Title: Dare You to Lie
Author: Amber Lynn Natusch
Pages: 352

Released: September 4 2018
Publisher: Tor Teen
Format: Hardcover

Genre: Mystery
Goodreads Rating: 4.54 (of 35 ratings)

I don’t like to DNF a book, but I’m currently at 8% in Amber Lynn Natusch’s Dare You to Lie and I really want to put this book down and also really far away.

The first chapter of the book was well-written and set up the plot very well. To be fair, the first chapter took about two minutes to read because it just consisted of Kylene hearing the judge pronounce her father guilty, but the entire mood of the chapter framed the book perfectly for a teen determined to clear her father’s name.

Then chapter two started and I felt like I was reading this whole other book. First of all, Kylene has the most brash way of talking. She is aggressive and immediately identifies others as “mean girls” or “bullies.” All her interactions with her peers in the pages I have read (excluding Tabby and Garrett, but I will get to them) are negative. Either they are verbally fighting and trading crude insults or she is throwing nasty looks. In one scene, Kylene actually trades insults with a teacher.

Kylene meets up with her old best friend, Garrett, in chapter two. The meeting is immediately made awkward (to me, anyway) when Garrett sizes up Kylene’s chest and Ky responds with a laughing comment on how little he has changed. Garrett and Ky’s friendship is played to be this comedic duo, where they frequently burst out laughing at each other’s jokes and antics, but a lot of the jokes are very middle-school level … or not funny at all.

Also on her first day, Kylene meets Tabby, a new girl at the school. Their encounter has to be the most uncomfortable meeting of friends I have ever read. Tabby enters study hall, where a bully immediately asks her if the “carpets match the drapes.” So ensues a huge verbal spar between Ky and the bully and then Tabby and the bully and then basically everyone where people are told they have small breasts, have crabs and lice, and are called illegal immigrants (because they come from Canada??).

If Ky’s juvenile behaviour and aggressive speech is not frustrating enough, Natusch has the habit of creating overly dramatic scenarios for Kylene to “solve” to make her look heroic. Scenarios that I find are unnecessary and burdensome to the plot. For example, during her lunch hour, Kylene happens to stumble upon a car rocking suspiciously. She approaches and sees a guy trapping a girl inside. Then we have this dramatic fight between her and the guy (physical) and she rescues the trapped girl. Now I do not take physical or sexual abuse lightly. I do not believe Natusch threw in this scene for a joke either. However, there is little weight attached to the scene because of how comedic the fight is and how little actual and meaningful discussion takes place following the assault.

I’ll repeat that I dislike DNF’ing books. For this reason, halfway through the review (aka, just now) I left to continue reading the book. However, I was only able to continue to 60% with major skimming and now need to officially announce this book is a DNF. I believe in giving a book every chance — if I DNF, I won’t know if a character sees the error in a behaviour that I disliked. However, even at 60% Kylene is obnoxious and abrasive.

To update my previous statements, Kylene does follow-up on the girl whose boyfriend is abusive. But it’s such a “saviour” dynamic where Kylene is shown as the all-knowing hero, there to rescue the girl (Amy) while Amy is completely clueless about what is happening and how to help herself.

Every other chapter either shows Kylene yelling at/insulting some one who either disagrees with her viewpoints or is classified as a “bully/mean girl” OR shows her physically assaulting someone (punching etc). I could not get behind any of her decisions, or her attitude. Besides her aggressiveness, Kylene constantly acted well below her years: she would lash out, make juvenile jokes and her plans to save her father were not always well thought out. In fact, most of the characters in the book lacked maturity.

I’m giving this book one star, bearing in mind it is a DNF (my first in more than a year, sadly). I tried with this book, but there is little I enjoyed. Kylene is not a pleasant main character. Her supporting cast (Garrett and Tabby) do nothing but follow her lead in name-calling/juvenile behaviour. Many of the B-characters are categorized as “bullies/mean girls” and add nothing to the plot but needless drama. The mystery plot in the book is almost drowned out by Kylene’s ongoing school drama. I would not recommend this book.

Review to be posted on blog August 28 2018 (bookprincessreviews.wordpress.com)
Review to be posted on Goodreads on August 28 2018 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2477582188)

Clearly the beginning of a series (why do I keep doing that to myself), this Veronica Mars style mystery has all the elements of a YA book- a supportive bff, a new kid, old enemies, lost loves, and high school drama. Add in an extortion ring and I am a fan.

I stuck this one out for a few chapters, but I never liked Kylene. She came off too brash and when she stared down the popular girls on the first day of school, that was the last straw for me. It seemed like every kid in her school was against her and the other new girl and everyone bullied everyone. Kylene did the same when she told everyone off for daring to look her way.

Thanks for giving me the chance to read and review.

I've seen many reviews comparing Dare You to Lie to Veronica Mars and I feel like that's an accurate comparison. This definitely reads like one of those snappy, smart, edge-of-your-seat but maybe just a little bit campy teen shows that I am convinced I will never age out of.

I feel like there's no arguing that Ms. Natusch is a gifted writer. I appreciated the witty dialogue and the smart humor. I loved that this wasn't dumbed down or oversimplified. I feel like for YA readers - young and old - there's going to be great appreciation that the book, and the characters in it, are smart, savvy, and strong. I particularly loved that Kylene was written with pluck, sass, and some kick-butt physical capabilities - while still coming off as a little bit vulnerable and relatable. She appealed to me emotionally as well as to that part of me that wants to cheer for the badass anti-hero.

I had some "first book in the series" issues that I'm guessing will not be an issue moving forward. There's a lot of groundwork laid in this one and it dragged for me in places. However, now that the background has been laid out, I'm excited to see where this series goes from here.

There's a lot of action, mystery, some snappy humor, and just enough emotion to keep my heart on the hook (though I'm definitely hoping to see some more relationship development moving forward!). Dare You to Lie was an exciting and fun new adventure and I'm definitely coming back for more!