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.

I didn't finish this book. These characters make me crazy, with their peer pressure and ridiculousness. Two of the protagonists have already been accepted to their top colleges and don't want to compromise their positions; tell me why they even show up to the stupid party where dares are assigned anyway.

I can see how teens would like this book, and they are the target demographic anyway. They would hate-read the book, not realizing that they have too much in common with the characters of the book. For that reason, I'll buy this book for my classroom library.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseChildrens for the book #TheDare by #NatashaPreston. This book is about senior pranks and dares and everything that can go wrong. As four friends try to face and live with a tragedy from a fateful night, relationships start to fall apart. Desperation turns everyone to point fingers and try to frame others. Will they all end up in jail instead of college?

Finished it in one day! I could not put it down!

I absolutely loved the entire story. The way everyone has become so paranoid of each other and rifts are forming between these friends is fascinating.

But the plot twists are the true stars of this book!

It's the final weeks of senior year and the pranks are beginning. But Rhett Wilder takes things to another level and they are no longer just pranks, they're dares. If you choose not to participate you are taking the chance that your secrets will be exposed for the world to see.

When Jesse, Luce, Atlas, and Marley are given their dare they didn't expect that it would wind up changing their lives forever. But can they keep this secret together or will there be a weak link that brings them all down?

On Sale 05.07.24

#BookReview #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #Reading #Bookaholic #IGReads #BookAddict #BookNerd #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #InstaBooks #ReadMoreBooks #BookLover #ReadWithSamiB #BookTok #TheDare #NetGalley #NatashaPreston #NatashaPrestonBooks @authornatashapreston

I completely devoured it. It was so fast paced and so high anxiety I had to know what was going to happen next. This book was super suspenseful and had good character development and drama. And there were some wild plot twists too!

Overall this was a super entertaining YA thriller and I really enjoyed it!

The Dare was so good. I really thought I had it figured out but it was intensely more complex than I would have imagined and it was fantastic! Marley has been vastly underestimated and go Marley it was something to see. I really enjoyed this prank gone wrong story that had so much more to reveal. Definitely a great read and I highly recommend it l!

4.5⭐

This one took a bit for me to get into, but once thing's got intense and suspenseful; I didn't want to put it down. Especially the last half, I stayed up way too late to finish and it was well worth the loss of sleep! lol

I've read two other books by Natasha Preston: The Fear and The Island (both 5⭐)
I think this book was my favorite ending! All I'm going to say is that Marley is a sneaky badass!! Highly recommend reading this when it comes out tomorrow. Thank you Netgalley for an arc copy, all opinions are my own.

I hated Jesse and I kept wondering what he was capable of. Truly terrifying. I was disappointed in Luce. And Atlas, well, I'd love to give him a piece of my mind...

There were some twists that happened that I suspected would, but it didn't take away from the story and it made me feel good when I got it right. Natasha Preston is great at making you think it could be anyone that's the "bad guy".

I want to start out by saying thank you to @netgalley and Random House Children’s for an E-ARC of this book!

This book was a great read for me and got me out of the biggest reading slump I’ve ever been in! It was so good! It was giving major I know what you did last summer vibes. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know what I mean. It was fast paced and kept me interested the entire time. I was blindsided completely by the ending, I was actually shocked. I literally said “what?” and had to read it again because I somehow couldn’t believe it. This was a rollercoaster and I’m so glad I got to read it!

Preston does it again! And again! And again!
The Dare Natasha Preston was such a fun ride!
It is a fast paced and holds your attention from the very beginning. I can honestly say I did not see the twist coming, and I was pleasantly surprised with how everything unfolded.
Natasha Preston is one of my favorite YA thriller authors. She always brings the most interesting and compelling stories.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Oooo I really liked this one. The premise reminded me a bit of I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER with teenagers trying to cover up a trauma. Even though the book was told from one perspective, it still somehow kept me interested and a bit surprised at the end!
Marley, Atlas, Luce, and Jesse are seniors and looking forward to their new lives at college at the end of the school year. They just have to get through the Dares that the rich, popular Weil brothers dole out. You better say yes to the dares or else they will find out your secrets and expose you in front of everyone. No one wants that. Marley and her boyfriend, Atlas, and Jesse and Marley’s best friend, Luce are dared to drive down a road at night with no head lights. Everything was great until they all hear a thump, only to find they hit someone. What would you do? Tell the cops and turn yourself if, ruining your chance at college and a good future OR cover it up and hope your friends won’t turn on you?

Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy with this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Natasha took me on a wild ride!! This book creeped me out but I couldn’t put it down!! I was completely blind sided by the ending as always! I can’t wait for more of Natasha’s books.

In The Dare by Natasha Preston we meet Marley a senior in high school who is fearing the traditional dare that always happens at the end of senior year. especially since the Wilder brothers have been attending high school the dares have changed from funny pranks to scary and soon even life threatening. In her senior class it is red Wilder calling the shots they were once best friends but his families money and standing in the community obviously has gone to his head as he ghosted her the summer after eighth grade year. When they begin Marley counts herself lucky when all her her best friend Luce and their boyfriends Atlas and Jesse have to do is break in Mr. authors house the strange man who lives in town and steal a watch Marley finds this suspicious especially since the Wilders in Mr. Arthur whose ancestors founded the town have had a battle over his land but the stakes go way up on their next dare when her and her friends accidentally run over the loaner. Unfortunately this isn’t the worst thing that’s going to happen to Marley and Mr. Arthur isn’t the last one to die but why are they blaming her for the murders including her friends? Like always Natasha Preston has given us a very twisty entertaining YaThriller that does not disappoint there were things in the book that gave me pause but not enough to ruin the storyline I especially loved the twist at the end I thought her and Red making nice was a bit suspicious but like with all Natasha Preston‘s books nothing is done without forethought this is a very good read and one I definitely recommend. I want to thank random house children’s for my free ark via NetGalley. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I really enjoy Natasha Preston’s books, and this book kept my streak going. It is YA so if that’s not your thing you may not enjoy this read. It’s a simple story, a group of friends are at the end of their Senior year, and this time of the year is notorious for year end pranks & dares. Some are simple, farm animals on the school grounds, glitter bombs, moving furniture around, setting off fire alarms … but some are more sinister, stealing cars, breaking & entering, erratic driving, etc. They don’t have a choice on which one they get (dare or prank), that’s decided by the Wilder brothers, if you turn them down, one of your deep-dark secrets gets revealed, and no one wants that. When one of the dares goes completely wrong, the group of 4 make a completely wrong choice, that will alter their futures forever. They all agree to “take it to the grave”, the secret should never get out. Somehow, someone knows what happened, and the 4 friends start turning on each other … who told? Who saw? Maybe one of them was in on it? You’ll have to read to figure it out!
The CONs I had for this book, there were a lot of characters, and especially when they started to turn on each other I was having trouble remembering who everyone was, and what their “story” was. Also, I feel like SO much happened at the end, I had to go back and reread, I wish some of the secrets and twists were introduced a little be earlier. But it was still a good read, and the typical Natasha read I like!

So you think you've heard this story before with 4 friends involved in an accident and trying to cover it up, but YA suspense thriller queen puts her own spin on it and it works out very well. Some aspects/twists I was able to guess, some were a complete surprise. If you're a fan of her or of this genre, you'll have fun with this one.