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Books: My thoughts about The Summer Dare by Joanna Dodd.
You know when a book catches you a bit off guard – in the best possible way? That was my experience with The Summer Dare by Joanna Dodd. I went in with no real expectations and came out with plenty to think about. It’s one of those stories that quietly gets under your skin – not loud or flashy, but full of little moments that stay with you. If you’re curious or thinking about picking it up yourself, read on!
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Disclosure: I got sent a free copy of this book by the publisher via Net Galley.
The book synopsis for The Summer Dare by Joanna Dodd
Six weeks of friendship. A lifetime paying for it.
They were the cool girls. Two years older, oozing glamour. She could prove herself worthy of their friendship. She could do the dare.
Twenty-five years later, Lucy has a perfect life. She is still friends with the cool girls. All except one. Maddie. The one they never saw again after the dare. They don't talk about her. They don’t think about her. It is as though she never existed until…
Lucy gets a text from an unknown number. Why didn't you tell them where I was?
The past hurtles into the present and secrets push their way to the surface.
Who is the message from? Is Maddie back? Or is someone else set on exposing the truth and seeking revenge?
A gripping domestic psych thriller perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, S.E. Lynes and Lisa Jewell.
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Discussing The Summer Dare by Joanna Dodd
My Review Summary: The Summer Dare
Key takeaways from the video:
- This one’s a standalone thriller, and I received my copy through NetGalley, so a big thank you to the author and publisher for the free copy.
- I absolutely loved this book — a solid five-star read from me!
- The story follows Lucy, who as a child was a bit of an outsider until she was invited into the group of “cool kids.” Maddie, her neighbour and the confident leader of the group, takes Lucy under her wing. They all end up going to a summer acting camp, largely because Maddie wants to be an actress, and Lucy’s mum has connections in that world. There’s a lot of tension and group dynamics between the friends — the kind of complicated friendships that stick with you. Fast forward 25 years later, and Lucy seems to have a perfect life — loving husband, family, and the same old friend group... except for Maddie. Suddenly, mysterious text messages begin to appear, bringing back memories of what happened at that summer camp all those years ago. It becomes clear that something dark from the past is resurfacing.
- I had a few suspicions early on about what might have happened back then — and I was partly right!
- The story is full of twists, great pacing, and that creeping sense of unease I love in a thriller.
- What really stood out for me was how it made me think — I enjoy thrillers that linger in your mind after reading.
- I especially loved the grey characters — those who aren’t completely good or bad.
- The moral complexity gave the story depth and realism; even when someone did something awful, there was still a glimmer of humanity.
- Several characters fall into that “grey area”, which added layers to the story and made it feel more believable.
- A gripping, thought-provoking read that kept me guessing right to the end.
- I loved the mix of nostalgia, tension, and emotional depth.
- If you’re into thrillers that explore morality, memory, and the messy side of friendship, give The Summer Dare a go.
Why You Should Read It
Perfect for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers with strong character development.
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Works as a summer read, though you could honestly enjoy it at any time of year.
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Features both teen and adult perspectives, so it’ll appeal to readers who like dual timelines or coming-of-age mixed with suspense.
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A great pick if you enjoy thrillers about friendship, secrets, and the long shadows of the past.
A good choice for people looking for: psychological suspense books, twisty thriller novels, domestic thrillers to read, books about friendship and secrets, dark summer thrillers, page-turning mystery books, thrillers with dual timelines, character-driven thrillers, books about friendship gone wrong, books with complex female characters, psychological fiction about guilt, books about moral grey areas, thrillers with strong female leads, books about complicated friendships, books about confronting the past.
Quotes from The Summer Dare by Joanna Dodd
I wonder why her solitariness makes me feel so much better about myself. Hey, I haven’t done all that badly. Look at my mates. Look how cool they are . I still have that thirteen-year-old-girl thing of wanting to belong, which is ridiculous in a thirty-seven-year-old woman.
We never talk about the thing we did and, most of all, the thing we didn’t do. Our silence about that summer is the thing that binds us together. The reason the four of us are still friends twenty-five years later.
When Maddie returned to the kitchen after five minutes, Sonia was reaching up into the top cupboard to put away a packet of Coco Pops and Maddie was in possession of a leaflet for summer camp , and a piece of knowledge that she intended to use later if she needed it.
A world in which friends played fun tricks on one another was all very well in theory – it was the kind of thing she lapped up in books – but she wasn’t at all sure she liked it in practice. After all, it meant it could happen to you at any point. And you might not find the trick fun at all.
As if secrets somehow lose their power with time. But the opposite is true – the longer you keep a secret, the more potent it becomes. The harder it is to imagine ever revealing it.
Blaming yourself doesn’t mean you’re guilty. We blamed ourselves. With good reason. Perhaps, after all, blame does mean you’re guilty; it’s just a question of what you’re guilty of.
...how can you let the dead bury their dead when they might not be dead at all?
Maddie was fearless. That was what they all said. The trouble with fearless people, Lucy thought, was that they sometimes did very dangerous things.
She hovered awkwardly beside him. She didn’t have long. But something about the way he’d said he didn’t want to be alone made it impossible to leave him. He looked at her properly then. Brown eyes with big dark circles under them.
She didn’t want to risk too many words, because she still wasn’t sure how to find the right ones.
...and I think yet again what a powerful thing it is to tell somebody a secret. How it can bring you closer, or drive you apart. And how you can’t necessarily tell which it’s going to be.
Where to find The Summer Dare by Joanna Dodd online:
Want to know what others thought about this book? Check out these book reviews:
- "If you’re looking for a compulsive thriller to add to your summer reading pile, you really can’t go wrong with Joanna Dodd’s tense debut - some secrets just won’t stay buried! " - Read the full review by The Debut Digest
.jpg "Book Review The Summer Dare by Joanna Dodd")
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