Book Rave--NERVE by Jeanne Ryan

I loved things that scared me as a teen. Whether watching Michael Myers wreak havoc on unsuspecting babysitters or Jason wreak havoc on fornicating teens, I was hooked. There was this 80's movie where a babysitter was asked via phone call if she had "checked the children," and then found out the call was coming from inside the house--yes, I realize this tells you how incredibly old I am ;) As a frequent babysitter, I jumped every time the phone rang after watching that movie. Anyway, it's hard to name a book that gave me the creeps the way those movies did, but NERVE (Dial Books) by Jeanne Ryan had me on the edge of my seat until the end. NERVE is about a teen girl who gets sucked into a high-tech truth-or-dare game that is very, very different than the version I played as a youth, e.g. nobody's dare in the book involves ringing a neighbor's doorbell and running. The book is much more subtle than those slasher movies from my childhood, but the tension is high and I won't even mention the reason for the rubber floors during the final dare. Ewwww. In full disclosure, I have to say that Jeanne is one of my critique partners, but there's a reason for that--she's awesome! These days, I don't usually watch those kind of movies, but I still like a good scare once in awhile. If you're in the mood for a fast-paced thriller, check out NERVE. You won't look at your cell phone the same way again.