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irenemarie's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Minor: Grief, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
abookwanderer's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I adored Samantha Markum’s debut This May End Badly last year, surprising myself by giving the YA book five stars, so when I was invited to read her follow-up, You Wouldn’t Dare, I jumped at the chance, even though this one sounded so very different. And You Wouldn’t Dare is very, very different from This May End Badly, but one thing is the same: Markum knows how to write strong lead characters in the midst of change.
Set over the summer in the small Florida beach town of White Coral Key, it’s a story about heartbreak, found family, making mistakes, and accepting change. Junie has been treading water for the past year to keep her friend group together, to find some semblance of normality between her and Graham, as well as their best friends, Milo and Lucy.
First, I think the publisher may be misleading readers a bit with the tagline labeling this one as a rom-com. While there are light and humorous aspects, this novel definitely dives into deeper territory with some serious situations. And, while I enjoyed You Wouldn’t Dare, especially all the friendship dynamics, there were things that bothered me and kept me from being consumed in the story, making this one harder to review.
As the book begins, the reader can tell something has happened that shifted these friends’ relationships. I was confused at first, having to go back and read the beginning because it seemed understood that the reader knew what had happened. And when I couldn’t find anything, I figured it would be revealed slowly, that it was a mystery to be solved. However, it was eventually just revealed all at once, and not in a shocking or surprising way. It felt like a missed opportunity, and I was confused as to why it wasn’t simply revealed in the beginning.
But that might be a me-thing because I haven’t seen anyone else mention it in an early review. And I do tend to overanalyze sometimes.
One thing that is similar to Markum’s debut is how well she develops her characters. Junie and Graham are layered and complicated and engaging. While Graham is a sweetheart, Junie is hard to love at times, but I appreciated that human aspect of her. The side characters are fleshed out, as well, although there were so many in this book—including Junie’s fellow community theater group, fellow employees, and the eclectic community that made up Junie’s found family—I often had to go back to figure out who they were. This is when reading an ebook helps, and searching by name quickly satisfies my confusion.
One of my favorite relationships was the one between Junie and Tallulah. Since their parents are dating, they are thrown together quite often, and Junie is determined not to like Talullah. Which may not have helped me sympathize with Junie, but seemed very realistic. Meanwhile, Tallulah is dealing with her own demons, and it was refreshing to see Junie mature, growing past her personal animosity.
I do wish there had been more time devoted to showing the readers the friendship between the four main friends: Junie, Milo, Graham, and Lucy. I felt like we were told they were best friends since childhood, but not given very many examples to make it convincing. Especially between Junie and Milo and Graham and Lucy, respectively. The romance between Junie and Graham is given plenty of backstory to support it, and I wish the friendships had been handled the same way. Once again, this may be a me-thing.
I did love the beach setting. In the beginning, I was getting We Were Liars vibes, and I have such nostalgic memories of reading that one beachside. You Wouldn’t Dare would be a good one to read on the beach or by the pool, as well, enhancing that summer-feeling.
Overall, You Wouldn’t Dare is a satisfying story, and worth the read. I enjoyed hanging out with Junie and Graham, and their beach community. It had me wishing to pack my bags and find a quaint seaside town of my own!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
Set over the summer in the small Florida beach town of White Coral Key, it’s a story about heartbreak, found family, making mistakes, and accepting change. Junie has been treading water for the past year to keep her friend group together, to find some semblance of normality between her and Graham, as well as their best friends, Milo and Lucy.
First, I think the publisher may be misleading readers a bit with the tagline labeling this one as a rom-com. While there are light and humorous aspects, this novel definitely dives into deeper territory with some serious situations. And, while I enjoyed You Wouldn’t Dare, especially all the friendship dynamics, there were things that bothered me and kept me from being consumed in the story, making this one harder to review.
As the book begins, the reader can tell something has happened that shifted these friends’ relationships. I was confused at first, having to go back and read the beginning because it seemed understood that the reader knew what had happened. And when I couldn’t find anything, I figured it would be revealed slowly, that it was a mystery to be solved. However, it was eventually just revealed all at once, and not in a shocking or surprising way. It felt like a missed opportunity, and I was confused as to why it wasn’t simply revealed in the beginning.
But that might be a me-thing because I haven’t seen anyone else mention it in an early review. And I do tend to overanalyze sometimes.
One thing that is similar to Markum’s debut is how well she develops her characters. Junie and Graham are layered and complicated and engaging. While Graham is a sweetheart, Junie is hard to love at times, but I appreciated that human aspect of her. The side characters are fleshed out, as well, although there were so many in this book—including Junie’s fellow community theater group, fellow employees, and the eclectic community that made up Junie’s found family—I often had to go back to figure out who they were. This is when reading an ebook helps, and searching by name quickly satisfies my confusion.
One of my favorite relationships was the one between Junie and Tallulah. Since their parents are dating, they are thrown together quite often, and Junie is determined not to like Talullah. Which may not have helped me sympathize with Junie, but seemed very realistic. Meanwhile, Tallulah is dealing with her own demons, and it was refreshing to see Junie mature, growing past her personal animosity.
I do wish there had been more time devoted to showing the readers the friendship between the four main friends: Junie, Milo, Graham, and Lucy. I felt like we were told they were best friends since childhood, but not given very many examples to make it convincing. Especially between Junie and Milo and Graham and Lucy, respectively. The romance between Junie and Graham is given plenty of backstory to support it, and I wish the friendships had been handled the same way. Once again, this may be a me-thing.
I did love the beach setting. In the beginning, I was getting We Were Liars vibes, and I have such nostalgic memories of reading that one beachside. You Wouldn’t Dare would be a good one to read on the beach or by the pool, as well, enhancing that summer-feeling.
Overall, You Wouldn’t Dare is a satisfying story, and worth the read. I enjoyed hanging out with Junie and Graham, and their beach community. It had me wishing to pack my bags and find a quaint seaside town of my own!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent
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