Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

Author:Jeanne Ryan
Title: Nerve
Publication: September 13, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books
Rating: 5 out 5
Format: Arc
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Synopsis

A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly

When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it's exhilarating--Vee and Ian's fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they're directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they're playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?

Thoughts:Sick and Twisted. Seriously it's reality show gone bad. Vee has decided to be daring and unpredictable as no one would've have expected her to join the game. At first she enjoys the thrill and the cool prizes don't hurt either. Plus, she gets the added bonus of hot teammate, Ian to sweeten the deal. Yet, how much of this is just a game and how much more of it is a crazy sadistic game orchestrated by some unknown weirdo’s that know her every move. 

Vee appears to be a timid, shy girl that lives in the background of her world. She pines for the leading man Matthew in the school play, which she works on as the make-up artist. The closing night she gets heartbroken when she the kiss between her best friend Syd and Matthew lasts much longer than it should onstage and it changes everything for Vee. She becomes someone even she doesn't know and takes big risks that are so out of her character.  

Now, personally I would have been much more skeptical than Vee about how these people know so much personal information. This makes me want to close down my Facebook page, grief. What I love about this book is Vee's growth; she becomes stronger and more confident in herself. The writing conveys the emotions of the characters deliciously. I liked the mystery and the intrigue of who are these Nerve people controlling this game and what do they get out it all. Some, well most of the activities that happen in this book are freaking creepy and scary...just plain wrong on so many levels. The Watchers of the game are as delusional and naive as the players who may come to realize too late that it is more than just a game. Nerve is edge of your seat good, and I hope there is more.