Monday, August 12, 2013

Review: DARE YOU TO by Katie McGarry

Title: DARE YOU TO
Author: Katie McGarry
Published: May 28th, 2013
Series: Pushing the Limits #2 (companion novel)
Genre: YA contemporary
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
POV: 1st person, dual, alternating
Pages: 462
Format: Hardcover
Source: Amazon Vine Program
Rating: The Royal Library, Middle Shelf
"I dare you..."

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....

Like some other people who read McGarry's debut, I was surprised to find that Beth was going to have her own story – and one that did not involve Isaiah as her main love interest. In addition, I was amazed that McGarry chose to write from Beth's POV. In PUSHING THE LIMITS, Beth was hardly an enjoyable or endearing character, so I was a bit nervous when I started DARE YOU TO. Yet, right from the start, McGarry proves there is more to Beth than her rough, don't-f%#$-with-me exterior. Even Ryan, the seemingly Mr. Perfect baseball star who provides the second narration in this novel, proves there is more to him than how fast he can throw a baseball. 

In the beginning of the story, Beth says that she is a piece of a puzzle that never quite fits in. Her words are fitting, because when it comes to Beth and Ryan, they are two puzzle pieces – they're shaped differently, but they still somehow manage to fit together perfectly. Even as their personalities clash and challenge one another, Beth and Ryan simultaneously bring out the better qualities in each other. And, as in any good book, the collision of these two different characters begins with a simple dare, which complicates everything for both of them. Filled with electric tension, surprising secrets, and tantalizing drama, DARE YOU TO is an exceptional story. If you're hesitating when it comes to checking out this story, I dare you to read this book – you won't regret it. 

Highlights: McGarry brought two very different characters together and made their relationship believable and worth rooting for. Beth and Ryan's voices were distinct, nearly impossible to confuse, and they proved to be layered characters. Side characters were fantastic, especially Lacy and Uncle Scott. I especially enjoyed the mystery behind what was going on in Beth's mother's home. As a whole, characters were wonderfully written. 

Lowlights: The story became a bit soap-opera-dramatic a few times. I wish McGarry would have written more about Beth and her Uncle Scott, it would have been nice to see them bond a bit more on page instead off the page.

Notes: Cursing (mostly by Beth), hot-and-steamy moments, mentions of safe sex, mentions of drugs/drug use, and physical abuse. Also, if you take the book jacket off the book so no one will know that you're reading a kissing book, think again. A slightly different version of the cover is printed on the actual book, so you'll just have to bravely read it and ignore the people who stare. Also, you do not need to read PUSHING THE LIMITS in order to understand this novel (you do get to see the two narrators from that novel appear in this story, which is always fun).

Rating: The Royal Library, Middle ShelfDARE YOU TO is fantastic, worth owning, and has earned a spot in the royal library. I enjoyed this story very much, despite a few small issues here and there, and would recommend this book to other readers. 



My reviews of other novels by Katie McGarry: 
PUSHING THE LIMITS

26 comments:

  1. Beth is definitely an intriguing character and I loved seeing her get her happy ending.

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    1. I was skeptical, but I really loved her by the end of the book. And agreed, it was nice to see things work out for her :)

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  2. I loved this one but agree it would have been nice to actually see some of their bonding

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  3. I was also initially surprised to hear that Beth was going to have her own story, but her character grew on me as the story progressed. I thought this one was a fun read, especially for the summertime. I agree with you regarding her relationship with her uncle. I would have liked more of that too. I'm glad you liked the book though. Great review, Lea!

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    1. McGarry did a great job - Beth grew on me very quickly, despite my doubts. This was definitely a great summertime read! Drama, secrets, romance - you can't go wrong with that ;)

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  4. I really enjoyed this book, too, Lea, but I totally agree that it got a bit soap-opera-y throughout. It was worth it though, and I can't wait for the next book! :) Great review!

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    1. Ha! Glad I wasn't the only one who thought it got all soap-opera-y at times. At least everything else was good! :)

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  5. I still need to check out Pushing the limits. But I'm glad you enjoyed this one. I will definitely need to get to this series soon :) Great review!

    Janina @ Synchronized Reading

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    1. You could jump into DYT without reading PTL! Either way, they're both great books and I hope you enjoy them :)

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  6. I loved this one. I agree that it got a little dramatic at parts but I still couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed reading about both Beth and Ryan and I loved seeing the cast from Pushing the Limits again. Great review!

    Katie @ Katie's Book Blog

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    1. Beth and Ryan were fantastic characters, and I agree, it was so fun to see the PTL cast again. Glad you loved this one!

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  7. I'm really excited to read this one! I've heard a lot that DARE YOU TO is not nearly as amazing as PUSHING THE LIMITS, but is still enjoyable.

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    1. I keep seeing that as well (although I liked it a bit more than PTL - but I might be in the minority)! Still, DARE YOU TO is a great book, you should check it out :)

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  8. Glad you enjoyed this one! I actually found Pushing the Limits a bit overdramatic at times which is why I've been a bit wary about reading this, but it really does sound good and I love it when side characters are written well, it makes the story so much better! Great review, thanks :).

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    1. Both books are definitely heavy on the drama, but I still liked both stories (I enjoyed DYT more). Side characters were definitely well written!

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  9. Interesting! I've been wanting to read Katie McGarry's books -- they seem to receive many praises! The thing that keeps bothering me is the cover *sighs* that would be really embarrassing to read in public or at my house if there are my parents.

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    1. Her books are fun to read - drama, secrets, romance!

      Ha! I know, right? It's a good cover, but it's a bit awkward to read it in public ;)

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  10. Yes!! I adore Ryan!! Great review.
    I also wish Uncle Scott and Beth would have had more bonding time in the book!

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    1. It would have rocked to see more bonding between them - I loved their interactions!

      Glad you enjoyed this book, too! :)

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  11. Awesome review :D So glad you loved this book. <3 I still need to read it, but I am excited for it :) The romance sounds sweet. A bit worried about drama :\ I hate drama. Sigh. But still. Sounds like an awesome book :D Thank you for sharing your honest and amazing review. <3

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    1. The romance is fantastic. The drama can be a bit much, but it's worth it in the end. :)

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  12. So, this isn't really my kind of book at all. BUT so many people seem to love this series that I am rethinking that and may actually give them a try sometime. It's pretty clear to me - from your review and others - that McGarry knows what she's doing with respect to crafting believable characters and romance. The only thing that's making me pause is that cover and you say that even if you remove the cover you still have an embarrassing cover!! Nooo. Aw, oh well - I'll have to try it on ebook if I do. Thanks for the review, Lea! Nicely done.

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    1. McGarry's books are definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea - they're fun, dramatic, and romantic, but sometimes they get a little too dramatic.

      I have no idea why Harlequin would print the book with a different version of the cover, but they did. Darn them! I received quite a few raised eyebrows while I read this one in public ;)

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  13. I liked this book a lot, definitely more than PTL because though melodramatic, I found it just a bit more grounded with Ryan's more relatable drama balancing out Beth's very outsized drama.

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    1. Nicely stated! There was a nice balance between it all.

      Glad you liked it too :)

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