I have mentioned before how I’ll happily read books where I am FULLY aware I am really not said book’s target market. It’s been a while since I wandered so far outside of my demographic as I have here with this story of cheerleaders, rivalry and Generally Bad Goings-On. But Abbott has garnered acclaim for her YA as well her non-YA novels, a few of which I’m also interested in reading. And who among us watched Bring It On and thought “yeah, I bet it’s not really […]
Sex, Drugs, and Pom-Poms
I read The Fever and was drawn in to the dark underworld of female adolescence. In this earlier novel, Megan Abbott deftly explores the sexual tensions, hierarchy, and desire for power that undergird female relationships in high school. This time, Dare Me is about cheer squads. It’s no sassy Bring It On pep rally, either. Rather, it focuses on Addy Hanlon, a second-in-command to cheer captain Beth Cassidy, whose reign of terror has brought her power and glory throughout grade school, JV, and now through […]
Mean Girls–Really Not So Funny
Back in July, ElCicco reviewed The Fever by Megan Abbott. I was intrigued. I got it from the library and devoured it on a rainy weekend afternoon. It’s a great and thrilling read, but it’s also a relevant and chilling one, too. The Nash family lives in Dryden, where they’ve always lived. Dad Tom is a high school science teacher, mom Georgia has left, son Eli is an attractive hockey star at the high school, and daughter Deenie is studious and friend-oriented. The novel opens […]
Ripped From Today’s Headlines!
If you’re looking for a great poolside or beach read for what’s left of summer, The Fever would be a very satisfying choice. It’s a mystery involving teenage lust, parental lust, environmental toxins, and anti-vaxxers. The action focuses on the Nash family. Dad is a high school chemistry teacher, Eli is a dreamy senior and hockey star, Deenie is 16 and dealing with the academic and social pressures that go along with that, and mom is gone, having cheated on dad and moved away years […]