** I received this book as an arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

In Marley's town, seniors participate in a rite of passage involving pranks. These dares begin with minor mischief, like egging houses or setting loose chickens in school. However, the risks are high: completing a dare can lead to expulsion, arrest, or other severe consequences. Refusing a dare isn't an option, but accepting one comes with serious repercussions.

Overall rating: 4.1/5

Ratings:
1. **Plot and Storytelling:** 4/5. I found the book engaging and well-told, despite a few frustrating slow moments. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

2. **Characterization:** 4/5. I enjoyed the characters, especially watching some of them become completely unhinged as events unfolded. It was both believable and entertaining.

3. **Writing Style:** 4/5. I appreciated Natasha Preston’s writing style. The pacing was generally well done, though there were a few filler moments I didn't enjoy. I often find her endings abrupt, but this novel concluded well, and I enjoyed her writing overall.

4. **Originality:** 3.5/5. The premise of high school seniors pulling pranks that go wrong didn't feel particularly original. However, some of the twists and turns were unique.

5. **Emotional Impact and Resolution:** 5/5. This book had me hooked. I was on the edge of my seat, and the twist at the end was excellent. Everything wrapped up well, and I got the answers I wanted.

This gripping read keeps you hooked from the halfway point onwards. Imagine being forced into a dangerous dare by the popular kid, knowing refusal could ruin your life. But when the dare goes horribly wrong, risking jail time for you and your friends, tensions rise. How do these events impact your friendships, especially when secrets start circulating? It's a story that delves into paranoia and high-stakes decisions. Get ready for a compelling read that keeps you on edge.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Loved the idea but not the execution. After reading Preston's The Island, I had high hopes for The Dare.

I just wasn't a fan. All of the characters are horrible people, the pacing left me bored, etc. It was an interesting idea but any suspense fizzles due to the pacing.

Worth a read, because maybe it's just me. And I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to read this so I feel bad that I just feel lukewarm about it.

Senior pranks are supposed to be fun, but now someone’s dead…

Normal teenager shenanigans are expected right before graduation each year, but in this town they up the ante in the form of dares: & when Jesse accepts & takes Luce, Atlas, & Marley along for a ride that ends in tragedy, they might all have to kiss their college acceptance letters goodbye…

I enjoyed this Natasha Preston YA thriller giving me Riverdale TV show vibes (& even referencing the show once!) & need to work more of this author’s books into my reading list when I’m in the mood for unexpected endings. This story wasn’t too long & I had a good time following along with the diabolical plotting in the aftermath of the accident, never knowing who to trust.

Thank you to NetGalley & Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Natasha Preston Book and i must say it was great i can't wait to read more of her books. I completely devoured it. It was so fast paced and so high anxiety I had to know what was going to happen next.

This was my first Natasha Preston book and it won't be my last! There were multiple twists that literally had me gasping at my book. The last 15% I couldn't put the book down. Sometimes with YA thrillers I struggle to relate/like the characters. But I loved the characters in this book and was rooting for them the whole time. I've definitely recommended this to my friends that are looking for a good thriller! I can't wait to read more from Natasha Preston!

Having read other books by Natasha Preston I knew I was in for a wild ride with her newest book and I was not disappointed! I love a book that keeps me guessing from start to finish and this book accomplishes that from the jump. The final twist I DID NOT SEE COMING AND AUDIBLY GASPED! In the end Rhett ended up being my favorite character, even though he is morally grey however something about him just stuck with me and I feel like his feelings for Marley were always real. Definitely recommend this one for anyone who loves a good thriller!


Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to review this advanced readers copy. These are my own thoughts and personal opinions.

Natasha's best work (that i've read) thus far! This follows the story of 4 friends who, in the midst of completing a dare, they accidently hit a guy with their car.....and decide to dispose of his body. But the secret begins to eat away at them and, soon. It becomes hard to trust anyone.

This was a thrilling ride and the ending had me shook! All i'm gonna say is....don't fuck with my girl, Marley! From beginning to end, this story had me accusing and un-accusing characters. By the end, I didn't even trust myself. 😅

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC. I was NOT disappointed at all! (Time to go pre-order a physical copy!)

Solid characters and secrets that keep coming and do not totally get uncovered until the last couple of pages. This is everything that I want in a thriller and The Dare certainly delivers.

I dnf this book and stopped around the 25% or 30% mark. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters and it just dragged too much in the beginning. I don't typically read YA but I have in the past. Regardless I didn't realize that this was even YA, so that could have something to do with it as well.

This is Preston's best thriller yet! I never saw the final twist coming! Add this to YA collections where Karen McManus and Preston's previous works are popular. Teens will not be disappointed!

I continue to love Natasha Prestons work! I would not have wanted to be a senior and accept a dare. I was such a scaredy cat in high school that i envied these students rush of thrills. This entire book was a wild ride that I could not put down.

4/5 ⭐
ARC REVIEW!!! i will always love natasha preston's book. i definitely have a soft spot for her because she's one of the authors that got me into reading and then back into reading a couple years later - so when i saw that she was coming out with a new book, i immediately jumped on it!

i really really liked this one. it was a bit slower than some of her other books, but still a good plot line and well thought out! i was a little confused as to what the big "twist" was going to be because i thought there wasn't going to be one with how the story was going, but obviously it's a thriller and there's always a twist somewhere, and when i came...i was SHOCKED!

i never really know how to review thrillers because i feel like i can't say anything without something being spoiled hahaha but just know that this was really good, and i will always recommend a natasha preston book! definitely pick this up if you're looking for a super fast and easy read with a fun twist and story!

thank you natasha preston, netgalley, and random house for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I have long been a fan of Natasha Preston, and she has long been one of our best circulating Young Adult thriller authors. Every book that she releases jumps straight to the top of our 10 most requested book list, and for good reason! Her novels are smart, tightly written, thrillers that keep readers, both young and old, on the edge of their seats as they careen toward a high-octane ending. She has surpassed the high bar that her previous novels set with "The Dare," which is her best effort to date.

Preston takes a formula that feels familiar, four friends who commit a terrible action are then bound to secrecy by their mutually ensured destruction if they should ever tell, and turns it into something completely new. I read fifty to sixty thrillers a year and it takes a lot to surprise me, but even I was FLOORED by the ending of this novel. It was so well-crafted and subversive that I sat back in disbelief before thumbing through the second half of the novel again saying, "No way," over and over again as I went back to find the trail of breadcrumbs Preston sprinkled throughout that led to the shocking finale.

For my other teachers and school librarians, you will understand what a huge compliment it is when I say that "The Dare" has made me sad the school year is ending. My students will love this novel so much that I'm sad I'll have to wait until August to share it with them. In the meantime, I've ordered three copies already for our collection and have listed it on my summer reading guide for those students looking to do some pleasure reading through the summer.

A must-read for any fan of the thriller genre, adults don't be put off by the "YA" label, Preston can more than hold her own with adult writers of the genre like Lucy Foley, Lisa Unger, and Lisa Jewell. "The Dare" is my top contender for thriller of the year and a must-buy for anyone curating a collection for mystery lovers. Special thanks to NetGalley and to Delacorte Press for providing me with an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Dare-a standalone

By Natasha Preston- new to me author

Rating: 4/5 ⭐

📃 Page Count: 341 kindle

Publication 5/7/24,  Read 5/7/24

🙏🏾 Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children/Delacorte Press for this ARC 💙  ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

What to Expect:  YA thriller/suspense, coming of age, small town, murder, whodunit, movie-I Know What You Did Last Summer

Summary: Marley Croft is a high school senior which means-senior pranks. The Wilder brothers mainly Rhett chooses the who and the what of the prank which they have turned into dares. Marley, her boyfriend Atlas, her BFF Lucia (Luce) and Luce's boyfriend Jesse agree to a break-in and steal from Marley's reclusive neighbor Arthur. Next dare, Jesse must blind drive without lights down a dangerous town road. They accidentally hit someone, and spend the rest of the time dealing with the consequences.

🎭The characters:
* Marley-main h , graduation in 3weeks and then UCLA
*Atlas-Marley's bf
*Lucia-Marley's BFF
*Jesse-Lucia's bf
*Arthur-Marley's recluse neighbor
*George-Arthur's grandson, lost both his parents
*The Wilder brothers-Rhett is the one calling the shots. He and Marley were BFFs until he ghosted her in 8th grade. His family is wealthy and powerful enough to cover up for him.

🤔 My Thoughts: This novel kept me guessing the whole time. It had nonstop action, plotting, and coverups. Rhett was my favorite character because he's morally gray, and I believe he still cares for Marley. I felt for George and Arthur who were innocent in this whole scheme.

I think we can all appreciate some fun lighthearted senior pranks, but in Natasha Preston’s The Dare pranks are anything but lighthearted. And things go horribly wrong for Marley and her friends as the dares continue to get dealt out. There were times I really wanted to smack some of the characters in this book, lol, but that might just be a testament to Peston’s writing, her ability to bring the characters to life. This definitely had a sort of ‘I know What You Did Last Summer’ feel to it. This story is fast paced, intense, and at time infuriating (aka those parts where I just wanted to smack characters, lol). Overall it’s a fun thriller and one I’d like to see made into a Netflix miniseries. Thanks so much to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for allowing me access to an eARC of The Dare.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dare-natasha-preston/1143604875?ean=9780593898918&bvnotificationId=0e48ad11-0c9c-11ef-ac16-0e2a5c1943d1&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/308907298

I have always loved Natasha Preston books, but The Dare must be her best one yet! When I read a thriller/suspense I turn into a heavy plot girl, and this book GIVES when it comes to a plot that is intriguing and keeps you on your toes. Right from the start when you start to learn about how the dares work you can tell something bad is bound to happen as it has in the past. What I didn’t expect was the amount of dares, how they were intertwined, and how many people were involved.

Rhett’s character was actually one of my favorites in the book. He was mysterious and full of himself and oddly enough very loyal which as the book went on surprised me more and more. I do have to say I loved his interactions with Marley and how they can so easily push each others buttons from being friends for so long.

The suspense in this book was so well written - there was times where I genuinely thought I knew everything that was going on, but each new chapter I discovered how wrong I was. And the ending WOW it was wild. I seriously never saw it coming and by the time it was over my jaw was on the floor and I wanted more!

Overall I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a good mind teaser suspense.

Marley, Atlas, Luce, and Jesse are seniors in high school and with that comes senior pranks and the dreaded senior dares from the rich kid at school. But, when a dangerous dare leads to a tragic accident, everything changes for the group of friends. Can they stick together and bury their secret, or will the pressure of senior year and guilt ruin their friendship and future?
For me the book started out a little slow and the characters seemed to lack development and were at times unlikable That being said it a third way into the book the story does pick up the pace with the twist and turns that kept me wanting to read. The ending did have a shock factor that I did not see coming. Not my favorite book of Natasha Preston's although still a good mystery book and worth the read.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for e-book arc!

THE DARE by Natasha Preston is one hairpin twist after another on a dark, tragic road.

As the class of 2023 gets closer to graduation it’s time for senior pranks! But some pranks can go wrong leading to life altering consequences. The offspring of the rich family in town, the Wilders are the ones that assign the pranks. This year it’s Rhett Wilder, Marley’s former best friend who is calling the shots. Marley and her boyfriend Atlas, Lucia and Jesse all have big plans for the future. They are tasked with entering the creepy, some would say haunted home of the town recluse, Arthur. Whew, mission accomplished! So it’s over, they are good now, let commencement begin. But Rhett has other ideas and when he assigns them another task, the consequences could be deadly.

As the four friends grapple with the aftermath of THE DARE they begin to splinter and act in very strange ways. As Marley begins to suspect that her friends are setting her up to take the fall if they are indeed caught, she will turn to the most unlikely of allies.

The tension on this one just continued to ratchet up. I felt my pulse racing and my heart pounding during quite a few situations in this book. The writer’s style is smooth and easy leading to an enjoyable read. Always a fan of novels with high school settings, this was not a school I would have wished to attend with all the backstabbing and whispers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This was an amazing story! The ending blew my mind! It starts out a little slow but it definitely picks up, and once it does you better hold on! I had to know what was going to happen. My attention was held the entire time, and it had my heart pounding! Everything g I love in a book was in this story. Strong character development and wonderful writing.

Thank you to net galley and to Delacorte Press, and Natasha Preston, for an early review copy.