Book Review: The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia

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The Fair Weather Friend  by Jessie Garcia  opens with Faith Richards, a popular meteorologist in Detroit, never returning back to the news station after her dinner break. The next day, her news station releases a story that she's been found, strangled to death not far from the station. The Fair Weather Friend , as Richards is referred to by adoring fans, had some deep, dark secrets. As those skeletons come to light, other peoples' lives start to unravel, and things are not what they seem. I'd like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for approving my request for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Jessie Garcia's The Fair Weather Friend . A digital copy was provided to me for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions of the novel are my own. There were many things I absolutely enjoyed about Jessie Garcia's sophomore novel including multiple point of views, the character development, and numerous red herrings. Overall, the story being told from a var...
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Book Review: The Dare by Natasha Preston

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Book Cover of The Dare by Natasha Preston
The Dare by Natasha Preston is a young adult horror novel centered on Marley and her friends Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse, all seniors in high school. What begins as harmless, lighthearted senior pranks quickly takes a dark turn when Rhett starts assigning dares that are far more serious and dangerous. As the stakes rise, the question becomes whether Marley and her friends will survive the consequences of playing along.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of The Dare by Natasha Preston. The last book I read by this author was well written and engaging, so I was excited to dive into her latest young adult horror story.

From the start, the novel feels reminiscent of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series, which instantly brought back a wave of childhood nostalgia. Unfortunately, that initial excitement didn’t last. Before long, the plot shifts into territory that felt eerily similar to the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. At that point, my interest started to wane, and I nearly stopped reading. There were also elements that reminded me of The Secret Diaries by Janice Harrell. Because of these similarities, The Dare ultimately didn’t feel very original as a YA horror novel.

The relationships between the characters also left me confused. The dynamic between Marley and Rhett, the student orchestrating the dares, felt strange and underdeveloped, and their connection didn’t make much sense. Marley's friendships with Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse were equally puzzling. Several interactions and events between them seemed to come out of nowhere, making it difficult to fully connect with the characters or understand their motivations.

Overall, I was disappointed in The Dare by Natasha Preston. While it had moments that hinted at the classic teen horror vibe I usually enjoy, the lack of originality and confusing character relationships held it back. I ultimately gave this young adult horror book three out of five stars.

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