the_lady_reads's review
5.0
As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!
Recte Age Nil Time.
Do Right. Fear Nothing.
Crazy Dangerous? More like Crazy Awesome!
This was one of the strangest, coolest books I've read this year. Some elements are more middle grade than young adult, but I really enjoyed it. I only put the book down once and that was to go to sleep. (I couldn't help it, I was exhausted.)
The narrator is great. Our main character, Sam Hopkins, has a very funny voice. I don't mean that literally. I mean that reading from his perspective was very fun. Even during the dark parts of this book, I was able to find humor with him. He's a great young man. His only fault is his need to fit in, though that is completely understandable, especially for his age group. He's so sincere and caring. I don't see how he couldn't have any real friends - until you add in the fact that he lives in a small town and his father is a well-known priest. Yikes.
Our other major character is Jennifer. And God love her, you feel horrible for her, too. Her situation is much worse than the main character's, but she doesn't really care because she has her brother and her friend and hero, Sam. After he saves her from some awful bullies, Jennifer really begins to rely on Sam. She believes that he will keep the monsters away. The monsters that she sees when she's alone, ones that she is powerless to stop on her own. Jennifer has mental issues, but she's such a sweetheart that you can't help but really care for her.
Mystery is the basis of this novel. Things are happening in this small town that Sam lives in and he and Jennifer are the only ones that can stop them. Enter the shockers. The twists in this story are legitimately crazy. Like smack-you-in-the-face crazy. Personally, I didn't see them coming. And I love that! I love when stories can weave a great plot AND cause some genuine surprise.
There were some weird font and set-up issues in the version I read, but since I received it through Netgalley, it may just be the fact that it's an unedited copy. There were also couple of grammar issues, but other than that, nothing stood out as seriously horrendous. My only swiggles with the book were minor. The author really favored some words and seemed at a loss for any synonyms at some points. i.e.: Four percent into the book, the author uses the word "thug" four times in one paragraph. The book also could've gone without all the modern references, most of them were about technology. But I was thrilled that Sam had a Kindle. My note on that was: "I love you."
Overall, this is a great mystery for young adults. It is one book that focuses more on friendship than love, which is not common in YA books nowadays. I would really recommend this book to young adult and adult fans of mystery. It's fun and it's a stand alone novel. (I know, I'm in shock over it, too.) So go get yourself a copy of Crazy Dangerous!
I received a free e-copy of this novel for a blog tour in exchange for my honest review.
Recte Age Nil Time.
Do Right. Fear Nothing.
Crazy Dangerous? More like Crazy Awesome!
This was one of the strangest, coolest books I've read this year. Some elements are more middle grade than young adult, but I really enjoyed it. I only put the book down once and that was to go to sleep. (I couldn't help it, I was exhausted.)
The narrator is great. Our main character, Sam Hopkins, has a very funny voice. I don't mean that literally. I mean that reading from his perspective was very fun. Even during the dark parts of this book, I was able to find humor with him. He's a great young man. His only fault is his need to fit in, though that is completely understandable, especially for his age group. He's so sincere and caring. I don't see how he couldn't have any real friends - until you add in the fact that he lives in a small town and his father is a well-known priest. Yikes.
Our other major character is Jennifer. And God love her, you feel horrible for her, too. Her situation is much worse than the main character's, but she doesn't really care because she has her brother and her friend and hero, Sam. After he saves her from some awful bullies, Jennifer really begins to rely on Sam. She believes that he will keep the monsters away. The monsters that she sees when she's alone, ones that she is powerless to stop on her own. Jennifer has mental issues, but she's such a sweetheart that you can't help but really care for her.
Mystery is the basis of this novel. Things are happening in this small town that Sam lives in and he and Jennifer are the only ones that can stop them. Enter the shockers. The twists in this story are legitimately crazy. Like smack-you-in-the-face crazy. Personally, I didn't see them coming. And I love that! I love when stories can weave a great plot AND cause some genuine surprise.
There were some weird font and set-up issues in the version I read, but since I received it through Netgalley, it may just be the fact that it's an unedited copy. There were also couple of grammar issues, but other than that, nothing stood out as seriously horrendous. My only swiggles with the book were minor. The author really favored some words and seemed at a loss for any synonyms at some points. i.e.: Four percent into the book, the author uses the word "thug" four times in one paragraph. The book also could've gone without all the modern references, most of them were about technology. But I was thrilled that Sam had a Kindle. My note on that was: "I love you."
Overall, this is a great mystery for young adults. It is one book that focuses more on friendship than love, which is not common in YA books nowadays. I would really recommend this book to young adult and adult fans of mystery. It's fun and it's a stand alone novel. (I know, I'm in shock over it, too.) So go get yourself a copy of Crazy Dangerous!
I received a free e-copy of this novel for a blog tour in exchange for my honest review.
mj56_3's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
brian_geyer1's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book.
Andrew Klavan is an amazing author and this book was so suspenseful…I love it!!
(Spoiler)
I didn't really like that they made Mark the bad guy and I think they rushed the ending
Andrew Klavan is an amazing author and this book was so suspenseful…I love it!!
(Spoiler)
I didn't really like that they made Mark the bad guy and I think they rushed the ending
brian_geyer's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book.
Andrew Klavan is an amazing author and this book was so suspenseful…I love it!!
(Spoiler)
I didn't really like that they made Mark the bad guy and I think they rushed the ending
Andrew Klavan is an amazing author and this book was so suspenseful…I love it!!
(Spoiler)
I didn't really like that they made Mark the bad guy and I think they rushed the ending
thejay2xa's review against another edition
4.0
Originally Posted @ We Fancy Books
My initial reaction for Crazy Dangerous after reading the first few pages is “There is definitely something CRAZY and DANGEROUS on this book!” I was instantly captured by this novel because of the opening. This novel was told via interchanging POVs of Sam and Jennifer, which I can say is both unique and different in a psychological way. Sam is courageous, smart and wants to be free of the father is priest image. I see Sam as a great character in the making but I think he has lack of judgment on the things going on around him, I can say that he do stupid things. Sam wanted to get out of the preacher’s image and decided join a notorious group and that’s when the DANGEROUS things happen. Jennifer’s character is very unstable throughout the whole book which makes you doubt and of her mental ability which where the CRAZY fits in. Jennifer hears things. Things she can’t see things that haunts her during the night. Both character met in a very unconventional way and that started the whole CRAZY DANGEROUS business.
The book was a great mysterious thriller. I keep asking many question throughout the whole book which was answered in the ending. I commend the author for this thrilling novel. It had me on the conclusion; I was constantly frustrated on what is actually happening on the story. I was really horrified by the ending; I was not expecting it which was a big plus throughout my opinion of the book. It had me asking questions and got my answered in the riveting ending. I could not ask for a better ending after that.
All in all I recommend this novel for people who are looking for a mystery/thriller/psychological read. I was bored and intrigued with the start. The main character Sam is brave but lacks judgment but it saves him in the end. The psychological aspect of this book was of commended because of the ending. The author did a great job on writing this novel.
My initial reaction for Crazy Dangerous after reading the first few pages is “There is definitely something CRAZY and DANGEROUS on this book!” I was instantly captured by this novel because of the opening. This novel was told via interchanging POVs of Sam and Jennifer, which I can say is both unique and different in a psychological way. Sam is courageous, smart and wants to be free of the father is priest image. I see Sam as a great character in the making but I think he has lack of judgment on the things going on around him, I can say that he do stupid things. Sam wanted to get out of the preacher’s image and decided join a notorious group and that’s when the DANGEROUS things happen. Jennifer’s character is very unstable throughout the whole book which makes you doubt and of her mental ability which where the CRAZY fits in. Jennifer hears things. Things she can’t see things that haunts her during the night. Both character met in a very unconventional way and that started the whole CRAZY DANGEROUS business.
The book was a great mysterious thriller. I keep asking many question throughout the whole book which was answered in the ending. I commend the author for this thrilling novel. It had me on the conclusion; I was constantly frustrated on what is actually happening on the story. I was really horrified by the ending; I was not expecting it which was a big plus throughout my opinion of the book. It had me asking questions and got my answered in the riveting ending. I could not ask for a better ending after that.
All in all I recommend this novel for people who are looking for a mystery/thriller/psychological read. I was bored and intrigued with the start. The main character Sam is brave but lacks judgment but it saves him in the end. The psychological aspect of this book was of commended because of the ending. The author did a great job on writing this novel.
lizhok's review against another edition
4.0
I was surprised by how into this book I was. The story grabs you from the beginning and you’re left wondering what kind of thing is going to happen next!
Sam is a preacher’s kid (PK, for short). Everyone in town expects him to be good, but all Sam wants to do is live a normal life, making waves big enough that the cute girls notice him, but small enough waves to stay out of trouble. Things quickly escalate when he stands up to a bully for Jennifer, the local weirdy.
It quickly becomes apparent that Jennifer’s no normal weird girl–there are definitely other issues at play. Is she schizophrenic? Is the devil himself communicating with her? Or is it all one big coincidence? Sam gets wrapped up in a series of disastrous events–but when the time comes, can he save the day?
This novel effectively helps to lessen the stigma associated with mental illness. It addresses the issue of bullying, as well as doing the right thing.
I enjoyed this novel–although I wasn’t sure I would at first. Thankfully, it’s not as demonic as I thought it was going to be, so that made it more enjoyable for me.
If you want a fast paced novel that you can’t put down, check out Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan.
Sam is a preacher’s kid (PK, for short). Everyone in town expects him to be good, but all Sam wants to do is live a normal life, making waves big enough that the cute girls notice him, but small enough waves to stay out of trouble. Things quickly escalate when he stands up to a bully for Jennifer, the local weirdy.
It quickly becomes apparent that Jennifer’s no normal weird girl–there are definitely other issues at play. Is she schizophrenic? Is the devil himself communicating with her? Or is it all one big coincidence? Sam gets wrapped up in a series of disastrous events–but when the time comes, can he save the day?
This novel effectively helps to lessen the stigma associated with mental illness. It addresses the issue of bullying, as well as doing the right thing.
I enjoyed this novel–although I wasn’t sure I would at first. Thankfully, it’s not as demonic as I thought it was going to be, so that made it more enjoyable for me.
If you want a fast paced novel that you can’t put down, check out Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan.
brian_geyer's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book.
Andrew Klavan is an amazing author and this book was so suspenseful…I love it!!
(Spoiler)
I didn't really like that they made Mark the bad guy and I think they rushed the ending
Andrew Klavan is an amazing author and this book was so suspenseful…I love it!!
(Spoiler)
I didn't really like that they made Mark the bad guy and I think they rushed the ending
cjmichel's review
4.0
"Crazy Dangerous" by Andrew Klavan has got to go on your Bucket List. It's the young adult tale of Sam Hopkins, a preacher's kid, who has gotten himself mixed up with a set of thieving bullies who like to take their pound of flesh out of every other teenager in and out of school. When the bullies start in on the weird, defenseless girl Jennifer, Sam steps in to try and protect her. He gets beaten pretty badly for his efforts, but Jennifer does get away. Jennifer hears voices and sees strange beings she describes as demons. Are they really? Do such things exist? Sam finally seems to start understanding Jennifer's visions, but is that just wishful thinking or coincidence? Sam cannot convince any of the adult's in this tale of the reality of Jennifer's visions, so he sets out on his own to solve the mystery and save the lives of countless numbers of people.
I absolutely loved this tale where Jennifer's prophecies are so easily explained away by adults and medical diagnosis' that leave you thinking this girl is just pulling Sam into her own little fantasy world, and he is either too niave or polite to just cut ties with her while the professionals handle her care. I wasn't expecting the novel to end the way it did, but it couldn't have been better and I am so glad that I was privileged enough to read this wonderful story. I am definitely looking into more Andrew Klavan novels after having read Crazy Dangerous.
I absolutely loved this tale where Jennifer's prophecies are so easily explained away by adults and medical diagnosis' that leave you thinking this girl is just pulling Sam into her own little fantasy world, and he is either too niave or polite to just cut ties with her while the professionals handle her care. I wasn't expecting the novel to end the way it did, but it couldn't have been better and I am so glad that I was privileged enough to read this wonderful story. I am definitely looking into more Andrew Klavan novels after having read Crazy Dangerous.
aprilbooksandwine's review
3.0
Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan certainly met my needs even though it probably is not even close to the best book I've ever listened to. Read my review here
thebookishviolinist's review against another edition
4.0
I think this has been the best YA thriller I have read so far! Klavan wrote it in a way that did not seem juvenile; the storyline could have been something that you would see in an adult thriller, which I really enjoyed! I also appreciated how some scenes had me so caught up that I refused to put the book down. The ending was a bit meh for me, but other than that, this was a delightful read!