Adrenaline Crush by Laurie Boyle Crompton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Won this book in a giveaway (thanks Shae!) and couldn’t be happier!
Summary: When a daredevil teen pushes herself too far, she must choose between two boys: the one who wants to keep her safe, and the one who dares her to return to her old self.
Seventeen-year-old Dyna comes from a family of risk takers and is an avid thrill-seeker herself, until the day she splinters her ankle in a terrible fall. Her whole life goes from mountain biking and rock climbing to sitting at home and attending group sessions at the bizarre alternative healing center that her hippie mother found. The boy who witnessed Dyna’s accident believes her injury is a wakeup call and he encourages her mild new lifestyle, but a young Afghanistan War veteran she meets at the healing center pushes her to start taking chances again. Forced to face the consequences of her daredevil impulses, Dyna finds herself in danger of risking the one thing she’s always treated with caution—her heart.
While I’m not typically fond of love triangles, Dyna’s dilemma intrigued me and I wanted to know who she’d fall for. The premise of this novel is entirely realistic, and I found myself wondering which of the two boys I would choose.
At the beginning of the novel, Dyna is a reckless thrill seeker. I could understand her passion for the outdoors and for adventure (though I’m nothing like her!) but her inability to think about the consequences (aka, her stupidity) was really bothersome. Personally, I found her recklessness to be rather selfish, as she doesn’t consider what a possible accident might do not only to herself but to the people who care about her. Don’t get me wrong – I liked Dyna’s character even from the beginning. I just recognized she had room to grow…
And Dyna’s growth is what I liked best about the book. I thought the author walked a fine line – exploring the relationship between bravery/courage and recklessness. Dyna has to learn the difference between being stupid and challenging oneself. Ultimately, she realizes she shouldn’t let her accident and her fears hold her back, and I think that’s a noble message for anyone who allows fear to be an obstacle.
The supporting characters of the book defied stereotypes, and that’s always something I look for in a good book. Dyna’s parents are tattooed motorcycle riders who encourage their kids to take risks. But they were also caring and conscientious. The role Dyna’s parents played in her life was a huge plus for me, as I think healthy child-parent relationships are sorely lacking in many YA novels.
This was a fairly quick and easy read. It was somewhat predictable, as it becomes pretty clear which boy Dyna will choose, but in a good way – and this predictability did not slow the pace. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. 🙂
Have you read this book? Share your thoughts!