Shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2012.
CWA Judges' comment: “Dark, edgy and gripping. Characters drawn with startling flaws and humanity and a narrative that keeps you guessing.”
The Lovereading view...
Following on from her Richard and Judy selected title, The End of Everything, is this dark dangerous coming of age story set among a fiercely competitive cheerleading squad who are driven to win at any cost by a new coach. The mix of the allure of adulthood and teenage sexuality in American suburbia is a potent one and if you enjoyed Donna Tartt's The Secret History then Dare Me should be on your reading list.
Dark, dangerous and compulsively readable, Dare Me by Megan Abbott is a gripping exploration of the teenage psyche.
There's something dangerous about the boredom of teenage girls. Coach said that once. She said it like she knew, and understood.
When Colette French arrives at school one fall and takes charge of the cheer squad, she brings a hint of threat. Sleek, remote and careless, she transforms the girls into warriors - and rivals. Addy and Beth find that for the first time they have secrets from one another. But their mentor is playing her own deadly game, and there is everything to lose.
'Tense, dark and beautifully written' Gillian Flynn
Megan Abbott is an award-winning author of noir fiction including Queenpin and Bury Me Deep (nominated for the 2010 Edgar Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize). Her most recent novel, The End of Everything, was a 2011 Richard and Judy selection. Born in the Detroit area, she now lives in Queens, New York City.
