The Daredevils by Rob Buyea
Published by Delacorte Press on August 9, 2022
ISBN: 0593376145
Pages: 240
Genres: Adventure, Realistic Fiction
Format: Fiction
Goodreads

School is out for the summer and twins Waylon and Loretta are preparing to start middle school. Loretta feels the need to toughen up her brother as she won’t be with him all day to offer the protection she thinks he needs. The duo starts sneaking out in the middle of the night (with their new friend, Louie) to complete rites of passages that will help them grow spiritually and physically.

The book is narrated by both Waylon and Loretta and, while it could have been a touching story about growing up and growing apart, it becomes a slow-paced and out-of-touch (an adult bully is repeatedly described in fat-shaming ways; a grieving, depressed woman is made the center of one of the rites of passage; the visits to the woods revolve around one act of cultural appropriation after another) tangle of issues.

Not recommended for classrooms or libraries; The Daredevils feels dated when so many new books are doing such a great job moving ahead with diversity and inclusivity.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath