Romance Schmomance
Written on Jun 14, 2018
BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM
Recently I've been wanting to add more mystery/suspense to my reading repertoire, so when I heard one of my favorite authors had one coming out, I was quick to sign up and read it. And I was not disappointed one bit! YA can be tough to read, but the past few that I've read have been written flawlessly with not much of that typical teenage angst. Plus, I can't say that I've read a YA suspense/mystery before, but this one, I highly recommend because of the badass, zero shit-taking heroine that is Kylene Danners.
I've been a fan of Natusch's work since her Caged series, so it was definitely a no-brainer for me to get my hands on this one. Dare You to Lie is one of those books that is nearly impossible to put down. You must devour it in one sitting and Amber made it so easy to do so. The plot was such an epic one that kept me completely hooked the whole time. Kylene was one of those heroines that started off as this good girl and then one drunken night ended up completely altering her life. So much, that her and her dad left town for a couple years hoping to put that night behind her, but soon returns to Jasperville when her father is framed for murder.
Now that she's back to the place she never wanted to see again, her mom essentially leaving her, so she's back to living with her grandpa. She has some scores to settle in the town where her presence isn't exactly wanted. But Ky is determined to find out the truth of not only that night but also the framing of her father. But the deeper Ky starts to dig, there's constant danger lurking around every corner. How far is she willing to go to find out the truth especially with the constant warnings and endless threats?
I loved Kylene so much, fear wasn't something that consumed her. She was determined to find out the truth in any way possible, but I will say her spitfire tongue and actions would put her in some unlikely situations. Kylene was very much an act first, think later type of girl and it actually made me admire her even more. I was in awe of her investigative skills and it just made her that much more appealing. And we can't forget her only two supportive friends throughout this book that essentially became her sidekicks in this whirlwind mystery towards justice.
Dare You to Lie was one of those reads where your heart just beats so quickly the entire time you're reading. As more truths she uncovers, it just brought up more questions. But the main question that I had during the entire book was why her? Why have her be scandalized, only to cover the truth and none involved be tried. All evidence, swept under the rug, simply hidden away in hopes to never be seen again. There's so much more to this than just her scandal, but what is it or rather, who is it? Ah, the questions I have are endless and I just want to know why they use Kylene as the forefront of it all. Even though some truths were revealed there are still so many that Kylene will need to uncover.
Many have said that this was akin to Veronica Mars, but I've actually never seen the show before. So if you were a fan, this book is definitely up your alley. Ahhh, this book had everything even the romance lover in me was yearning for it, but this just wasn't that kind of book. I'm having a little bit of a love/hate that this will be a series because I don't want to wait long for the next book. With the way this ended, it sets up the next book quite nicely and I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on it.
The scandal, lies, betrayal, blackmail and the top-notch detective skills of Kylene and her friends make for an absolutely riveting story. Highly recommend for all you suspense/mystery and a bit of thriller fans out there!