Book Review: The Fine Art of Truth or Dare

Title: The Fine Art of Truth or Dare

Author: Melissa Jensen

Publication Date: February 16, 2012

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Pretty in Pink meets Anna and the French Kiss in this charming romantic comedy.

Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that’s just fine by her. She’s got her friends - the fabulous Frankie and their sweet cohort Sadie. She’s got her art - and her idol, the unappreciated 19th-century painter Edward Willing. Still, it’s hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is your French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before. But can the invisible girl actually end up with a happily ever after with the golden boy, when no one even knows they’re dating? And is Ella going to dare to be that girl?

My Thoughts

I understand why some people associate this with Anna and the French Kiss mainly for the private school stuff, French, art and boy with an accent. But to me, this wasn’t even a quarter to AATFK. After reading this, I somehow forgot what this was all about because it definitely didn’t capture my interest.

All I could remember was Ella going to this private school with seat ranks in the cafeteria (or whatever they called that place in their school) and she likes art plus she has her eyes on this Alex boy that’s kind of out of her reach and hardly knows she actually exists. Five quick remarks:

1. Both male and female protagonists are boring. 
2. I had never been more annoyed by the word SO. I feel like I wanna scream at the middle of their conversation whenever they go, “So." “So.." 
3. Said guy can hardly defend her. 
4. Parents on this side are cool, parents the other side are just too busy and high to think they care. 
5. Chick Lit? WHERE IS THE ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK?

What I liked: The food and the art.

I really thought something was going to happen. Something that would make me giddy and happy from the heart-fluttering things because of an adorable friendship to relationship progress. Like I would be smiling and sighing happily while flipping the pages. BUT NO, NOT AT ALL. I hardly want to continue but I did finish it anyway. It would be a waste if I would just put the book back in my shelf (or say pile of books that disappointed/bored me). The characters are bland. I don’t see a development that would make a character stand-out rather than the part that boy crush finally knew shy girl’s name and they started talking. I just want to read MORE interaction between these two. They have their moments but they seem really serious every time they’re together. And I mean serious as in serious like the boring type of serious. Heck, I didn’t even seem to enjoy the ToD games.

I don’t know man..I DON’T KNOW. I give this 2 stars: one for her friend, Frankie and the other one is for the food mentioned in this book. That’s all.


My Rating: