Truth or Dare

by Sophie McKenzie

When lies are everywhere, how far will you go for the truth? A tense eco-drama with an explosive twist from the million-copy selling author of Girl, Missing.

Fourteen-year-old Maya cannot believe she has to spend the summer with her grandmother, helping out at the family cosmetics firm. But things get much more exciting when she meets a community of activists who are campaigning against the dumping of chemical waste. Getting closer to one boy in particular, Bear, Maya is dared into joining one of their protest missions, but doesn't know that her grandmother's business is the target. Someone has been lying about their environmentally-friendly products, and as danger threatens, Maya must uncover the truth or betray her family forever.

In this edge-of-your-seat drama exploring the line between truth and lies, join millions of readers in discovering bestselling teen thrillers from Sophie McKenzie.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Relationships, Romance

285 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2022

About the author

Hey there! Welcome to my Goodreads page where you can keep up with all my stories - both the ones that are already published and the works in progress!!

I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.

I'm really excited right now because of...

Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)


For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com

Reviews

[☆° alimxx °☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting, young teen read. Would recommend for 11+, a bit too young for me but still got good themes. I like how the mc has a nice character arc and it's pretty easy to follow

[Laetitia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book was not what I expected. I thought “truth or dare” would be like teenagers playing the game, smth went wrong, lies everywhere, murder…. But it wasn’t. It was very bad. I didn’t like the story at all…. I’m 14 btw.

I have this 2 stars only because the writing was good. Vocabulary was nice, description and all but story 2/10 (if being pitiful)

[maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[kiera🎀 · Rating 2 out of 5]

well this was boring, i don’t get how this is a mystery?? they did nothing. i liked bear and maya tho but that’s about it😭

[Lucie Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow paced but it gets good at the end

[sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly, this was one of the best sophie mckenzie books I've ever read. I think that this is the book that should be taught in schools, instead of girl missing. I really enjoyed reading this book, and it wasn't lengthy like other books usually are. tbh the title doesn't really have anything to do with the story, and I think it would've been quite simple to think of another one, but ig it's been a while so you can't really change it now. I loved the story and maya's character arc, although some of the plot twists were pretty easy to guess. overall, I'd rate this book like a 7/10, and yeah I'd recommend it to others

[Fern Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ikke hva jeg forventa i det hele tatt. Trodde det skulle handle om at de skulle spille nødt eller sannhet, men det var det ikke😭 fortsatt spennende da 🤷‍♀️

[Delia Balas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want my money back.

[Iris Draaijer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Niet helemaal wat ik had verwacht

[P H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the characters and development. I don't really understand the title of the story, and the whole mystery aspect, what mystery?
The story itself was alright, not too bad- a bit repetitive at times.
2🌟 seemed a bit harsh, so probably 2.7ish suits it fine.

[Jo Bardgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth or Dare
By Sophie McKenzie
Published by Simon & Schuster Ltd

Another gripping page turner from the fabulous Sophie McKenzie.
This young adult novel twists storylines of friendship, family, environmental and personal commitments.
Fourteen year old Maya has her summer plans ruined when she is whisked to Cornwall to stay with her Gran & Grandpa. But it the lies she tells that feeds into each storyline to create emotional family and business havoc.
Working at the family business gives Maya more than just pocket money. She sees both the workings of the factory, how the employees feel and the impact of cosmetic production on the environment.
Alongside Maya’s newfound interest in Bear, a teenager just like herself but who lives in an environmentally friendly camp, leads her to tell lie after lie to “fit in” with each aspect; family, work life, new found friendships.
But only after a devastating accident happens does Maya know it’s time to tell the truth.
Honest, gripping writing with twists to unveil what really matters within our lives.

Joanne Bardgett - Year 3 teacher of littlies, lover of books.
#Netgallery
#sophiemckenziebooks

[Denise Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because of her mum’s work, Maya and her little brother are sent to Cornwall to spend the summer with their grandparents. She would much rather be in London going to parties with her friends than staying in the middle of nowhere and things get even worse when her grandmother announces that Maya is expected to spend the entire summer holiday working at the family owned soap factory.

Maya meets and makes friends with Bear, who lives in an eco camp outside the village. Bear and his friends are convinced that the factory is dumping pollution into the river.

Maya sets out to solve the mystery of who is dumping the rubbish. This is an interesting story about environmental issues and the ethics behind big business. Maya gets herself tied up in knots as one small lie leads to another, until she has no idea how to rescue her relationship with her friends nor her family. Although the story centres around some big issues, they are tackled in a fairly light way.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Masa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was alright:) It was a fun mystery but it was a bit underwhelming, probably for younger readers which is why I didn't enjoy it as much. I liked that it was a short read and could finish it quickly though! My overall rating is 2.25/5 stars. If I was younger I maybe would have enjoyed it more-just isn't for me right now.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book has absolutely nothing to do with the game of truth or dare but it was a decent read

[saakshi · Rating 2 out of 5]

most stupid book ever i am its biggest hater

[BlamedDust · Rating 2 out of 5]

First part of the book was boring but got better round the end

[Isaac Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me want to keep reading, and had lots of good characters and suspenseful plot twists.

[Urtle · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the freak not what it looked like no bueno

[rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth or Dare follows teenager Maya, who is working at her family's factory for a summer job when she meets local activist Bear who lives at the eco-camp nearby she begins to learn about the lies surrounding her family's ethics within their business and eventually it all goes too far...

The book is an environmental-themed mystery that is thought-provoking and informational whilst still being enjoyable to read. It informs the reader of the problems that are happening in the current world whilst also focusing on activism from both the peaceful and extremist ways and how this all links in. The book was well-paced and although the mystery was predictable it wasn't the main and only focus of the story. The only problem I had is that some of the informational elements seemed a bit repetitive but it is there to really drive the message home.

Overall, I really enjoyed Truth or Dare and it was an enjoyable and quick read!

[River · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth or Dare by Sophie McKenzie is a gripping middle grade/young adult novel with a strong focus on preserving the planet and the severe harm that large corporations can have on the environment.

What I liked:

- I really enjoyed the peek into the eco camp and a different way of living
- the descriptions were well written
- the mystery was engaging and kept my attention
- the book was very educating about environmental issues and sustainable lifestyles, without feeling overly preachy, which is hard to achieve.

What I didn't like:

- the romantic sideplot between Maya and Bear seemed rushed and badly written, and I didn't really see how it was relevant to the story.
- I would've wanted to learn more about Leo. When he was introduced in the beginning, I thought he would be an interesting character, but he was not expanded on as much as I would've liked.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it if you are looking for an interesting and educating read.

[B.S. Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maya didn't think she'd spend her summer helping her Grandmother running the family business. It's not the dream summer a fourteen-year old girl really wants, and she's already written it off as a loss. But then she finds them - a group of activists fighting the waste dumping happening by local businesses, although she doesn't know her own Grandmother is one of the targets of their anger. Now, she's facing hidden dangers she couldn't have imagined, and she's only getting out if she dares to seek the truth.

A riveting mystery full of secrets and betrayal, with break-neck pacing and brimming with surprises. Maya is stuck between loyalty and her sense of right, bringing plenty of thought-provoking chaos for the reader to decipher and blurring the lines between truth and lies into a murky greyness.

Another whip-smart, edge-of-your-seat thriller from McKenzie.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely an unexpected read, I thought truth or dare would be teenagers playing a game. The only place where dare came in was a single sentence which I believe the author put in to try and sound clever (imagine Katniss Everdeen saying “fire is catching”). Although the plot picked up in the end and did make for a small satisfying conclusion it was quite boring throughout.

This boredom mostly originated from the idea that the main character apparently lives under a rock, in 2022, apparently Maya is the only teen who doesn’t know what a sweatshop is. Maya was intentionally written to be clueless about everything environmentally related, because she’s a big city girl, only to be awoken by an eco community in the woods.

Quite cliche and some characters had a disappointing amount of growth. I would avoid this book if possible. It is not a mystery novel.

[Poppy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good read for someone maybe in the last few years of primary school, or year 7 MAYBE. But coming from someone who reads A LOT, (2 or 3 books a week) it just was not descriptive or detailed enough to find interesting. I don't even know how I ended up reading this, let alone how it ended up in the YOUNG ADULT section of Waterstones!! The plot itself had great potential to be something truly interesting and captivating, maybe leading into a drama about the family and illegal cover-ups from dumping waste, but instead finished with an undeveloped and underwhelming relationship between Bear and Maya and no issue I particularly found myself worrying about, whether it be resolved or unresolved. For age rating I would say probably 9-12, but if you're really into more advanced books or you are any older, I wouldn't waste your time with this read.

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een nieuw boek uit de 'politie niet betreden'-serie. En dit keer voor een iets jongere doelgroep, namelijk voor 10+. Dit staat op de voorkant zodat je niet voor verrassingen staat.
Tijdens het lezen wordt deze jongere doelgroep ook duidelijk. Het onderwerp is net wat milder en minder eng. Maar zeker nog spannend genoeg.
Het boek is makkelijk te volgen, het wordt nergens lastig of verwarrend. Ideaal voor de jongere doelgroep.
Het onderwerp is actueel, het gaat onder andere over milieuvervuiling en klimaatactivisten. Goed dat hier aandacht aan wordt besteed in een boek, zonder dat het als een schoolboek voelt.
Ik geef dit boek 4 sterren. Super leuk dat er een spannend boek voor 10+ is! Voor mijzelf, als 36jarige, was hij iets te laagdrempelig, maar voor de doelgroep vind ik dit echt een aanrader.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author!!

I may be 22 now, but having been in love with Sophie Mckenzie's books as a teen I wanted to read. The book lives up to the expectations I had from this author, and I'm very pleased.

The story has a great pace, and the development of the characters throughout is done well. There are twists and turns, some of which I saw coming, but the book still didn't feel overly predictable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

The topical undertone of fast fashion, green washing, and environmental practices was managed effectively. The plot didn't feel forced despite the educational/eye opening sections (it would be a nice introduction to the topics for an early teen who didn't have knowledge on the topics).

Would recommend.

[John Wilkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

@sophiemckenziebooks I have girl, missing and others in the LRC at school, and I hold my hands up and admit that this is one author I've not read. Being honest. This may have to change, as I've just read truth or dare from cover to cover in the few hours that I've had this book. Maya is doing a summer job in her gran's soap factory, when she starts to find out that maybe the company isn't as green as her gran maintains it is...question is what lengths will she have to go to prove what she thinks is happening? There's an environmental theme, a friendship theme, a family loyalty theme, some mystery and investigation, and a tiny bit of romance too. Brilliant.

[Victoria Holdaway · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this in a few hours, honestly I figured out the plot really early in the book so didn’t find it very intriguing would definitely be good for younger audience I do like the main characters tho and the way they were portrayed, sometimes people over do things the girls only a YOUNG teenager I’m glad they had her focusing and thinking like a YOUNG child would instead of having her act so much older! Overall not disappointed glad I read it! But why is it named truth or dear I feel the name doesn’t match the book AT ALL!!!

[Jem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book!!

It’s nothing like the game truth or dare more like should the main female character tell the truth or lie her way through the book.

There are lots of twists and spirals. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend!! The characters are very young it’s from a child’s perspective (teenager) for the whole book and they talk about their family and younger brother.

The focus is on the main character lying about herself to her friends and she gets deeper and deeper in the lies and eventually they all unravel.

[Chelsea Newell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gripping story from the queen of teen thrillers. I devoured this book from cover to cover in such a short time because it’s written so brilliantly. The characters are loveable and it’s full of action packed drama that is designed to pack a punch. I can’t wait to read the next book by Sophie McKenzie.