Dare You To: Review

Synopsis:

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"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....

***

The... how can I express it? spirit of Dare You To is very similar to Pushing The Limits. But the plot is better than that of Pushing The Limits. At least, nothing is too perfect here. And too perfect can be pretty annoying at times. Beth is a girl with huge issues. A mom being an addict and her mom's boyfriend being a sadist. Under the appearances, Ryan isn't a boy with  perfect life either. That's a slightly better background for the two characters. At least, better than Pushing The Limits.

This book can also swing my emotions better than the previous one. That's one of the best parts in this book. But the best part isn't perfect because I am annoyed by the Ryan in the first few chapters more than anything else. I guess I like Beth's character better because even though she's sometimes a bitch, she knows her place and I can't stand jock guys with an arrogant ass. (Not that Ryan is one, but come on, he acts like one in the first few chapters and first impressions are powerful stuff) 

There are still some problems on the writings and those problems are very similar to the ones in Pushing The Limits. I will totally admit that this book has improved. Quite a lot. But the root ones are still there. Like the fact that some of the scenes can be canceled and that wouldn't matter to the book. And the fact that this is quite a typical plot among YA contemporary books. So while it's still an enjoyable read (maybe more than Pushing The Limits), I still can't say I'm utterly impressed or captivated.

Rating: 7/10