Truth or Dare

Gr 9 Up—Quiet and disturbed Sydney, Ivy League-bound Caitlin, and spoiled beauty Tenley are the focus of this chilling tale. To establish herself as the party queen of Echo Bay, Tenley hosts a huge blowout that ends with an intense game of truth or dare. But long after the game is over, someone forces the girls to keep playing. Sydney would rather be developing photos in the darkroom, Caitlin barely has time to sleep with all of her college application-padding activities, and Tenley is just trying to fit in again after almost four years away. However, the three are receiving notes threatening them with exposure of their darkest secrets if they do not perform dares. The teens vacillate between going along, accusing one another and others of being behind the notes, and involving the police. The game gets deadlier, stakes get higher, and someone won't survive it. Green offers an edge-of-your-seat thriller. The characters are all well drawn and believably flawed. There is a good deal of underage alcohol consumption and some drug use and sex. The protagonists' fluctuating reactions to the horrible game are realistic and everyone is a suspect in this town. With just the tiniest hint of the supernatural, Echo Bay itself seems haunted. Creepy and dark to the core, this is a great offering for fans of Lois Duncan and Christopher Pike.—Tara Kehoe, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ