Format: E-Galley. 352 pages
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: NetGalley/Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Thrillers & Suspense
Pretty Little Liars meets Riverdale in this debut YA mystery from indie-pub favorite
When her FBI agent father is framed for murder, Kylene is forced to move in with her grandfather, back to the small town that turned its back on her, and the boy who betrayed her.
All Ky cares about is clearing her father’s name, but someone won’t let her forget the photo scandal that drove her away two years ago. As the threats gain momentum, Ky finds an unlikely ally in the annoyingly attractive rookie FBI agent sent to keep an eye on her.
Determined to expose the town's hidden skeletons, Ky unwittingly thrusts herself into a much bigger plot. They thought she’d forgive and forget. They’re about to learn they messed with the wrong girl.
Dare You to Lie, by author Amber Lynn Natusch, is the first installment in the authors Hometown Antihero series. Kylene Danner's is your protagonist for this series. Ky didn’t return to her former hometown of Jasperville, Ohio searching for her happily
ever after. She came back so that she could right a few wrongs that have been done to herself and to her father FBI Detective Bruce Danners. The second part won't be so easy as she believes. Especially in a town filled with secrets.
Ky's family left Jasperville behind a few years earlier after naked pictures of her were taken at a party and leaked online. The suspects were all football players. Football players who were protected by some powerful people instead of her. One was her ex boyfriend who claims that he had nothing to do with what happened to her. But,
if she can get back at the Six who basically destroyed her reputation,
it would go a long way towards proving that all of her training was worth
something.
One of the best things about this story is Ky's friendship with several key characters. Ky friendship with Garrett has always been on solid ground, and Garrett is happy that she's back to where she belongs. The second character is Tabby, a girl who moved her from Canada, and whose first impression is one of a girl who needs a little push in order to protect her own reputation and image. The friendship between these three really
made the story for me. They were all so sarcastic and funny, but the
love was obvious. Tabby fit right in with them.
The second part is even more puzzling for Ky, especially with those like FBI Agent Dawson believing that her father is guilty and she is wasting her time trying to free him. But, the reality is that Dawson isn't going away. In fact, he was sent to make sure she didn't get into too much trouble which is laudable since he really didn't know who Ky was. Ky refuses to abandon her father to a prison where anyone with a grudge can get to him. Ky is smart, but stubborn. She digs too deep, and finds trouble quickly. She's threatened, and her house is broken into, but she doesn't back down. She can't. Two lives are at stake.
I have read where reviewers have compared Ky to Veronica Mars and that's fair. Veronica was always getting into trouble and sometimes she made some really stupid mistakes. I won't go near comparing this story to Pretty Little Liars since the two are not compatible at all. Alas, I haven't watched Riverdale, so someone who actually has can read this book and see if there is any comparison. I liked the ending well enough but we all know that the first book in a series is the one where secrets are revealed, and the protagonist has to make choices that are often scorned and looked down at. Ky is a fierce character who doesn't take crap from anyone. There is an old saying about walking softly and carrying a large stick or bat or golf club. This is a story that proves the old adage that you really can't trust anyone until you go to war with them.
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