Synopses & Reviews
When Ben Candido and his friends, Ricky and John, decide to post a YouTube video of themselves surfing on top of a car, they finally feel like the somebodies they are meant to be instead of the social nobodies that they are. Overnight, the video becomes the talk of the school, and the boys are sure that their self-appointed senior year of dares will live in infamy. Every dare brings an increased risk of bodily harm, but Ben cannot deny the thrill and sense of swagger that come with it. The stakes become even more complex when a mysterious donor bankrolls their dares in exchange for a cut in the online revenue the videos generate. But at what point do the risk and the reward come at too high of a price? What does it take to stay true to ones self in the face of relentless pressure?
Review
Kirkus ReviewsFully attuned to the adrenaline-fueled appeal of dares, Devine deftly conveys the dire consequences that can ensue once the first step is taken.
Ben, a perfectly normal high school senior, and his buddies Ricky and John pull an amazing stunt, which they post anonymously on YouTube, hoping for weblebrity.” What comes their way is a contract promising them money if they continue to do ever-more-dangerous dares. When not filming dares, narrator Ben works as a pizza-delivery guy and longs for popular co-worker Alexia, whos attached to a bad boy. His reflections on physics, English class and math become more penetrating as the ante ups with each completed dare. Adding in cameraman Trevor changes the equation only a little. Trev is a nerd and a target for bullies, but hes also exceptionally smart and a quick thinker. As the stunts continue, Ben begins to have his doubts. Further complicating matters, Bens dad is out of work, and Bens sister wants to do a paper on their macho antics for her college psychology class. Devines examination of the teenage boys need for adrenaline is admirably complex, and he frames it within an engaging and realistically foulmouthed narrative. Ben reflects, This is larger than us, and were already in motion and gaining speed. The natural course is to let this run take us where its going. There are no brakes in freefall.”
Astute and riveting. (Fiction. 12 and up)
Review
Kirkus ReviewsDevines examination of the teenage boys need for adrenaline is admirably complex . . . Astute and riveting.”
Review
School Library Journal
The extreme dares will appeal to boys, but readers of both genders will identify with the fear and uncertainty Ben and his friends face...With timely subject matter yet universal themes, this novel should be a popular one.”
VOYA
"Though sometimes the emotional intensity is discomforting, it has sweet parts that keep the reader smiling."
Booklist
"This follow-up to Tap Out (2012) should further establish Devine as a go-to author for gritty stories about guys fighting on the fringe. . . . [W]onderfully inarticulate characters and subtle insight into our culture of quick but damaging fame."
Publishers Weekly
"In a culture where online audiences are always ready for the must-see link of the moment and corporations are eager to capitalize on user-generated content, Devine's story takes on a chilling reality. . . . An adrenaline-inducing read about teens getting in over their heads as they try to make something of themselves."
Kirkus Reviews
"Devines examination of the teenage boy's need for adrenaline is admirably complex . . . Astute and riveting."
MotherDaughterBookclub.com
Riveting and fast paced, this book is hard to put down. I recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and up.”
Synopsis
A teen boy undertakes a series of dares posted online with increasing risk and consequences, bankrolled by a mysterious donor.
Video
About the Author
Eric Devine is a writer, high-school English teacher, and educational consultant. He is the author of
Tap Out, a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers, and
This Side of Normal, and lives in Waterford, NY with his family.