[Review: Dangerous Boys by Abigial Haas]

"Dangerous Boys"
Author: Abigial Haas
Series: Dangerous Girls #2
Pages: ?
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Thriller
Date Published: August 14th, 2014
Publisher: (UK) Simon & Schuster, (US) self published
Format Read: eARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

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Summary:

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…

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Dangerous Boys,

Wow, that pretty much sums up my feelings. Book, you are so delightfully f*cked up. Honestly, there really isn't any other way to put it. You twist and turn and delve into the darkness in the world. You're terrifying and exciting all at once. Part of me wanted to look away, but you held me entranced with all of your mind-f*ckery.

-The White Unicorn

When I finally got my hands on a copy of this book, it didn't take me long to put everything aside so that I could read it. I was a HUGE fan of Haas' Dangerous Girls and I couldn't wait to get back into a book that was going to take me on a demented journey. It amazes me that more people don't know about these books, because they really are something to dive into. If you haven't yet, start reading these puppies.

I think the thing that most impressed me about this book was Haas' ability to take her dark-hearted look at humanity into a small town setting. DG was set in the fantastical world of a far off beach vacation, but in DB she goes for small town Indiana. Let's just say that it works. It works so well. I think it also makes things feel a bit more menacing, because everyone knows what small town living is like to some extent. Hass utilizes that fact to her advantage and makes you squirm a little in your seat as you read. 

At it's core, Dangerous Boys is all about soul searching. Soul searching gone a little off the rails, but soul searching none the less. Chloe, Ethan and Oliver are just trying to figure out who they are. Essentially, this book is a coming of age story... with a twist. The kind of twist that will leave you breathless at the end of it all. 

I can't go into the characters too much, because, well, just because. I will say however that Haas has created some well fleshed out late teen/early twenty aged characters that are fascinating to watch. Chloe is stuck in rut and dealing with things that no one should ever have to deal with. Ethan is your typical Golden Boy, but with a twist. Oliver is, well, he's just Oliver. Honestly, if you want to know what I'm talking about, I suggest you pick the book up, because I don't even know to put into words how I feel about these three, but I can tell you that I enjoyed their story immensely.

If you're looking for a contemporary read full of mind-f*ckery and twist and turns that will leave you wondering what's what till the very end, this is the book for you. Be warned that some of the material gets pretty edgy, but in the end it only helps the story along!

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this now!