Dare Me

A noir-style mystery/thriller set in a high school cheerleading squad? Sign me up! This is the third Megan Abbott book I've read, and I'm starting to recognize her work's hallmarks: the noir stylings, an intense relationship that is ostensibly not romantic but carries romantic undertones, the darkness of teenage girls and the power their developing sexuality holds. This book centers on the friendship between Addy and Beth, two cheerleaders whose longtime bond is threatened when a new coach comes to town. Beth has always been the dominant personality between the two, the captain to Addy's lieutenant, but as Addy buys more and more into Coach's methods and persona, the tables begin to turn. But no one is all they seem to be on the outside, and Coach has demons of her own. An unexpected death rachets up tensions even farther, and Addy will have to choose either Coach or Beth. I found this to be pretty successful as a noir-type mystery, the confusion around the death was engaging and kept me guessing. The vibes were generally well-deployed, there was a seemy underbelly type feeling that was David Lynch-ian. The rest of it is a bit of a mixed bag. Another Abbott trademark is an almost florrid style of prose, and that's on full display here as well. The girls exult in their social power as cheerleaders, in their developing performance skills, and that is reflected in phrasing about glitter and armor and tans and hair that does start to take on a repetitive quality. The characters feel more like types than people, and particularly for Addy as a narrator I felt like I needed more depth to really feel anchored in the story.