Book Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Author:  Katie McGarry

Series: Pushing The Limits (#2)

Format:  e-book

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Age Group:  YA
Genre:  Contemporary

Source:  Netgalley

Available:  AMAZON / B&N

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.

Wow, just wow.  It's been a while since I read a YA contemporary and Dare You To just blew me away!  What an amazing read!  From the moment I started to read Date You To, I was hooked.  Dare You To is one of those books you need to plan on doing absolutely nothing for the next day or two, because you will want the world to pause just so you can finish it.   Katie has this way of keeping you glued to the pages with her story telling.  Dare You To is a story that teaches us that no matter what life throws at us, we can overcome anything as long as you believe in yourself and aren't afraid to let love in your heart.    

Elizabeth (Beth) has been through more in her seventeen year of life than some grown adults, and I don’t mean anything good either.  This poor girl has been through hell and back.  So there is no wonder that she has this tough exterior to protect herself.  Her mother is an alcoholic who lives with her dead beat loser of a boyfriend.  Beth had an “incident” with her mom’s boyfriend and decided to move out and live with her aunt in Louisville. 

Ryan is team captain of his high school baseball team.  His father is pretty big in their small town.  He also owns several businesses and he and his family are pretty well off.  Dare You To, is told in Both Beth and Ryan’s POV.  I know sometimes this could be confusing, but Katie made it really easy to follow along.  One day, Ryan and his friends went to Louisville and decided to go to Taco Bell.  While sitting there, in walks this skater looking girl and Ryan’s friends have an idea.   Ryan’s friends dare him to walk up to her and get her phone number.  Ryan thought it was going to be easy and thought winning this dare was going to be a piece of cake.  Little did he know that Beth was going to make sure, even without her knowing about the dare, he wouldn't win. After turning him down several times, including humiliating him in front of his friends, somehow, Beth stays in his head.  You see, Ryan isn't used to losing bets.  A few days later, he runs into “Skater Girl” in this town.  Little do they know that their lives are going to change and together they will help each other get through some really tough times, but they need to trust each other.  Will Beth finally      

I never got to read Pushing The Limits and thought I was going to have a hard time getting into Dare You To, but I didn't at all!  This could definitely be read as a standalone.  The characters truly come to life.  You will feel every emotion they have and sympathize with them during their struggles.  If you are in the mood to read about real issues and love and acceptance, I strongly, I mean STRONGLY suggest you read Dare You To.  You will thank me for it, I promise!