August 31, 2014

Dangerous Boys - Abigail Haas

Dangerous Boys book cover
Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Source/Format: Author (Thank you!) || e-galley
[I received this book for review from the publisher. This in no way affects the thoughts expressed in my review.]

Three teens venture into an abandoned lake house one night. Hours later, only two emerge from the burning wreckage. Chloe drags one Reznick brother to safety, unconscious and bleeding. The other is left to burn, dead in the fire. But which brother survives? And is his death a tragic accident? Desperate self-defense? Or murder ...? Chloe is the only one with the answers. As the fire rages, and police and parents demand the truth, she struggles to piece the story together - a story of jealousy, twisted passion and the darkness that lurks behind even the most beautiful faces... (from Goodreads)

Dangerous Boys is a novel that is fascinating and creepy in equal measures. Like Dangerous Girls, there's a strong sense of "What the hell just happened?" that emanates from all the twists and turns Haas guides us through. But unlike the former, Dangerous Boys will leave readers with questions not just about these characters, but also about themselves.

There are many things about Dangerous Boys that make it interesting: the small-town setting, Chloe's familial circumstances, her relationships with brothers Ethan and Oliver. Haas manages to juxtapose the contrasts well - safety versus risk, helplessness versus power, light versus dark. The most intriguing bit? How Haas teases Chloe's complex personality out as the novel progresses, multiple facets coming under scrutiny.

Dangerous Boys is different from its predecessor. There's a quietness to the way its told, almost like its a secret that this sleepy small town is keeping. It's definitely terrifying, and also horrifying, and yet, I couldn't help myself and had to keep turning the pages. While I do wish that I'd formed a stronger connection with the characters, the novel is still a pretty solid read.

8 Comments:

  1. This is one of my all time favorite contemporary books because I can relate to it a lot. It's like reading myself inside a book and just really, Elise Dembowski is the perfect embodiment of myself. I really enjoyed reading through her point of view despite being a bit of a downer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved Landline and I have to admit that I was a little bit skeptical going into this because I read all of the other books and those books were AMAZING. Rainbow Rowell didn't disappoint!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lots of great books! DRILL SERGEANT STAMM <3 Melina Marchetta always. SO HAPPY ABOUT THE NEWS OF YOUR HUBBY! The Art of Lainey is so fun as well. Happy reading

    ReplyDelete
  4. You have so many great books listed up there! Sounds like you had a good reading month. Hope September is great for you as well!

    ReplyDelete
  5. August also was my birthday month, but I don't mind too much that it's over. I am ready for some colder weather and autumn!
    And congrats in advance for your first wedding anniversary, have fun celebrating!

    ReplyDelete
  6. August was also my birthday month and I agree, I'm a bit sad it's over already! I didn't do too much reading this month, so hopefully September will be better. I'm also planning to read Firebug, I hope it ends up being good!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oo I can't wait to hear what you think of Perilous Sea, hearing great things :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Looks like you had a fantastic birthday month, Alexa! Looking forward to what you think of Saving Francesca (<3), and I'll definitely be reading The Perilous Sea soon, too. Happy September, girl.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for leaving a comment! I love seeing what you have to say, and will try to reply (here or on Twitter) as soon as I can :)