Contemporary YA discussion

Addy Hanlon has always been Beth Cassidy's best friend and trusted lieutenant. Beth calls the shots and Addy carries them out, a long-established order of things that has brought them to the pinnacle of their high-school careers. Now they're seniors who rule the intensely competitive cheer squad, feared and followed by the other girls -- until the young new coach arrives.

Cool and commanding, an emissary from the adult world just beyond their reach, Coach Colette French draws Addy and the other cheerleaders into her life. Only Beth, unsettled by the new regime, remains outside Coach's golden circle, waging a subtle but vicious campaign to regain her position as "top girl" -- both with the team and with Addy herself.

Then a suicide focuses a police investigation on Coach and her squad. After the first wave of shock and grief, Addy tries to uncover the truth behind the death -- and learns that the boundary between loyalty and love can be dangerous terrain.

The raw passions of girlhood are brought to life in this taut, unflinching exploration of friendship, ambition, and power. Award-winning novelist Megan Abbott, writing with what Tom Perrotta has hailed as "total authority and an almost desperate intensity," provides a harrowing glimpse into the dark heart of the all-American girl.


1. What did you like best about the book?
2. What did you like the least about the book?
3. Did any characters stand out to you?
4. Would you recommend this book?
5. Were there any lessons learned?
6. If you could ask the author one question what would it be?

Read... discuss and have fun!

Yaay,I'm starting this book right after An Ember In Ashes, that I'm currently reading! I got this book from Secret Santa this year and am really excited to start it!

Thanks for the nomination! I hadn't heard of the author and now I have 3 of her books: Dare Me, The End of Everything and Fever. Who knows.. she could become one of my favorite author's. I'll try to wait and start Dare Me in Jan.

I added The End of Everything and The Fever as well, they seem very promising! I'm hoping for lots of secrets and twists along the story!

I started Dare Me yesterday and so far I'm enjoying it! It focus a lot on the phsychological aspect.

I'm glad you're enjoying it...that means I will too. So many book to read so little time. I'll start this one next week.

1. What did you like best about the book? The writing. I don't know how to explain it, but even without much going on or without dialogues, it's was a joy to read Addy's thoughts.
2. What did you like the least about the book? During almost the entire book, definitely Beth. After the ending, I have no idea. I think it should have explored Addy's friendship or at least her developing relationship with the other girls from cheer squad. I can understand why it was mainly focused on her relationship with Coach and Beth, specially the latter, but I would like, after the hospital scene, and way before, when she started to band with, for example, RiRi. Also, the way Addy seemed to just bow down to everything Beth said or did instead of confronting her.
3. Did any characters stand out to you? Addy and Beth and Coach, for different reasons. I loved Addy as the main character and I was torn in how I felt about Coach.
4. Would you recommend this book? YES.
5. Were there any lessons learned? I guess the main thing you can get from this book is that you don't actually know everything about someone, their thoughts and motivations. You'll never understand them as much as you think you do and they can always surprise you.
6. If you could ask the author one question what would it be? What was your inspiration for this story? Did you have any friends like Beth?

Wow, I love this author (Megan Abbott.) She's a fabulous storyteller. She pulls you into this world and makes it so captivating. If I pointed out all the main events that occurred, I would have probably passed on the book. Abbott made those events incredibly entertaining. I was hooked right away.

I agree with Natália ...I really enjoyed the writing. It was really unique and fabulous. There was a perfect rhythm to it. Abbott made the dullest things seem interesting... like cheerleaders forming a pyramid. She made me want to know more about characters I didn't particularly like.

The characters were full of personality. The cheerleader's were almost all self centered, mean, manipulating, egomaniacs with lose morals, who used their bodies as a tool for power and control. I didn't really like any of the character's, but I still wanted to know what happened to them.

I enjoyed the narrator, Addy the most, but I didn't trust her narration. I always felt her way of seeing things was swayed. That actually made the book better and suspenseful too. I had hopes that Addy would grow and become a better person. And I was not surprised at all with the "reveal" at the end. I knew it the whole time. I thought we were supposed to assume it.

I would definitely recommend the book. It's a great read.

I would ask the author- How did you separate yourself from the story while writing it.
I think if it was me, I would have to write in one room. That's the room where the cheerleading world existed and I could walk out close the door and leave that world behind, but I don't think it would be that easy.