Reviews

Dare Me by Megan Abbott

acuomo's review against another edition

3.0

The story was great! Such a good idea, but the writing was overly cryptic and I hated every single character.

ladyash's review against another edition

2.0

I had really high hopes for this book. But after a while I just got bored and skimmed the rest to find out what happens. Very glad I did not invest much time in it -- the plot annoyed me. One of my least favorite set-ups is when the author just doesn't disclose Very Important Information. Done well, the unreliable narrator makes for a fascinating read. But a reliable narrator who just doesn't tell the reader what s/he knows is annoying.

diana_sharmayn's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

regiann's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

chrissydh76's review against another edition

3.0

You would think a book about cheerleading would be upbeat and fun. But this wasn't. It was DARK. Uncomfortably dark. I was left with a bad feeling when I finished it, which wasn't really a good thing.

worldsstrongestlibrarian's review against another edition

3.0

Beth and Addie are high school cheerleaders and mean girls running the gamut of crushes, rivalries, and vendettas that come with the territory. When the new cheer coach, Colette French, appears on the scene, everyone on the squad, especially Addie, develop girl crushes fast. Jealousy turns into stalking turns into murder in this dark novel that will appeal to teens and their moms.

mnguyen19's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

saintswitchblade's review against another edition

4.0

I don't know what to say other than this book was very nearly unpredictable? But maybe not in a good way. I'm not sure how I feel. I had some trouble putting it down but I don't know if that was because I was enjoying it or if I was just hoping it would get better. It's well-written for the most part but I think the twist could have been better. I was definitely disappointed because (slight spoiler alert) there was a lot less queerness than I was lead to believe by fans of the book. There was no real, canon queer representation until the last few pages in the book, and even then it was iffy and experimental. I read this book anticipating at least halfway decent queer rep, but I was mislead. Don't read this book expecting girl love, 'cause there's mostly a lot of unworthy admiration and girl on girl hate masked by teamwork and camaraderie.

astowers19's review against another edition

2.0

Yuck. Unlikeable characters and a ridiculous plot.

lacytelles's review against another edition

3.0

3.5
Fun thriller leading up to a murder mystery, filled with teenage angst and sex shenanigans and sketchy encounters. Oh, and cheerleaders.