Title: Truth or Dare (Part 1 of the Bayfield High series)
Author: Madeleine Labitan
Publication: February 27, 2018 (105 pages)
Edition: Kindle (via Kindle Unlimited)
Genre: Teen Romance
Rating: Bish
Bookit 2009 #4
So this was recommended to me because I was reading the Scandalous series by R. Linda so I decided to try it out. Its relatively short, and I was able to read it, and its two sequels in about 2 and half hours one morning. So its definately one of those short-and-sweet novels.
Because its so short, the action of the plot is relatively short. I feel like this story had the promise of more, but hadn’t been given the time. This entire story takes place over a couple hours for the most part at a teen party with underage drinking. There is a slight element of ridiculous in the set up of the events, but I think they would be more forgivable if more happened.
In the first novel (of 3 I read) the main character is Kenzie, who spends half the novel helping her best friend enact revenge for his cheating on her. Cheating is a recurring element in these stories. This story sets up the second book with that same theme.
Kenzie has a prank war with Sean, her love interest in this novella. However after several mishaps over the night and getting stuck in the bathroom while his girlfriend cheats on him in the other room, Sean relates that he started the pranks as a way to get her attention.
It’s hard to summarize this because its so short. Its only around 90 pages long (the book has a bunch of samples at the end). I think its a nice start, but could have used some more plot in the background. On the other hand the angst side of things isn’t dragged out endlessly.
I am going to give it a B-ish. I feel that this author has potential, although she does have a problem with length. Maybe in the future she can reissue this series with more backstory development and lengthen the story in general. Till then it almost seems like I’m grading something unfinished. That being said, if you have a wait somewhere and want to read something quick, this book could work for you. It didn’t make me want to (figuratively) throw my kindle in annoyance either.
Sokorra Lewis 