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Dangerous Girls

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Anna is wrongfully accused of her best friend's murder on their group vacation. With a ruthless prosecutor on Anna's tail, her life is ripped apart turning her image into a monster in the eyes of the media and the public. Even her friends don't believe her. So begins her fight for freedom in a foreign country. What looms around the corner, put me into shock. As mentioned in title. It's missing one star due to more information required on a certain topic that needed a bit more fuel but I have to get vague not to spoil it.

The whole book is a character study, not just of Anna, but of every other person she knows. Her boyfriend, Tate. Elise. The other friends in their circle. Her lawyers. Her father. The media. It's an intense look at how awful people can be. I've been calling it in many ways the Gone Girl for Young Adults, because that's what I think of when I read this. These aren't perfect characters they are realistic, and every one of them is hiding something. Every one of them has messed up and is being selfish and horrible to their fellow human beings.

Characters:

The characters are deeply flawed and complex, showcasing realistic depictions of friendship and personal motives.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is compelling and immersive, with a gritty atmosphere and non-linear storytelling.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot features an unreliable narrator embroiled in complex relationships and a murder mystery during a vacation.

Setting:

The setting in Aruba creates an atmospheric backdrop that enhances the story as a vacation turns tragic.

Pacing:

Pacing is fast and engaging, filled with twists and time jumps that maintain reader interest.
We yell it together, slamming our hands on the sticky wooden table. The dreadlocked waiter pours a row of something lurid, neon blue. It’s our first night on the island, and the music is almost too lo...

Notes:

The main character, Anna, is an unreliable narrator who often lies and deceives, creating apathy regarding the truth.
Anna and her best friend Elise share a complicated relationship filled with jealousy, conflict, and toxic dependence.
Elise's murder occurs during a group vacation in Aruba, and Anna becomes the prime suspect under public scrutiny.
The storytelling shifts between present-day court scenes and flashbacks, enhancing the narrative's complexity.
The book explores themes of friendship, betrayal, and the psychological motivations behind characters' actions.
Readers find the writing immersive, often feeling they are experiencing the atmosphere alongside the characters.
Anna's boyfriend, Tate, exhibits flaws that complicate his relationship with Anna, making the characters feel real and relatable.
The book's ending contains shocking twists that engage readers and leave a lasting impact.
The narrative includes mixed media elements like transcripts and newspaper articles, adding depth to the investigation.
Dangerous Girls has been compared to real-life cases like Amanda Knox and Natalee Holloway, enhancing its relevance as a thriller.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers and content warnings include themes of murder, mental illness, substance use, and emotional manipulation.

Has Romance?

There are elements of romance interspersed throughout the narrative, with notable tension among characters.

From The Publisher:

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...

Ratings (7)

Incredible (2)
Loved It (1)
Liked It (3)
It Was OK (1)

Reader Stats (46):

Read It (8)
Want To Read (27)
Not Interested (11)

1 comment(s)

Loved It
3 weeks

Wow! This book completely sucked me in -- I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. (Of course, as I do now, I read from the perspective of the kids' parents -- and all I can say is my daughter will not be taking any spring break trips Aruba while still in high school.)

I don't want to spoil anything. I almost didn't read this one, because I thought the cover was weird. But it's fast-paced and well-written with well-developed characters. Plus sufficiently creepy - and the ending - wow!

 

About the Author:

Abigail Haas has written two adult novels and four young adult contemporary novels under the name Abby McDonald. Dangerous Girls is her first young adult thriller. She grew up in Sussex, England, and studied Politics, Philosophy & Economics at Oxford University. She lives in Los Angeles.

 
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