Prompt 22 – A book that centres on video games

For this prompt I picked Nerve by Jeanne Ryan. The game that is central to the story is based on an online/app reality TV game show style.

What it’s about?

From Goodreads:

ARE YOU PLAYING THE GAME OR IS THE GAME PLAYING YOU?

Vee doesn’t know if she has the guts to play NERVE, an anonymous online game of dares. But whoever’s behind the game knows exactly what she wants, enticing her with lustworthy prizes and a sizzling-hot partner. With Ian on her team, it’s easy to agree to another dare. And another. And another. At first it’s thrilling as the Watchers cheer them on to more dangerous challenges. But suddenly the game turns deadly. Will Vee and Ian risk their lives for the Grand Prize dare, or will they lose NERVE?

What I think:

This was a book of two halves for me.

I loved the premise and the build up had a lot of potential. Protagonist Vee is a typical angsty teen. She’s been grounded – you find out why later and it’s a bit out of place. The grounding does not feel like a genuine response and the situation itself is glossed over and seems an inappropriate way to add edge to a character. She has friend issues, boy issues and is bit whingy.

Joining in a dare seems like a good idea at the time. It’s an easy one to start with – she has to film herself tipping water over her head in a coffee shop. She does. But she’s wearing a white t-shirt and her video becomes a fan favourite. Before you know it, she’s being offered more prizes and bigger dares.

The game introduces her to fellow contestant Ian and they have to pair up for future rounds.

I feel like the book lost its way as the dares got harder and more intense. We are introduced to other players. None of whom are very appealing and some of whom really dislike Vee for no apparent reason. The people are so unlikeable it took away any enjoyment of this section of the book. There is a lot of drama, a lot of screaming, it wasn’t always clear to me what exactly was happening and why. And then it ends.

It’s fast paced and it’s fairly short.

Takeaways from the book – phones are bad, dares are bad, the internet is bad. Be kinder to each other.