Book review: It started with a dare by Lindsay Faith Rech

My summary:

CJ Silverman has just moved from Philly to a small town called Beaubridge. Being a new student can be tough when you’re in high school but CJ can hardly believe her luck, one of the first people that speak to her is the most popular girl in school. CJ dreams of being popular and accepted and she is prepared to work hard to fulfill her dreams. It all starts with a game of truth, dare or torture and CJ’s soon in over her head.

My thoughts:

It Started With a Dare was a novel addressing serious subjects and at the same time it was packed with laugh out loud moments, I really enjoyed the ride. Mrs. Rech writes about serious topics in a way that enables you to laugh at the same time that you know that this is serious matters she addresses. We have subjects like how difficult it can be to fit in, how easy it can be to tell lies to be accepted, romance, teenage drama, eating disorder, friendship and dysfunctional families, you name it It Started With a Dare got it.

I’m usually not a big fan of characters that lies and at some point of the book the main character, CJ’s, actions made me feel uncomfortable.  Why not stop to think about the consequences? At the same time I could understand her, when CJ first started lying, with a hope of becoming friends with the most popular girl in school, it only went from bad to worse and it seemed like it was impossible to stop. But at least she was with the in-crowed.  Still CJ was a witty and likable character and she had a nice character development throughout the book. It’s not easy being 15-16, in a new place and trying to figure out who you really are.

One of my favorite characters in the story was one of the mean girls named Grace We mustn’t forget that people often say hurtful things or does mean things to others because they have some serious issues with their own person (not that it’s alright for people to hurt others because they hurt themselves but I think you get my drift).

The cover:

Cute but I would have wished for it to be a more in the spirit of the main character.

My rating of this book:

3,5 stars out of 5

Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews written by some of my book blogging friends:

I can’t remember to have read any reviews of this book by any of the bloggers I follow. If I have somehow overseen your review then please leave a comment with a link and I’ll add a link to your review here.

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It Started With a Dare by Lindsay Faith Rech

Published:  September 2010
Pages(hardcover):  312
Publisher: Graphia
ISBN: 0547235585 (ISBN13: 9780547235585)
Full disclosure: ARC received from Graphia(a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt imprint) via NetGalley. 

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.