Dangerous Boys – Abigail Haas

Title: Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas
Publishing Info: August 14, 2014 by Simon & Schuster
Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult
Find it on the web: Buy from Amazon // GoodreadsDate Completed: July 22, 2014
Related Posts: Dangerous Girls

   Three teens venture into the abandoned Monroe estate 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 together the story of how they got there-a story of jealousy, twisted passion, and the darkness that lurks behind even the most beautiful of faces.

Firstly, if you haven’t read DANGEROUS GIRLS yet… DO THAT NOW. Even though DANGEROUS GIRLS and DANGEROUS BOYS are not a series or companion novels (don’t let the titles confuse you!), you really should read DANGEROUS GIRLS anyway because it’s absolutely amazing.

Now that we’ve established that… Let’s talk about DANGEROUS BOYS! Firstly, let’s get the comparison out of the way. This is not DANGEROUS GIRLS… But that’s a good thing! These are neither series nor companions and yet my brain still wants to make comparisons between the two. The two books are both thrillers and suspenseful but they are two VERY different stories and I am so, so happy for that! Obviously there was that tiny question in the back of my brain if the two books would be similar and I guess they do have a sort of similar feel at times, but rest assured, they are quite unique with their own plots and their own mysteries. Whereas DG starts at the beginning and works its way to the end with flashbacks in between, DB gives us a glimpse of the ending and the novel works its way though the story to finally revisit that teaser when the events all fall into place.

It was so easy to get sucked into this book. I was immediately intrigued by the characters and how each really had their own secret motives and hidden pasts to contribute to the tangled mess of the story. Each one was incredibly complex and everything was made that much more interesting by the fact that the characters share very selective bits of their lives with each other and the layers are peeled back very slowly. They were all extremely different as well and I was always on the edge of my seat because I never knew who was really trustworthy and who I should be suspicious of. The chemistry between the characters was excellent. The atmosphere was always sizzling with tension and longing and wanting to hold back. WHEW. It was quite a ride to see all of these relationships unfold (not to mention having to DM Abigail Haas about one of the steamiest kisses I’ve ever read in YA).

There were totally a few things in this book that totally surprised me. The plot was delightfully twisty and twisted all at the same time and I think the shock and surprise of it all really made me think… Would these things happen to ordinary  people? Did these characters bring this situations upon themselves or would the danger have found them? And how far can you push someone before they actually snap and do something drastic? The whole plot really just had my mind racing and I couldn’t stop reading! I didn’t finish in one day like with DG, but I think two days is still pretty acceptable 🙂

When it comes down to it, I really can see a similarity between DANGEROUS GIRLS and DANGEROUS BOYS in the sense that two of the most dangerous motivators for decisions are passion and survival and Abigail Haas does a great job of weaving these two elements into both books. DANGEROUS GIRLS is still my favorite of the two but that doesn’t mean that DANGEROUS BOYS failed to meet my expectations. I loved that it was totally different and yet still charged with similar intensity and complex characters with complex histories. It was more of a thriller than a mystery but boy, did it still thrill me!

I tend to update my Goodreads status a LOT when I read — reactions, feelings, notes — so I thought it would be fun to share the sort of “reading process”! All status updates are spoiler-free (no specific plot points will be revealed) but will contain reactions to certain pages and/or characters!

Chloe // Character Obsessions: Taking care of her mother, working, school, boyfriends.
I felt so bad for Chloe. I can’t imagine being in that kind of a situation and feeling just stuck in more ways than one. I think something really starts to take a hold of you and a sort of cabin fever starts to slowly develop when you feel trapped — both physically and mentally. Chloe was an extremely interesting character to observe and see exactly how her life and her decisions ended up shaping this story.

Kept Me Hooked On: Thrillers. Usually have my thrillers mixed in with mysteries, but this was more of a thriller that stood on its own. I really enjoyed the suspense and I found that without a significant actual mystery to figure out, I was able to focus a bit more on character development!
Left Me Wanting More: Mystery. Okay, I missed it a little bit. I just LOVED the mystery in DG and that was the thrill for me. DB surely stood on its own two feet but I really do love shocking mysteries!

Addiction Rating
BUY IT!

This book was really great. It was definitely different than its predecessor but also definitely in a good way. It was dark, dangerous, and delicious!

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(Click the cover to see my review!)