Four teens are given a dare during the end of their senior year and it goes badly. If you've read or seen "I Know What You Did Last Sumner" then you will understand what happened and how things go from bad to worse. I think my students will love this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of The Dare!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
👀 ever pulled senior pranks
🚘 have driven without headlights
🌪️ love a good, final twist
📖 enjoy YA thrillers

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Would you accept the dare?

In Marley’s town, seniors are given a prank as a rite of passage…a dare, if you will. The dares start out simple…egging houses, balloons filled with glitter, chickens running loose in the halls.

But this is no child’s play.

Accepting a dare means you could be expelled, arrested, or worse. No one wants to back down from a dare. But saying yes has consequences, too…

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a fun read about a group of friends forced to do dares for senior prank week. I enjoyed how the story seemed to follow in the steps of the cult classic, I Know What You Did Last Summer to an extent. It gave me some nostalgic vibes. The final twist was also one I didn’t really see coming but also knew that it must be coming (IYKYK) and was quite satisfying. Marley is a strong female character, and I wasn’t sure what her part in everything might be at the end!

Being that this IS in the YA genre I guess I can’t be too judgmental. The premise of The Dare is what happens when senior pranks and end of the year fun turns deadly? Marley and her friends take a dare from Rhett Wilder third of the previous graduated Wilder brothers who terrorize the school at the end of senior year with pranks that get more and more dangerous every year. Rhett and Marley have a past so his dares seem to be targeted and more intense than anyone else’s as their friends to enemies subplot shows. After her and her friends are dared to drive blind on a dangerous road they hit something but realize soon enough it’s a someone.

What happens with secrets turn deadly, friends turn to foes, and to fight back Marley has to outsmart everyone?

The Dare takes us through that but unfortunately, it’s not very interesting, the dialogue is wonky and never feels right, the prose feels all too simple which makes the story feel hollow. The drama that unfolds isn’t backed with any substance so the ending doesn’t give much to rave about. It just ends and while the slight twist with Marley and Rhett did make me double take I don’t think it’s something that’ll leave the reader thinking about it in the future.


Thank you to Netgalley and Random house children’s publishing for the arc in exchange for a review!

The Dare is my first reading by Natasha Preston, and I hate to say that I was not impressed with the writing of this story. The story here could be a lot more, but the characters are flat, the plot lines are fairly obvious, and nothing in this book makes me want to read another of her stories. I feel like this has similar vibes to Panic by Lauren Oliver, but not executed nearly as well. I do believe this might be a great high interest/low reading level novel for readers needing a simpler text with action that is interesting enough to retain their attention.

This was not good at all. Everything about this – the story, the characters, the emotional backbone – was extremely juvenile and just simply annoying. The weird use of first person tense was unbearable. I get that the audience here are young adults, but that doesn't mean such writing in general should be acceptable. I'm giving it 2 stars because I was interested enough to finish reading this, but I advise against picking up this book. It's a shame because I liked some other books from Preston.

Generally, I like everything that this author writes, and I usually find the books page, turners, and highly engaging. This one didn’t feel as fresh and original to me as her other books have. It felt like a story I really have heard before. That being said, about halfway through the story, there begins to be a little bit of a shift, where it does become a little more original. I just had a hard time really liking or caring about any of the characters, so it made it hard to really care about what happened to them. I have multiple copies of all of her other books in my classroom but I think this one might be one that I skip in my classroom.

Natasha Preston has outdone herself with "The Dare". What a thrilling ride of a book this story held within its pages!

A dare that leads to friendships being tested with dire consequences.

Marley and her friends participate in pranks considered to be harmless. These pranks escalate with Rhett Wilder who instigates them. Rhett dares Marley and her friends to complete a blind driving challenge at night. The consequences of that night changes their friendship dynamic tremendously. Marley begins to be excluded as she realizes that maybe this friendship isn't as strong as it once was.

Natasha Preston is an author I always enjoy reading. She delivers another gripping novel that you won't be able to put down. I love the twist and turns that keep you guessing as to who may be committing crimes as a result of the dare that's gone horribly wrong. A highly recommended title for Preston fans and those wanting a gripping read on who is the murderer.

It’s the end of senior year for Marley, Atlas, Luce, and Jesse, and senior pranks are in full swing. When pranks become dares that get more dangerous, it can be deadly.

I felt like this book was fairly slow moving through most of it with a lot of outlandish and just unrealistic events. Still it was an interesting read. I felt like the ending was satisfying, albeit abrupt. I would have liked a little more of the final reveal vs such a short wrap up. But overall, I enjoyed the book.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Random House for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review. 3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4.

Another great book by Natasha! This book kept me guessing.

4 friends accept a dare that alters their lives forever. Who will crack?

This book kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat.
And I did not expect the twist at the end!
So so good!

Highly recommend!

Natasha Preston strikes again! Marley is entering her senior year, implying that her classmates' infamous dares await her. One thing leads to another, landing them in a much darker spot than they could ever imagine.

Like her other books, Preston fills this one with her fast-paced, snappy writing, making it a quick and enjoyable read. Even though I know the main characters were high school seniors, I felt that some of the characters were shallow and the plot hard to believe. I simultaneously wonder how someone could feel so pressured to complete a dare while remembering that teens are easily influenced, especially in social situations. Despite all of that, this book was filled with plenty of suspense to keep the plot moving along - my students will LOVE this one. Thanks so much for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for access to The Dare for review.

Senior year of high school is always full of exciting times, but in Marley's small town there is extra excitement. The town's influential family's rich, bored sons have taken to increasing the severity of senior pranks leading to trouble no one saw coming. What will students do with blood on their hands?
Fans of Natasha Preston's novels will devour this as they do all her thrilling YA novels; readers are hooked quickly and need to know what will happen next.

This was my first book from Natasha Preston, and I was not too impressed. Nothing against Natasha as her writing is phenomenal, but I feel it is definitely tailored to the younger adult population. I could not get into this book from the beginning and then the "focus" of the dare and results of it came in quick and I lost interest immediately. There was nothing really hooking me to the story line. I am sure that the end may make up for it - but I could not get myself there. I had to DNF this and it broke my heart because I hate doing that, but I could not get myself to keep reading. I would have to force myself to pick it up compared to my anxious and can't wait to read my book attitude.

This is clearly a YA suspense book. That does happen to be a genre I enjoy (no guilt!) because it's fun and suspenseful with relatively low stakes.
In this case, the premise was kind of silly, and I don't really believe that someone could have such great blackmail info that he could basically force an entire class into taking part in ridiculous and dangerous dares. However. Once you suspend your disbelief, the fun starts. The dares are terrible, and you know something bad is going to happen, and the most suspenseful element is that you no longer know who you can trust.
I had several books I was supposed to read before this one but I love Natasha Preston and I read this first and couldn't put it down. Great fun.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This captivating story delves into the high-stakes world of dares and pranks in Marley's town, where seniors are challenged as a rite of passage. The dares, initially seemingly harmless, escalate into a dangerous game with serious consequences. The pressure to accept a dare is palpable, with the looming threat of expulsion, arrest, or worse.

The author skillfully captures the tension and complexities of the teenage experience, where the desire to prove oneself can lead to unforeseen challenges. As the characters grapple with the consequences of saying yes to a dare, the narrative explores the thin line between exhilaration and danger.

The stakes are high, and the story delves into the psychological and emotional impact of accepting dares. A must-read for those who enjoy stories that navigate the complexities of adolescence and the choices that shape one's future.

4.4 (generously rounded)
Some (read: about half) of the characters were a bit underdrawn, and very nearly everyone seemed to revel in making bad decisions, but this one had a subtle (if slightly sadistic) charm that I kinda vibed with.

I am just now discovering Natasha Preston and I was so excited when I saw this book come up on NetGalley. I knew I had to request it and I was fortunate enough to get it. I have heard tons about Natasha Preston and her other books and I can see why now. Her writing is so easy to read and follow along with. Her characters are very likable and devious at the same time. Once I started this one I couldn't put it down. I had to know how things happened.

Marley is in her senior year of high school and towards the end of the school year. This is the time when senior games start for all the seniors that will be leaving. This is usually just fun pranks that are more like dares for them to finish orchestrated by one of the Wilder brothers. This year it is Rhett Wilder that is in charge of the games/dares. Rhett and Marley used to be close but he changed and basically dropped Marley as a friend of his. Marley was confused as to what she did to make Rhett stop talking to her.

Marley, Atlas, Jess and Luce are tight and seem like the best of friends until the dare happens. Marley is dating Atlas and they have made plans to attend the same college in the fall. Jess and Luce are dating and seem to be fine with their plans for the fall as well. Things get tense between friends when dares begin to take place. Some want to be in on them and some think that the dares are not such good ideas. When Rhett hands out the first dare to Marley's group they think that it is a good sign because they will get theirs over and maybe it won't be a bad dare starting out.

Little does everyone know, Rhett is determined to make Marley's group do more dares than anyone. It is like he wants to take out his and Marley's differences on the group. When an accident happens during one of the dares, the lies that are conjured up just keep compounding and Marley is not fond of any of it. Jess begins to change that night and their friendship is put to the test. The ending will leave you with your jaw on the floor. I totally did not see it coming and I think that is because of the excellent plot thought out by Natasha Preston, I really enjoyed this one and devoured it in no time. I can't wait to go back and read more of Natasha Preston's books now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this books. You won't regret picking this one up to read!

Dare I say this is my favorite Natasha Preston. This book follows Marley and her friends as they receive dares from Marley’s ex friend Rhett, as the dares go on the risk grows. I loved the fast pace of the book and the twist, I thought I knew how the story was going to go but in true Preston fashion I was left shocked. You won’t see what’s coming as Marley starts to crack after a dare leaves someone dead, you start to root for her to plot revenge. Think I know what you did last summer vibes. Overall I loved the book and the characters, it was a good quick thriller.

Natasha Preston never disappoints. An easy read filled with suspense, a good read for any thrill seeker.

This book was fast-paced and still had me racing through the pages to see how in the world it would end! Marley is one badass character and the way her mind schemes is pretty fascinating. This is a new to me author and I’m thrilled to find her. Excellent read.