Dare Me: Squabbling cheerleaders

Megan Abbott's Dare Me explores the surprisingly dark and sinister world of American cheerleaders.

Dare Me Megan Abbott Picador Dh77

They say teenage girls are more difficult than teenage boys. If Megan Abbott's Dare Me is anything to go by, parents with girls beware. The all-American girls who form a varsity cheerleading squad at the centre of Abbott's new novel are far from innocent; their spray-tanned skin and bobbing ponytails are a facade for a dark underbelly of scheming and manipulation, feeding off boredom and new-found freedom.

Addy and Beth rule the cheerleading roost. They are best friends but their relationship is strained when a pretty new coach arrives to shake things up. Coach French is a tough taskmaster who quickly gains the squad's admiration and respect. The discipline she demands satisfies a craving for structure within Addy but Beth is threatened, first losing her spot as captain and then as flyer (the girl at the top of the pyramid).

Beneath a thin veil of niceties, a deceptively sophisticated power struggle ensues between Beth and Coach, with Addy caught in the middle. There are no boy crushes to get in the way - this is war.

* Hilary O'Hagan