Nerve

Nerve was a real rollercoaster ride! From a breathtaking prologue to a somewhat easy slide into a teenager's life as a backstage do-it-all who prefers to let the lead actors and actresses in her school's production get the name and face recognition to ... her alter-ego, a daring high school upperclassman who manages to get entangled in a reality TV game of progressively more dodgy and seriously dangerous dares. As the chapters flew by, my blood pressure (surely, my pulse rate) climbed rapidly and I oftentimes had to lay the book aside for a moment to catch my breath. The two lead characters, particularly Ian, were difficult to understand--even as the teenagers who they quite convincingly were; however, as their characters developed, an understanding of both the lead character, Vee, and Ian, her "assigned" partner in the game of Nerve, emerged in a way that made me appreciate their motivation to move forward towards that point in the book where I wasn't sure whether I wanted to turn the page or not--but absolutely couldn't do otherwise. The publisher's review referred to it as "unputdownable." I had to put it down periodically simply to grab a lungful of air and ask, "do I really want to know?" Best thriller I've read in years and I am already waiting for the movie. Ryan has herself a winner with her debut novel.

Few things to consider before you buy this book: 1. This is definitely not for teenagers, it's way too intense and has lots of violence and cussing in it. Some people in it are hardly can be called people. They are pervs and sadistic psychos. 2. I watched the trailer of the movie and it's not exactly the same as the book. 3. The ending is just as surprising as Lost's. I was like "wait... wtf?" 4. If you think this will be a new Hunger Games story, you are wrong. Even if it were, it wouldn't be a new HG story, but a new Battle Royale story. Sorry to inform the HG fans, but that book is a knock off too. So if you must compare this book to something, compare it to Battle Royale. The book even has an Orwell feeling, since they are always watched by the Watchers and the makers of the show. Ok, so the story is a little messy. It starts with someone hiding for a week and then she is found and.... I don't know what happens to her, this was left open. And then our protagonist's story starts. She is the backstage girl, seems like not only in the school play, but in her real life too. Her best friend shines bright like a diamond, and she is always behind a curtain. When she is picked for this fun game called NERVE, which is basically a truth or dare reality show, she cannot resist the chance to become the sun for just a little while. The game starts as innocent as a day old puppy, and she believes it will be fun. Well, not really. It doesn't start innocent. She is just stupid as aforementioned puppy. Even if I didn't know about the story, I wouldn't get myself into something like this. The previous seasons were cruel enough, and she just thought it was an act. And the dares become harder and more cruel, and she doesn't learn. But at least at the and she makes up for her stupidity with some nice planning and and escape plan. This was a great book, it was well written, and it's easy to read. I gave four stars because there were some missed goals in the story I would have shot if this was my book. It felt unfinished somehow, not one thing became clear about the makers of the show or the other players in the end. Unanswered questions, unfinished storyline or not, the plot makes a whole with that last fckn word, and it's good enough for me to think about it for hours after I finished it, and go and watch the movie next week. I suspect I will be thinking about this for a lot more. Nice one!

Actual rating 3.5 stars. ‘Nerve’ had the distinct tone of a toned-down horror movie. I found the book compelling. I giggled at some of the dares the Players of the app are put through, and my pulse raced in others. I also liked the interactivity of the Watchers. But the concept of the game gave me that silly high you get when you do something stupid as a teenager. That thrill of breaking the rules and giving into abandonment. Some of the dares are lame, but it is to be expected: if you read the blurb it is obvious what you are getting yourself in for. It’s meant to be awkward, uncomfortable fun… until it gets a little more serious. Our protagonist Vee is a cute, bookish and unassuming girl – very much how I was in high school. She has a strong moral compass which is what kept me reading. She was crapping her pants, but stuck to her morals and always found a solution she could live with. Ian, one of the men in Vee’s life, felt a little stereotypical, and a lot of eye-rolling went with his story, but by the end of the novel I actually thought he was pretty decent and genuine. The same goes for Sydney, Vee’s bestie. Tommy, the love interest… well I’ll let that one go. He’s a bit of a mixed bag and I think there is still more of his story to tell. This can be said for many of the cast as well. They all have their motivations for joining the game NERVE – to better their lives, to become famous, to have an adrenaline rush… but the snippets into their lives was truly interesting. Like peeking into the lives of strangers, grotesque and fascinating. The ending, though I loved the intelligence and strategy of it, did not have the thrill of the beginning dares. It devolved into a clichéd Mexican standoff. But I did like the twist ending. I love a bit of cheesy, in-your-face tone the leave the reader/viewer saying WTF? The pacing is top-notch, I found myself reading three-quarters of the book on one sitting, until my eyes started drooping. The storyline isn’t what is so attention grabbing, it’s more like the anticipation of what comes next… and that’s the whole book in a nutshell. It’s done really well for what it is. It reminds me of those campy cult classics people love, where substance is low, but it connects to something primal that we find impossibly entertaining. This whole book was a wonderful satire on fame, and what it costs you. It was also a sanatised poke at all these ‘Saw’ movies… Surprising to find layers like this in ‘Nerve.’ Jeanne Ryan, had a wonderful writing style. I felt like I was thinking the words as I read them. No grand descriptions or lengthy inner monologues. It was simple and to the point – which is what you need to build tension and move the pace along. I would have enjoyed this far more if we got to get to know the characters better, had dares with higher stakes, and more adrenaline inducing scenarios. Additionally, a bigger conspiracy and a bigger peek behind the curtain. But ‘Nerve’ could be read as a standalone, or the start of a series. Enjoyable, silly fun, but lacked a big payoff for me.

Gift. Recipient loved it.

Teen enjoyed this book.

I was recommended this book and film. I watched the film first (something I try not to do if i know there's a book), and really enjoyed it. It's an interesting concept so I also purchased the book. I'm so glad the book and film aren't completely the same. While they have the same story with the same characters, the tasks which are completed are completely different. Well worth a read.

Schnelle Lieferung

Interesante pero poco detallado en algunas ocasiones. Falta desarrollo en algunas ocasiones. Hecho de menos las escenas descriptivas. En general está bien.