Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas

 Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas

Release Date - August 14, 2014

Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster UK/Author Self Published in USA/Canada
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  320 pages
My Rating - 4.5/5
**received in exchange for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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…

There are some books that are an experience. They are meant to be felt, and looked upon like a journey. They catapult your emotions in a thousand directions, mess with your head, and leave you screaming and gasping. With both Dangerous Girls, and now, Dangerous Boys Abigail Haas has manged to create this type of novel  twice. A psychological thriller that is relentless, it'll consume you to the very last page is turned.

This is a story of love, sex, jealousy, sibling rivalry, and choices. It's also about discovering darkness in the most unexpected places, and how deceptively dangerous that darkness can be if you're drawn to it. It's unflinching in it's portrayal and unapologetic for it's darkness.

Obviously, this is one of those books where knowing less is indeed more. It makes writing a review a little tricky, because you don't want to taint the experience. The questions that haunt the pages and their answers are part of experiencing this novel. It's best to go in knowing the bare minimum, and as spoiler free as possible. Which brother leaves the building? Who ultimately killed him and why? Could it have been an accident? All of these questions are masterfully teased and revealed to allow for a dizzying pace that left me breathless.

Abigail's execution works so well because of her narration. She uses her narrators to give us just enough at the exact right time. She reveals the truth in layers, and this creates a need within the reader. A need to follow the story. It's addictive, compelling, and brilliantly done. The pacing is one of the best I've read, because while the tension increases the author is also providing answers. Going against the usual, the answers that should alleviate some of the tension only serve to increase it. It basically renders the book unputdownable. It's a one sitting read because you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough.

For those of you scared this may be a rehash of Dangerous Girls, rest assured something completely different is happening here. Once you have all the pieces, and the true nature of this story is revealed, you'll want to flip back to page one and read it all over again. I predict a second reading would be just as satisfying as it would read completely different. It would give the reader a means to view what was happening through a tainted eye, but one that was just as enjoyable as discovering it for the first time.

You may have mentioned I have not discussed the characters themselves. Discussing them would be giving to much away since it's nearly impossible to discuss them without giving something away. I will say that each of them is flawed, and discovering who they are is both fascinating, and terrifying at various times.

I would be sad if this is the last book of this nature we see from Abigail Haas. She's proven a force to be reckoned with in the psychological thriller genre. Fans of Dangerous Girls will eagerly devour this devilishly twisted read, and those new to this author should prepare themselves for one intense roller coaster ride.

Dangerous Boys Teaser

You may have read Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas (if you haven't you should totally fix that). Odds are you've at least some pretty amazing reactions to it. Abigail has followed it up with another twisty, mess with your mind read that is sure to be chilling.

Dangerous Boys is already getting some pretty quotable reactions

I pretty much agree with all of it. I've had the pleasure of reading Dangerous Boys and it's all of this and MORE.

Here is a little bit about the book

From the critically-acclaimed author of DANGEROUS GIRLS comes a new dark, twisted thriller…
"It all comes down to this: Oliver, Ethan, and I."

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.

I also have a deliciously chilling teaser to share with you! Other bloggers may also be revealing teasers in the next few days, and there are a few different ones so be on the look out.

After that I am sure you want to immediately read the rest of the novel, right? You can pre-order it as it is being released August 14th!

You can preorder in ebook format from either Amazon or iBooks. Each of them is linked to the purchase page.

The UK publisher is releasing a paperback and it can be ordered from Amazon UK, and Book Depository (for those outside the UK).

If you haven't read Dangerous Girls yet, I highly recommend doing so while you wait for the 14th!

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

I was sort of spoiled with all the awesome book that made their way into my book closet this week

Ashes To Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (goodreads)
The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan (goodreads)
 Brazen by Katherine Longshore (goodreads)
The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson (goodreads)

A huge thank you to Kelly for snagging me Ashes to Ashes! I have already read it, and felt it was an enjoyable end to the season.

A big thank you also goes out to Simon and Schuster Canada for The Bane Chronicles. I adore Magnus (he's my favourite character in these books) and cannot wait to read more about him.

And I got one e-galley that I am VERY excited about. If you haven't read Dangerous Girls make it your top read of the summer.

Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas (goodreads)

I want to think Abigail for the opportunity to help promote this book in August! After Dangerous Girls I am obsessed with starting this book immediately.

What books made their way into your mailbox this week?

Happy weekend, and happy reading!

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week.

BOOK

Cover of Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas (goodreads)

 Dangerous Girls is a dark and twisty read. It sucker punches you and totally messes with your head. As soon as I heard Abigail Haas was writing a companion novel, Dangerous Boys, I knew I would want to read it. I am curious to see what twists she has in store and I've been hearing good things already.

The cover was released, and I pretty much love it. I am unsure if this will be the North American cover, but I kind of hope it is.

*side note - can Dangerous Girls become a movie?! Please? It would be amazing.

Anne and Henry by Dawn Ius (goodreads)

It's no secret that I am a big fan of Tudor history. I was immediately intrigued when I saw this in Publishers Weekly recently

A contemporary retelling of the romance between King Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn, in which Henry is a wealthy, popular teen destined for political greatness, and Anne is the manic pixie dream girl who ensnares him and threatens to destroy the life he's worked so hard to build. 

A contemporary twist on the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry. I am cautiously intrigued because this synopsis. Not thrilled about the whole 'manic pixie dream girl' thing, or the 'ensnares and threatens to destroy his life' bits, but I hope it's a misleading synopsis. I see that Henry might feel this way, so perhaps it's from his point of view. Either way I am intrigued enough to check it out.  

TV/MOVIE 

Movie options Love Letters To The Dead, and We Were Liars

With the success of The Fault In Our Stars it seems more of the contemporary novels are going to be destined to hit the big screen. Two of my recent favourites have recently been optioned. We Were Liars already has a screenplay in place.It was written by E. Lockhart (as per Deadline). I believe that I heard Ava Dellaira is writing the screenplay for her novel as well. I approve of this trend of author's adapting their own novels. I feel it helps keep the tone of the work intact, and the author knows this material better than anyone. 

What are you obsessed with this week?

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Release Date – July 16, 2013

Publisher Website -  Simon and Schuster

Publisher Social Media -  Twitter

Pages -  400 pages

My Rating- 4/5

**obtained for review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Paradise quickly gets gruesome in this thrilling page-turner with a plot that’s ripped from the headlines and a twist that defies the imagination.

It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives.

But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As Anna sets out to find her friend’s killer, she discovers harsh revelations about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

Awaiting the judge’s decree, it becomes clear to Anna that everyone around her thinks she is not only guilty, but also dangerous. And when the whole story comes out, reality is more shocking than anyone ever imagined...

From the first pages of Dangerous Girls we know that an island paradise has turned into a nightmare. The story grabs you right from the beginning and doesn't let go until you've turned that last page. The novel's pacing is pitch perfect. The way it is crafted and how everything enfolds creates a tension that will leave you wanting to devour this in one sitting.

Anna and Elise's friendship is intense. Their bond makes them seem closer than sisters. There is a slightly twisted edge to the friendship. The push each other, challenge each other, and are inseparable. This relationship is the main focus of the novel and is the centre for everything that is happening.

Abigail Haas' research into the criminal justice system, and the real case that inspired the story is evident. The court aspect is not only well done but terrifying and chilling. Shine a harsh enough light on someone, take things out of context, and anyone can be made to look guilty. One wrong word, action, or something from your past can haunt you. The way the case is handled by the police, prosecutor and others is appalling. The entire look at the justice system is one of the more fascinating parts of the novel and it shows you how easily public opinion can be swayed using a few circumstantial pieces of evidence. The real case that inspired this fictional novel is just as horrifying in terms of the trial/investigation, and mistakes made during the process.

The sympathy felt for Anna is unsurprising. She discovers horrible betrayals from people she thought she knew, friends abandon her once she is arrested, and her life is being combed through and picked apart. She's the perfect narrator for this story because her predicament is made all the more harrowing in her voice. Her life is the one that is being devastated and it's her future that is at stake. If told from anyone else's point of view it may have not had the same impact.

The ending twist is clever, and paints the entire novel in a different light. It's one of those reveals that made me do a double take and read the passage again to make sure I read it correctly. My brain was rejecting the truth laid out in front of me. It becomes startlingly clear once you know, and the author has dropped little clues along the way.

A fascinating look at a twisted friendship, a unflinchingly realistic behind the scenes look at a court trial, and a fantastically woven mystery all add up to a wonderful read. 

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews). 

The next New To My Book Closet post won't be until after BEA! This week some fantastic titles made their way into my home. I received my advocate package for The Bone Season! I can't wait to start reading this one. The special edition ARC I received is amazing.

I won The Kissing Booth from a Chapters giveaway (a large retail book store in Canada). It sounds super cute, so a big thank you to them.

A huge thank you to Simon and Schuster for approving my request for Dangerous Girls. Super excited to dive into this one.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (Goodreads)
The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles (Goodreads)  
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas (Goodreads)

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil (Goodreads)

Lastly, the lovely people at Harper Collins Canada sent me 3:59 to review. I can't wait to read it. A huge thank you to them.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOKS

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Look at this cover!! Now take a moment and read the Goodreads synopsis (I'll wait). This novel sounds like it's going to be filled with fun twists and the premise sounds intriguing. My curiosity was piqued when I read it was inspired by a true crime case (it's pretty obvious which one). I can not wait to get my hands on this.

TV

The Following

I was expecting this to be good. What I was not expecting? Kevin Bacon and James Purfoy to have such amazing "chemistry" (for lack of a better term). They play off each other so well. The end scene was straight up intense, and made the show. It had a very Lecter/Starling vibe to it, and I enjoyed every tense second of it.

This show kept me on the edge of my seat and I can only hope it keeps up it's killer pacing for the rest of the season.

MOVIE

Warm Bodies

I was fortunate to see this at an advance screening. I was not sure what to expect, but the movie really surprised me. Funnier than I was expecting, sweet and rather romantic. Nicholas Hoult was super charming as "R". I am dying to read the book now to see if the humour translates the same. The studio gave us these really cute and fun valentines.

OTHER

Ottawa Book Blogger Meet Up

This event is starting to come together, and it's going to be VERY exciting. I can't wait to recap it and am very much looking forward to meeting a bunch of new bloggers.

A Glass of Wine's second blogiversary

My little blog is turning 2 on January 28th. It's pretty crazy that so much has happened in the past two years! Look out for a giveaway to celebrate.

So what are you obsessed with this week?

Waiting on Wednesday...Dangerous Girls

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Paradise quickly gets gruesome in this thrilling page-turner with a plot that’s ripped from the headlines and a twist that defies the imagination.  

It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. 

But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As Anna sets out to find her friend’s killer, she discovers harsh revelations about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love. 

 Awaiting the judge’s decree, it becomes clear to Anna that everyone around her thinks she is not only guilty, but also dangerous. And when the whole story comes out, reality is more shocking than anyone ever imagined... 

I know exactly what case this is based on, and it has me intrigued already. The cover is quite eye catching as it looks like a lovely sandy beach until you see the handcuffs buried underneath. I hope it's as twisty as the synopsis claims, because it sounds fantastic.

Expected release date July 16, 2013