BEA Book Spotlight: Dare You To by Katie McGarry Book Review

Blurb:
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...


There are some books that I read and are completely blown away by. Last year, one of those books was PUSHING THE LIMITS by Katie McGarry. Not only did she deliver a powerhouse of a novel, but she delivered a complete story arc that satisfied me to the bone. Therefore, I was utterly excited to read the next book. Not only was Beth Risk such an interesting character when she first showed up, but the edgy tension and so, so real environment promised to continue, and even be ratcheted up a notch.

To my surprise, McGarry takes Beth out of her friendly space, the space that I loved during PUSHING THE LIMITS, plops her down in a totally foreign world, then has Beth deal with all manner of distractions. The Beth Risk that I wanted to know more about was revealed layer by layer, in such a complex and engrossing story that I read 300+ pages in one sitting. I couldn't put the book down until I read the last page. That's how compelling it was.

Everything I have to say about DARE YOU TO is a rave. From Ryan's very detailed character, to Beth's family relationships and hardships, to the peek we see of old favorites, Noah and Echo... McGarry brings an awesome character-driven novel to the table, grabs the reader by the throat and pulls us along for a ride. Anyone who likes books should read this.

I dare you.

My Rating:
14/15
Must Read
4.5 star
A


I obtained this book from Harlequin Teen. No other compensation was given for the expectation of an honest review.