Liz Miles

I gave this 3 out of 5 stars because for me, it was hit or miss with the stories. All of the stories use "touchy" subject matter, such as sexuality, profanity, rape, etc. Some of the stories were quite good, but most felt like chapters out of a book where I was missing the rest of the story. And the rest of the story seemed necessary to fully comprehend the brief glimpse the given short story was providing. At times comical, at times heartbreaking, these stories covered a vast array of topics & emotions. If you like contemporary, you should give it a go as there are likely some stories you will enjoy. However, if you're not a fan of contemporary, then I would recommend steering clear of this one.… (mais)

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: This was full of love, humor, pain, embarrassing moments, and pretty much anything associated with the game truth & dare. I enjoyed most of the stories, but some were a little boring.

Opening Sentence: You know those intriguing warnings you get before the start of a suspect TV show or movie, such as: “This show contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing” or “This program contains strong language?”

The Review:

Truth & Dare is filled with short stories written by a handful of authors. The stories cover a range of different topics. Some were really funny and some were filled with disappointment. Growing up can be difficult in life, but it also is a defining part of our life. That is the time where we learn who we want to be, and everything you experience helps to shape you. All the stories being written talk about some of the issues teenagers go through while trying to grow up.

In the first story you learn that not everything is as it appears to you. Sometimes something that seems wonderful and great on the outside is totally different when you start taking away the layers. Another story talks about first love and all the embarrassing moments that come when trying to let someone get to know the real you. In one story a poor girl has to wear headgear to school at the age of 17, and she talks about how it affected her. Another story is about being too shy and not putting yourself out there, and the consequences that can come from it. Another one talks about rejection and that you need to stay true to yourself no matter what others say. There are many other stories and the topics covered were entertaining as well, but these were a few of my favorites.

Overall, I thought that this was a fun easy read. Some of the stories were really entertaining and funny, while others were more serious and heartbreaking. I like that you can sit down for about 10 minutes and finish one of the stories; it is sometimes nice to not have to commit to a big book. While I did really love some of the stories, there were others that I didn’t quite connect as well with. But that is another great thing about an anthology, there is so many different stories that there is bound to be one that you will love. If you are looking for a fun, light read I would recommend picking up Truth & Dare.

Notable Scene:

As if he could hear my psychic berating, he started suddenly up the steps.

I wasn’t expecting this. I was leaning too far over the railing.

I flinched.

The moment stretched out, as if time itself had slowed to savor my unbelievable humiliation. Endless seconds passed as the tray slid from my hands: there was the moment when its weight was still against the sweaty tips of my fingers but it was already irredeemably lost; the moment when the tray was flipping, its red plastic bright in the fluorescent lights, and the moment when I fully realized what was going to happen and felt my stomach turn in a slow churn of horror.

There was the moment when the boy whose name I didn’t know looked up, just before the tray hit. His eyes were wide and bright blue, narrowing. He saw me.

Than the tray hit in an explosion of food and milkshakes.

FTC Advisory: Running Press Kids/The Perseus Books Group provided me with a copy of Truth & Dare: 20 Tales of Heartbreak and Happiness. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.… (mais)

It has been a long time since I’ve read any short stories so when I got the opportunity to read this anthology of edgy YA stories I couldn’t say no. There are a few authors involved that I was already familiar with but most of the names were new to me. There is certainly a range of stories, though with very few exceptions the protagonists are female and most of the stories deal with heterosexual relationships. There are funny stories, sweet and touching stories and stories with a cautionary tale.

The one thing that you always have to remember with any anthology is that you are unlikely to love every story and I have to say that was definitely the case with this book. There were some stories that I just felt I didn’t get and I ended up feeling a bit confused when I got to the end of them. There were also a few that were very good stories but I didn’t particularly enjoy them, for example Sherry Shahan’s “Iris and Jim”.

There were plenty of stories I liked and some that I downright loved, special mentions must go (in no order but the one they’re printed in) to “Never Have I Ever” by Courtney Gillette, “Abstinence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder” by Jennifer Knight, “Cool Cats and Melted Kisses” by Luisa Plaja and “Team Men” by Emma Donoghue. These four were my absolute favourites, but they’re all so different that I couldn’t possibly pick one overall favourite.

I enjoyed reading this anthology but for me there was probably a fairly even split between the stories that I enjoyed and the ones I didn’t care so much for. I think that the range of stories included in the book means that pretty much anybody will find stories to love, and I’m sure many readers will read and reread this book time and again.… (mais)