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itsmebri24's review against another edition
5.0
I finished this book in under 24 hours. It was spectacular! I could not put it down!
thorspoptarts's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I WOULD GIVE THIS 30 STARS IF I COULD. IT'S SO AWESOME!!!
corky12's review
3.0
This book is worth reading if you're looking for a clean, Christian YA novel, and you don't mind recycled plotlines or overdone character tropes. Crazy Dangerous had some good components to it, don't get me wrong. Schizophrenia is not something I've ever seen addressed, and this was a nice take on that. I appreciate Jennifer being a legitimate character instead of just a label of mental illness. Andrew Klavan has been my favorite author since I was in high school. Unfortunately, I've read too many of his books, and they're all starting to look the same. (Granted, I only read the YA ones, so maybe this doesn't apply to his adult novels.) Observe:
White middle class male. Is bullied. Gets into trouble. Cops don't believe him. Runs from cops. Does a thing that saves everyone. Is a hero. Gets the girl.
I was disappointed when the story started with bullying and the kid getting "on the wrong side of the tracks," if you will. While he uses these skills later, I feel like I wasted 100 pages reading something I could've just seen in a short flashback or two. Especially when none of those scenes seemed to add anything different to this narrative to set it apart. Jennifer, while a solid character and the main premise of the story, seemed absent for much of the book. I wanted more of her and more of the dad. More of any character except Sam and Sims, who both pulled from the page of a generic character creator.
White middle class male. Is bullied. Gets into trouble. Cops don't believe him. Runs from cops. Does a thing that saves everyone. Is a hero. Gets the girl.
I was disappointed when the story started with bullying and the kid getting "on the wrong side of the tracks," if you will. While he uses these skills later, I feel like I wasted 100 pages reading something I could've just seen in a short flashback or two. Especially when none of those scenes seemed to add anything different to this narrative to set it apart. Jennifer, while a solid character and the main premise of the story, seemed absent for much of the book. I wanted more of her and more of the dad. More of any character except Sam and Sims, who both pulled from the page of a generic character creator.
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
Do right. Fear nothing.
These simple words sum up the moral code that guides Sam Hopkins, the teenage hero of Andrew Klavan’s Crazy Dangerous.
Sam is a preacher’s kid from a loving family, whose mom, dad, and brother are all a little too busy to spend time with him. When he is tapped by the biggest troublemaker in school to become part of a bad-boy entourage, he feels cool for the first time in his life. Initially, his bad choices lead to a dilemma that only affects himself. Then he stumbles upon a plot so evil he must risk his life to save his town.
This novel is a thrill ride sure to please readers from young adult on up. From the moment I opened the book, I became lost in the adventure as Sam struggles to make sense of the crazy, dangerous tangle his life has become. And one of the things I love most about this story is how Sam learns to look past the trappings of social standing and popularity, recognize the bullies of the world for who they really are, and stand up to them.
But after reaching the end—which was even more exciting than the beginning—I briefly wondered if a boy Sam’s age would have been so quick-thinking, sacrificial, and courageous. I ran down the list of young men I’ve taught in my twenty-five years of working at a Christian high school. My conclusion? Yup! Many of the boys who once sat in my classroom definitely followed Sam’s moral code in their youth and were ready even then to stand for right. Now, they’ve moved on to raise families, serve their country in Iraq and Afghanistan, and become leaders in their communities.
So this book holds a special place in my heart because the humble hero reminds me of those guys. I wish there were more like them—and Sam—on the world stage today!
***Thanks to Litfuse for providing a copy for me to review.
These simple words sum up the moral code that guides Sam Hopkins, the teenage hero of Andrew Klavan’s Crazy Dangerous.
Sam is a preacher’s kid from a loving family, whose mom, dad, and brother are all a little too busy to spend time with him. When he is tapped by the biggest troublemaker in school to become part of a bad-boy entourage, he feels cool for the first time in his life. Initially, his bad choices lead to a dilemma that only affects himself. Then he stumbles upon a plot so evil he must risk his life to save his town.
This novel is a thrill ride sure to please readers from young adult on up. From the moment I opened the book, I became lost in the adventure as Sam struggles to make sense of the crazy, dangerous tangle his life has become. And one of the things I love most about this story is how Sam learns to look past the trappings of social standing and popularity, recognize the bullies of the world for who they really are, and stand up to them.
But after reaching the end—which was even more exciting than the beginning—I briefly wondered if a boy Sam’s age would have been so quick-thinking, sacrificial, and courageous. I ran down the list of young men I’ve taught in my twenty-five years of working at a Christian high school. My conclusion? Yup! Many of the boys who once sat in my classroom definitely followed Sam’s moral code in their youth and were ready even then to stand for right. Now, they’ve moved on to raise families, serve their country in Iraq and Afghanistan, and become leaders in their communities.
So this book holds a special place in my heart because the humble hero reminds me of those guys. I wish there were more like them—and Sam—on the world stage today!
***Thanks to Litfuse for providing a copy for me to review.
angparc's review against another edition
3.0
Crazy Dangerous de [a:Andrew Klavan|271685|Andrew Klavan|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1278613204p2/271685.jpg]
Fue una historia entretenida y me agradó bastante la forma en la que estaba escrito.
Fue una historia entretenida y me agradó bastante la forma en la que estaba escrito.
adamrshields's review against another edition
4.0
Short Book Review: This is a young adult thriller in a similar vein as Klavan's Homelander's series. Sam Hopkins is a pastor's kid that wants to stand out. He gets involved with some other teens that are criminals but gets out when they try to hurt a mentally ill girl. This has a good portrayal of what mental illness is like and the story line is a classic thriller. It is a Christian book that is not evangelistic, just with characters that are Christians.
My longer review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/crazy-dangerous/
My longer review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/crazy-dangerous/
fireside_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
adventuresofaliterarynature's review
4.0
Intriguing read! Read full review here: http://writingchristiannovels.blogspot.com/2012/04/crazy-dangerous-by-andrew-klaven-book.html
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