“The water was everywhere. It was soaking her clothes and in her ears and burning her eyes. It wrapped around her like a cocoon, like arms, like chains. She waited for the terror to hit. But all she could think was: Finally.”
***
I enjoyed this book but it felt like I was reading fan fiction or something.
With that I mean something written by an amateur writer, very simple writing and nothing mind blowing. Didn't quite care for the characters that much either and the parts that were supposed to be "scary" weren't. Tbh, rather than a thriller, this book was just teen drama. It felt like something in the direction of Pretty Little Liars, but the cheap version.
You know those memes going around "Chanel vs. Walmart"?
Pretty Little Liars is Chanel and Truth or Dare Walmart.
Looking at these words it seems as if I thought this book was absolute trash but I swear it wasn't, it was enjoyable enough and the plot did take me by surprise.
It just wasn't mind blowing or engrossing and I don't feel the need to continue the series but also don't regret reading the book.
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