I Dare You by Tamsin Winter

✦ BLURB ✦

Willow and Alma are best friends, sharing a love of the spotlight. All they want is fame and fortune, and Willow is determined that the best way to get it is to go viral. So they start filming dares. Okay, so getting stuck in a basketball hoop doesn't get them the sort of attention they were hoping for, but as their challenges get more extreme, their fan base grows. Duct-taping themselves to a wall? No-brainer. Eating super-hot chillis? Of course! Waxing an eyebrow off? Super funny! And if they get in a bit of trouble, it's worth it.

But if they really want to prove themselves, they have to go all-out. So they come up with the perfect idea. An idea that causes more than just a bit of trouble. An idea that might destroy not just their ambitions but their entire friendship for good.

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✶ PRE-READING ✶

I’ve really enjoyed Tamsin Winter’s previous books, especially how she blends humour with serious, thoughtful themes. Girl (in Real Life) is one of my favourite teens books and a really good look at influencer families as the children are growing up. With this novel, I was expecting a sharp, contemporary story with emotional depth, and I was especially curious how she’d explore friendship and internet culture through the lens of risky dares and viral challenges.

✶ POST-READING ✶

As I thought... The friendship at the heart of the story felt real and layered, full of highs, lows, and everything in between. I liked how the story built gradually from light-hearted fun to something more unsettling, without ever feeling like a sudden shift in tone. It’s funny - but the kind of funny where you know it’s heading somewhere serious. You can sense a bit of daredevil in Willow and a calmer personality in Alma, and see how they push each other in different directions.

It surprised me by... Just how effectively it captured the emotional pressure of performative culture - not just online, but within friendships too. There’s a moment when you realise it’s not just about going viral anymore, it’s about who’s in control, who’s being watched, and who’s afraid to say no. That shift is handled really well, especially for a younger teen audience.

✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦

Book Recommendation: The Year I Didn’t Eat by Samuel Pollen – also about a young person under pressure, told with honesty and empathy.

TV or Movie Recommendation: Eighth Grade – for its raw and awkward portrayal of life online and the emotional toll of trying to be seen.

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✧ VIBE CHECK ✧

A colour palette: fluorescent yellow and digital blue
A soundtrack: glitchy pop with undercurrents of static and anxiety
A season: late summer - restless, bright, and on the edge of change
A mood: thrilling, tense, and bittersweet
A scent: energy drink and hair spray with a hint of fear

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★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

The Devil - Velouria's Tarot. This card reflects how temptation, peer pressure, and the hunger for validation can bind us in ways we don’t fully understand. The dares start off light-hearted, but they gradually morph into something addictive and dangerous, and the Devil captures that sense of being trapped by your own choices - or by someone else’s expectations.

I Dare You publishes on the 8th of May, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.