Happy Friday!
This week I have a review and giveaway:
Dangerous Girls
by Abigail Haas
To be published on July 16, 2013
by Simon Pulse
Summary from Goodreads: 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...My take: I probably would have passed on this book except that some fellow bloggers posted great reviews on Goodreads. And I agree with them -- Dangerous Girls is a suspenseful, creepy read that's one part psychological thriller and one part legal drama.
The story switches off between three different timelines: the night before Elise's murder, the legal aftermath, and flashbacks to Elise and Anna's relationship. Normally, that many different story threads might be too much, but in this case the time shifts are easy to follow and the flashbacks provide necessary insight into Anna and Elise's relationship.
If you read true crime or follow the news, you might see parallels between this story and two well-publicized cases: the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005, and the 2009 trial of American foreign exchange student Amanda Knox for the murder of her roommate in Italy.
Like Natalee Holloway, Elise is on vacation in Aruba when tragedy strikes. And, similar to Amanda Knox, Anna and her boyfriend are put on trial for Anna's best friend's murder. The big question in these two real cases and the fictional one in Dangerous Girls: what really happened? The book's jumping around in time ensures that the reader gets information bit by bit, with every chapter revealing a new piece of the puzzle. All the legal wrangling is cleverly juxtaposed with both the flashbacks and the coverage of the case by a Nancy Grace-like reporter, highlighting the way that facts can be twisted and manipulated.
As gripping as an episode of Dateline, Dangerous Girls squeezes out every bit of drama and suspense and delivers a tale with some crazy twists and turns.
If my winner is a US resident, they'll receive a finished copy of Dangerous Girls, to be mailed on Monday or as soon as I receive their address. If winner is international, they can choose any book up to $10 on The Book Depository. (US winner can choose this option too.) Entries close Monday, July 15 at 8 am EST.
To enter, just leave a comment and tell me about a favorite book that kept you guessing until the very last page. If the account you use to comment isn't linked to an email or to a blog with contact info, then please leave an email in the Google Doc. Thanks!
This Freebie Friday is over, but please check back every Friday for more great giveaways!
I have mostly skipped over this one but now that I've seen your review, I'm kind of interested. I wasn't sure about the ripped from the headlines aspect but I do like that it's a thriller and I might be able to get my mom and sister to read it too.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely give it a try and tell me what you think!
DeleteOoh ... this one looks good! I'm trying to think of the last book that had me guessing until the very end ... I think I find some books just slightly predictable, but still enjoyable, so I kind of *know* what will happen, but I still roll with it. :) I guess I need to read more that keep me on my toes!
ReplyDeleteI know -- when you read as many books as we do, they sometimes do get predictable!
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This one sounds like a great read! I just finished Ten by Gretchen McNeil, it kept me guessing the entire time, I really enjoyed it :)
ReplyDeleteGood choice! I did not guess the killer in that one, or at least I guessed everyone at one point or another!
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I loved reading The Night Circus. I had no idea what sort of tents the characters would create to add to the circus, what magic they'd utilise, and how the characters would even end up together. It was amazing.
ReplyDeleteI tried that on audio and it didn't work for me, but so many friends have loved it that I need to try it again in hard copy!
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Shadowlands by Kate Brian. I guess it's not so much that the book kept me guessing until the last page, but that I was completely blindsided by the book. The ending was absolutely unexpected and had me reeling!
ReplyDeleteMe too -- I knew something strange was up in that book, but when I got to the end, I was floored!
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Sounds very creepy and glad to hear it kept you guessing!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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Just finished In The Shadow Of Blackbirds. That kept me guessing!
ReplyDeleteLoved that one!
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Charm & Strange had me confused and constantly guessing. Had no idea what to expect!
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to read that!
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Cool! I haven't read this book. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome :)
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I haven't heard of this book either, but it does sound creepy and I love creepy books!
ReplyDeleteAndreea
It's not super-creepy, but very suspenseful!
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Murder On The Orient Express kept me guessing until the very end!
ReplyDeleteLoved that book -- and the movie!
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I loved Marking Time by April White. It kept me on my toe's till the very end.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
I'll have to look that up!
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Mockingjay kept me guessing because I really didn't know what would become of Katniss and her country.
ReplyDeleteThat one did have a lot of suspense!
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, you never know what comes until the last few pages!
ReplyDeleteI was SO nervous reading that one!
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I have been seeing some great reviews for this book. It sounds like a book I would really like. Hmmm I tend to be perceptive so I can't think of a book that kept me guessing. Ten by Gretchen McNeil kept me guessing for a while. Not until the end, but pretty close. I kept thinking I knew, only to be proved wrong lol!
ReplyDeleteYou are amazingly good at guessing stuff. I also came close to guessing the culprit in Ten, but only because I'd read the original book.
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TEN by Gretchen McNeil kept me guessing and so did Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris!
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Leanne
Great picks!
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There has been quite a few that have done this while reading but one of the first books was Deadly Cool. :)
ReplyDelete- Beckie
Oooh -- I'm taking that on vacation with me :)
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I recently finished Shadowfever. It had twist on every chapter. I didn't know where the story would go. It was so crazy.
ReplyDeleteI'll check it out!
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Probably Sempre (Forever) It was one of my favorite books
ReplyDeleteGoing to look that one up too :)
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Well this sounds awesome! One of my favorites has got to be Still Missing by Chevy Stephens. That book blew me away, so good!
ReplyDeleteAnother one to look up -- great title!
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The Rules for Disappearing is very suspenseful and a great read.
ReplyDeleteI did read that one :)
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The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, especially Catching Fire. It really surprise me, the ending of Catching Fire I mean.
ReplyDeleteI started to get a feeling about the ending, but not until the middle of the book.
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The Restorer by Amanda Stevens :) I haven't read the rest of the series yet but I'm sure I'll love it as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway!
Another one for my list!
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Robert Marcum's 'Death of a Tsar'. It was very good.
ReplyDeleteOoh -- love the title of that!
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First, thanks for the giveaway! In my recent reads, that would be Dead Jealous by Sharon Jones and This is W.A.R. by Lisa and Laura Roecker! Though the latter isn't nearly as hard to guess. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to look up Dead Jealous too :)
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So Becca from Pretty Deadly Reviews just told me that I HAVE to read this book and now I'm even more excited. It sounds like I'm going to love it. I'm going to buy it for myself as a reward for finishing my draft. Or school. Or... as soon as I do something that reasonably merits a reward.
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think!
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Pivot Point by Kasie West. I kept wondering who was behind everything:)) Venom by Fiona Paul as well:) Lots of murders going on:))
ReplyDeleteThank you:)
Enjoyed both of those!
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Hm. The first one that came to mind is The Raven Boys (probably because I just finished reading The Dream Thieves.) Not a classic whodunit or suspense but the crazy, shocking reveals in that book had me gasping out loud and studdering out a "Wha???"
ReplyDeleteYeah, I did not guess most of the "wha?" stuff in Raven Boys!!
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Cherry Money Baby definitely kept my guessing!!
ReplyDeleteI have that one -- can't wait!
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Shadowlands kept me guessing and then I was totally surprised and caught off guard by the ending. Books don't usually surprise me like that. Thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteI was definitely surprised too!
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Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie was one which kept me guessing who was the murder and how s/he did it till the very last chapter where Poirot solved the case
ReplyDeleteLove Agatha Christie!!
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All unquiet things by Anna Jarzab. I loved that book!!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea she wrote a book before Opposite of Hallelujah. Just put that one on hold at the library :)
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A recent one that kept me guess is Tuesday's Gone by Nicci French, even though I liked the first one better. It was still a good read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
I've heard of that author. Will have to check the first one out :)
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Hi, Jen. The first in the series is called Blue Monday, and it's a psychological thriller if you like that sort of thing! It's not YA, though.
DeleteLOVE psychological thrillers and I do read outside the YA genre :)
Delete"As gripping as an episode of Dateline, Dangerous Girls squeezes out every bit of drama and suspense and delivers a tale with some crazy twists and turns." This one sounds so exciting! I haven't followed the real cases much, so I probably wouldn't know too many details, but still... YES to successful thrillers and legal drama!
ReplyDeleteAs for a book that kept me guessing... Another Little Piece. Oh, jeez, that book. But I don't want to enter the giveaway since I still have so many other books to read, and wouldn't want to hold someone else back from reading this one, especially given how wonderful it sounds :D.
I also have that one on hold at the library!
DeleteNot entering you :)
Ooh, I'm pretty excited to see what this one's about now! I never really paid too much attention to this one when I scrolled past it on Goodreads, and by the cover, I honestly never would have guessed it was a thriller and legal drama. I love suspenseful books, although it can sometimes get frustrating. I remember when I read Mara Dyer, I was so intrigued, but so frustrated (and creeped out). I just wanted to know what happened! I'm happy to hear this book was a good read, Jen! Lovely review!
ReplyDeleteYeah, the Dangerous Girls cover didn't really grab me either! Can't wait for Mara 3!
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The last YA book that I read that left me guessing was definitely Mara Dyer. I am DYING for Retribution because Evolution left off on quite the cliffhanger!! The last adult book I read that had tons of plot twists and turns was Gone Girl. I definitely could not figure out what was going to happen in that one!
ReplyDeleteWow -- Gone Girl was quite the ride, I agree!
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Hmmm, it would have to be Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry =)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read that one!
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I really want to read this one now! I wasn't 100% sure before but I think I'd like this one.
ReplyDeleteTen is the first book I can think of that really had me guessing. I had no idea who the killer was. :)
I love trying to guess!
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Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. It's truly an amazing book and series. Leigh Bardugo is an amazing writer.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree -- I have no idea what's going to happen!
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Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
ReplyDeleteOne of my very favorites!
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All of the Harry Potter books were like that for me, epecially Goblet of Fire. Rowling always kept me guessing, despite how many well-seeded clues she placed!
ReplyDeleteShe's amazing -- I now need to check out this mystery she wrote under a pseudonym!
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I won't be entering but I am so excited about dangerous Girls! I got a copy this week and it's a miracle I haven't started it yet, must have some slef control, lol.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, chick! <33
Can't wait to see what you think!!
DeleteHmm, I haven't read that many books that have kept me guessing. Shadowfever really kept me guessing though!
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about that one!
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It wasn't a mystery, but The Testing definitely had me in suspense, and guessing who was really trying to be helpful vs. who was trying to sabotage.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it!
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Well I am not sure if this one counts but the last book that kept me on the edge of my seat was 'Boy Heaven' by Laura Kasischke. I didn't end up liking the book but that was because the end but the concept and writing was pretty good !
ReplyDelete- Gayatri @ Notorious Writer.
I will have to look that one up!
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I remember having that issue with And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I just could not solve that one until all was revealed at the end. She was pretty clever that way. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI'm watching this (somewhat cheesy) TV show called Whodunnit that reminds me of that book!
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Shadowlands by Kate Brian. I totally did NOT see that ending coming! And I really loved the surprise in The Rules For Disappearing. Thank you for the giveaway and for the review of this book. I haven't heard of this book before, but it sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty surprised too!
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All of Agatha Christie's books keep me guessing. I'm a hopeless detective.
ReplyDeleteLove them! And I bet you're pretty perceptive!
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I think it was Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff.
ReplyDeleteI liked that one!
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