How far is too far when it comes to the people you love? Claire Casey hates being the centre of attention. But if it means getting Sef Malik to notice her, it’s a risk she’s happy to take.

Sef is prepared to do anything to help his recently disabled brother. But this means putting Claire’s love – and life – on the line. Because when you’re willing to risk everything, what is there left to lose?

Claire Casey attends West Bridge High School, where one of the pupils, Kamran (Kam), a couple of years, above her has been brain damaged after falling from a bridge, into the river below.

As part of her Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, Claire has offered to help out in the local hospital for Neurodisability, where she will be reading to the patients. The hospital assigns her to Kam.

Kam’s brother Yousef (Sef), is struggling to come to terms with his brother’s transformation from an able bodied young man, to someone who is needing to learn how to talk, eat, and walk again, if at all he ever does get those functions back again.

Sef wants to raise money to help his brother, and comes up with a novel way of doing it, roping Claire into it too. Truth Girl and Dare Boy. The two wear silly costumes and do silly things, for which their viewers, via YouTube, pay for.

Truth or Dare is a YA book, that is quite unusual. It is split into two. You get to read Claire’s point of view, and then Sefs’ from the same story. With the two meeting in the middle, albeit upside down to one another.

The story is both amusing and heart wrenching at the same time. Claire and Sef have this bond that was basically forced upon them, by a want to help Kam. They do stupid things and enjoy one another company.

Claire is also dealing with a lad at school sexually harassing her, after a YouTube video of her bikini top coming off is circulating on line. Some kids make fun, but this lad crosses the line too many times, yet she doesn’t want to report him.

Truth or Dare will be very appealing to YA readers, and is a great addition to the ever growing popular genre. It has a wonderful fast paced plot, and a great cast of characters. Such a fantastic book to sink your teeth into.

After working several years as an editor in children’s publishing, I became a full-time author when my debut Young Adult novel was published in 2014. TROUBLE received critical acclaim, shortlisting for the YA Book Prize, the Branford Boase Award and longlisting for the Carnegie Medal. It didn’t win anything, but it was still all rather fun.

Since then I’ve written another novel REMIX, with Walker Books and a novella UNBOXED with Barrington Stoke, who specialise in publishing super-readable YA tailored to suit reluctant and dyslexic readers, or anyone who fancies a shorter read.

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