Book Review: Dangerous Boys

Title: Dangerous Boys
Author: Abigail Haas 
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Genre: Thriller // mystery // Young Adult
Format: Ebook
Source: Purchased (B&N.com)

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)


After reading Dangerous Girls, it was hard to be shocked and surprised by anything that happened in Dangerous Boys. 



Plot: Chloe is going nowhere fast in life. Her mother has been in a depressed state ever since her father skipped town to start a new family, and it seems like her only escape is attending a community college outside of town. That is until she meets Ethan and his alluring brother, Oliver. We follow Chloe as she desperately tries to take control over her and how Ethan and Oliver influence her decisions. While Dangerous Girls  had me anxiously flipping pages, I can't say I felt the same urgency to devour Dangerous Boys. Don't get me wrong, Dangerous Boys definitely had some intense scenes, but I wasn't as desperate to figure out what happened at the abandoned building. 

Characters: I couldn't bring myself to like anyone in this novel. Chloe was extremely self-absorbed, and while Ethan was portrayed as the "nice guy," there was definitely something "off" about him as well. And then there is Oliver. Oliver the prodigy child who has come home. Oliver who catches Chloe's attention. I think I hated Oliver most of all .

World Building: As this is told through Chloe's eyes, I feel that Abigail Haas captured the stifling small town feel quite well. This was definitely a place where you die regretting the things you didn't do in your youth, and I understood Chloe's desperate attempts to make a name for herself. 

Short N Sweet: Dangerous Boys is not quite its companion novel, but it definitely has intense scenes that will make you hold your breath and raise an eyebrow as the scene unravels. Due to its unlikable characters, I wasn't able to connect with Dangerous Boys as much as I would have liked. 



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