Daring Game by Kit Pearson

by Kit Pearson

At first Eliza is happy with her new life at boarding school, settling into the Yellow Dorm, making new friends, learning the rituals of school life and doing well in her classes. But a bond begins to develop between Eliza and Helen, a mischievous, unpopular girl who defies authority, plays practical jokes and doesn't seem to care what others think of her. It is Helen who starts the daring game among the first girls in the Yellow Dorm.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Canada, Childrens, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Kit Pearson spent her childhood between Edmonton Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia. As a high-school student, she returned to Vancouver to be educated at Crofton House School. She obtained a degree in English Literature at the University of Alberta, and spent several years following the degree doing odd jobs or travelling in Europe.
In 1975, she began her Library degree at the University of British Columbia and took her first jobs in that field in Ontario. She later obtained an M.A. at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature in Boston. Returning to Vancouver, she completed her first novel "The Daring Game" which was published by Penguin Books.
Pearson now lives in Victoria, British Columbia, a few blocks from Ross Bay Cemetery, one of the settings in Awake and Dreaming.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nostalgic reread, as the copy at my parent’s house is dog-eared and worn from how much we read it. It was one of my favourites when I was young, and I still love it. From it being set in Vancouver and understanding the references to the boarding school theme that has always intrigued me, it will always be worth the read.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this as an adult. So many great Canadian references and so much nostalgia.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The character's perspective and her excitement about boarding school, and being in that in between kid and teen space were all interesting aspects of this book. But, like Eliza in this book who is constantly disappointed at how her real life boarding school doesn't measure up to and isn't exciting like the ones she's read about, I felt disappointed at the lack of emotional or plot-driven punches in this book. It was like Pearson was leading you on to expect some kind of great disaster or big trouble, and then every time I was like, is that it? So plot-wise it felt underwhelming. In terms of character is was quite interesting, but didn't grab me to a really full extent.

[Maeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exciting, suspencful book. Kit Pearson does it again!

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kit Pearson is a Canadian national treasure ❤️

[Prohi the cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the boarding school setting. Another one of my favourites by Kit Pearson that I read as a kid.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars :) I enjoyed it

[Madame Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It was a random buy, and sometimes those can be rewarding.

[Kori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one!!

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is really a story of friendship, loyalty, and growing up. When her family moves, eleven-year-old Eliza is unsure about starting at a new, large school, and begs to be allowed to go to boarding school instead. There she is placed in a dormitory with three other new girls, and Helen, who has been at the school for two years, and has something of a history. While Eliza quickly becomes friends with Carrie, an American from Seattle, she finds herself both attracted to and repelled by Helen. It is Helen who instigates the "Daring Game" which becomes progressively more dangerous as time goes on. What will be the consequences when the game goes too far? And is it more important to be loyal to a friend or to your school? These are tough questions that Eliza faces as she unwillingly grows up. Recommended.

[ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating:
5/5

Review:
I read this book many times throughout my childhood and I recently decided to reread it as a back to school book. Although this is more of a middle-grade novel, I still enjoyed every page. The characters of both Eliza and Helen are very well-written and their unlikely friendship adds to the overall story line. I love novels about boarding schools and the fact that this book is set in Canada makes it even better! Kit Pearson is one of my favourite authors and this is probably my favourite novel of her's.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this novel to any Canadian in middle school or early high school who likes stories about boarding school.

Warnings:
-Death

[Rhiannon's Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the Kit Pearson books, this is probably the most fun. It is the story of a girl who begins attending a boarding school, and her life with her dorm mates. She and her friends begin a game, a daring game, and they begin breaking rules together. This book illustrates some really healthy friendships between young girls, as well as having beautiful descriptions of the school grounds.

[Sarah Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best of Kit Pearson's works, but delightful nonetheless. I felt like I was bracing the entire time for some tragedy that never happened.

[elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my childhood faves!

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread

[Jen Eugley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book growing up, and I just finished reading it out loud to my boys (7 & 10) and they loved it, too!

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Eliza and the girls of her dorm as they attend Ashdown Academy, a private girls' school. Set in Vancouver, 1964/65, this story tells of the growing friendships between Eliza with Helen, Carrie, Jean and Pam. While not a story I would typically read, I enjoyed looking for descriptions of Vancouver from a time when I was quite young.

"She was taking them all up Oakridge to shop ... The matron let them loose in Woodward's while she did her own shopping, with instructions to meet her in an hour at the White Spot."

Definitely reminiscent of old Vancouver and the Oakridge Mall where Woodward's was the centre piece and White Spot used to be beside the old library.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book over and over as a kid. This is the first time I read it as an adult. I didn't enjoy it as much as I feel that it is a book for children, but I did appreciate the story and Eliza as a character. It's interesting to me as Kit Pearson has mentioned that this book is quite autobiographical, and as I know that Pearson is part of the LGBT community, I sort of found hints of that in Eliza on reading this as an adult (though maybe this is just me reading way too deeply into things). At the end of the book, I actually found myself wishing that this novel was longer and spanned several years, maybe, so that I could see Eliza and her friends grow up.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A glorious, glorious re-read of one of my favourite books when I was a child/teen. I have always loved boarding school stories and this one held up well. I was surprised that I'd never noticed that the book takes place in Vancouver, but I guess that kind of thing wasn't important to a girl from Saskatoon. The friendships and main action of the story still delivered and I still really enjoyed the book. This is a story that hinges on the relationships between the characters and I found myself appreciating Kit Pearson again.

Great writer, great book.

[Melissa Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I won't say that this book is amazing, I will say that I really enjoyed it. A good look into the awkwardness of growing up, encompassed in an age in which there was lots of change and change that was changing the way society viewed itself. While the era isn't a prominent character in the book, it certainly isn't ignored.

[Megmerrilies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Kit Pearson. Eliza has always dreamed of attending a girls' boarding school and finally she is allowed to attend one in Vancouver. At first it seems like she might be getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, but she comes out at the end of the year more sure of herself and with many more friends.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about a young girl named Eliza and her dorm mates and a private boarding school in Vancouver. One day one of her room-mates Helen thinks of this daring game, all they do is dare someone. This story shows all the mischief that the 5 girls get into

[Nisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eliza goes to a girls' boarding school, and makes friends with a girl named Helen who acts wild. Helen institutes a game of daring each other to do crazy things. But when something goes wrong, what will Eliza do?

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a cheerful and delightful book with under tones of more serious topics. The boarding school is picturesque and has all the things a boarding school needs, with unique traditions and cozy dorm rooms. U highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Kit Pearson’s books.

[Shawna Hynes]

great coming of age story

[Jacquie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy books by this Canadian author. Coming of age in a boarding school setting.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one when I was a kid, but I didn't remember it at all, so nostalgia didn't come into play. It was an easy, fluffy read, and one that is good for the young audience it was intended for.

[Chloe]

Hey could anyone help me with finding out how to read the books while your on a tablet ?

[Sara G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I re-read this every year or two. A childhood favourite.

[Danica · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok book, by Kit Pearson.