What do you think?
Rate this book
Dangerous Boys
“A searing crime novel…Gifune shows his versatility in this coming-of-age tale.” —Publishers Weekly All they had was each other…and nothing to lose… Summer, 1984. For Richie Lionetti and his gang of friends, their years as teenagers are coming to an end. At a crossroad in their lives as petty criminals and thugs on the mean streets of New Bedford, Massachusetts, they’ve got one final summer, one last chance to fall in love, brawl for their turf, rob and pillage, and one last chance to make a move and pull a job that could change their lives forever. As a series of brutal heatwaves hit southeastern Massachusetts, the city boils, and everyone is on edge. In the hopes of finding something better, Richie desperately searches for meaning in all the violence, sex and degradation that is his daily life. But at what price? Part coming-of-age tale, part dark crime thriller, Dangerous Boys is the story of a group of young punks with nothing left to lose, fighting to find themselves, their futures, and a way out of the madness and darkness before it’s too late. Praise for DANGEROUS “Dangerous Boys shows how great it is to be in the hands of a seasoned pro like Greg F. Gifune.” —James Grady, author of Six Days of the Condor “Extremely well written and quite compelling, Dangerous Boys hits all the right marks. It’s a novel you’ll enjoy reading and regret when the last page is turned. Reminded me a bit of Dennis Lehane, a bit of Martin Scorsese, and a bit of S.E. Hinton. What I’m saying Greg F. Gifune has written a crime novel that’s character-driven, jarringly violent, and somehow tender.” —Grant Jerkins, author of Abnormal Man “Dangerous Boys may well be the best thing Greg F. Gifune has written, and that’s a tall order given his deep and accomplished oeuvre. Stunning, breathtaking, and a bloody nightmare of a ride, this crime novel will reverberate through every inch of your heart and soul, and will cement Greg’s already top-shelf reputation with readers of real literature.” —Trey R. Barker, author of the Jace Salome novels “Dangerous Boys is Vision Quest meets The Outsiders with a dash of Less Than Zero thrown in. If none of those references make any sense to you, then you have some reading to do...AFTER you devour Dangerous Boys! Whether you want nostalgia, pain, darkness, sex, violence, or struggle, you’ll find it here.” —Frank Zafiro, author of Blood on Blood “This is it—a gritty, street-wise, cigarette-behind-the-ear coming-of-age novel that evokes Hinton’s The Outsiders, the best of Dennis Lehane, and a dash of Mean Streets. Gifune continues to astound, able to perfectly balance the darkest parts of humanity with its most tender moments. Dangerous Boys is Gifune at his best.” —Ronald Malfi, author of Bone White “Dangerous Boys is a testosterone-fueled, taut moral tale in the tradition of Nelson Algren’s lonely street hustlers and Richard Price’s The Wanderers. Greg F. Gifune drops you into the backseat of an IROC cruising the hot mean streets with cigarette smoke in your eyes and last night’s booze on everyone’s breath. He makes your palms sweat and your heart break for these small-time hoods.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2018
11 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Greg F. Gifune
81 books352 followersCalled "One of the best writers of his generation" by both the Roswell Literary Review and author Brian Keene, Greg F. Gifune is the author of numerous short stories, several novels and two short story collections. His work has been published in a wide range of magazines and anthologies all over the world, and has recently garnered interest from Hollywood. His novels include The Bleeding Season, Deep Night, Saying Uncle, A View From The Lake, Night Work, Drago Descending, Blood In Electric Blue and Dominion.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 12, 2017
The book "Dangerous Boys" by Greg F. Gifune in the above description states that the book is"Part coming-of-age tale, part dark crime thriller". I would agree with the "coming-of-age tale", however have a slight hesitance with the part about "dark crime thriller", leaving off the "dark" personally.
Mr. Gifune is primarily know for his horror output and is also the recipient of multiple Bram Stoker Award and International Horror Guild Award nominations in addition to one for the British Fantasy Award.
I could not ascribe the word "horror" to this book as there is no traditional horror to be found. What is found within this novel is the coming of age narrative of a group of twenty something guys named Petie, Aldo, Fritz, Dino aka Ma, and our narrator Richie, who are not your typical nice kids. The tale takes place in the 1970's/80's New Bedford Mass., and shows us how hard it is to escape one's lot in life if it was a poor dealing of the cards. Along with how easy it might be to turn from bad to worse.
The writing is crisp, fast paced and of high quality. The novel was quite enjoyable.
This hardcover limited edition of DarkMuse Creation #001 is marked number 34 of 52 produced and is signed by Greg F. Gifune. The first 31 purchasers of the book have their names printed at the back of the book, and many of those books were slipcased. In a statement it is indicated that there are also 5 copies marked PC produced.
The book will next appear in March 2018 from Down & Out Books as a paperback and e-publication.
Mr. Gifune is primarily know for his horror output and is also the recipient of multiple Bram Stoker Award and International Horror Guild Award nominations in addition to one for the British Fantasy Award.
I could not ascribe the word "horror" to this book as there is no traditional horror to be found. What is found within this novel is the coming of age narrative of a group of twenty something guys named Petie, Aldo, Fritz, Dino aka Ma, and our narrator Richie, who are not your typical nice kids. The tale takes place in the 1970's/80's New Bedford Mass., and shows us how hard it is to escape one's lot in life if it was a poor dealing of the cards. Along with how easy it might be to turn from bad to worse.
The writing is crisp, fast paced and of high quality. The novel was quite enjoyable.
This hardcover limited edition of DarkMuse Creation #001 is marked number 34 of 52 produced and is signed by Greg F. Gifune. The first 31 purchasers of the book have their names printed at the back of the book, and many of those books were slipcased. In a statement it is indicated that there are also 5 copies marked PC produced.
The book will next appear in March 2018 from Down & Out Books as a paperback and e-publication.
April 17, 2018
Most of these kind of stories -whether a book or a movie - are set in the fifties when crews of leather-clad Italian rough guys from the wrong side of the tracks were all the rage. This is art in the 80's with heavy metal in the background and it's New Bedford, Mass, not Brooklyn, NY. Richie and his oaks are bad dudes and issue beat downs to anyone who messes with them or their girls. They are on the road to nowheresville but they got each other and they are the kings of New Bedford, pulling off small time crap, wondering if they got the balls for the Big time. There are some cliches here like the corn-bred college gal from Iowa and the uncle with the juice and the connections. But there's brutal, realistic, gritty realism here and the author somehow gets it all just right in the narrative language and the dialogue. It feels genuine, not fake. Richie is complex, and ultimately feels real. It's violent, nasty, and there's no damn somewhere over the rainbow. But it's the real deal, the genuine one.
May 31, 2018
In my humble opinion, Dangerous Boys is the first must-read novel of 2018. Greg Gifune's latest work falls squarely in the crime fiction category and is a brilliant tale set in the Summer of '84.
New Bedford, Mass, was a city like many others. A city with both good and bad. In many ways, Ritchie and his friends were much like the city they lived in.
There's a line early on in Dangerous Boys which refers to the city but also sums up its central characters. "Once darkness took hold, the city turned even more dangerous than in daylight hours."
I was immediately and totally engrossed by this coming of age tale. Ritchie, Aldo, Petie, Fritz, Ray, and Dino. "Dino Abruzzo. We called him Ma, which was a nickname that stood for mental Abruzzo." Under no circumstances, did you want to do anything to set Dino off. "When it came to Dino, it was like hanging out with a tiger. All fine and good until the tiger went tiger on your ass."
I found myself easily lost in the world created by the author. His words paint the picture of the life and times of these characters...
"I set the small oscillating fan to high, smoked a couple cigarettes, finished the beer and threw my headphones on. Rocking along with DIO for a while, I watched the shadows play along the walls and ceilings, the lights from passing cars on the street below gliding through the room like spirits, as lost and trapped within these walls as I was. Although it served as a sanctuary of sorts, my room was no different than the rest of the apartment: small, cramped, dusty and old. The building was dying. Slowly. Just like everything else in this neighborhood. It wasn’t much, but I was used to it, and it was the only room I ever remembered having, so I made the best of it. We’d lived in the building, in this same third-floor apartment, since I was five years old. People always told me nothing stayed the same. Here, nothing ever changed."
The story is relentless and the pace is blistering as the characters and their lives roll along to the inevitable destiny they all share. By the middle of the story, I felt I knew these characters intimately. Like I was one of them like I was a part of the gang.
It's been a long time since I've read a book as engrossing as Dangerous Boys. I can't recommend this one highly enough.
Dangerous Boys is published by Down and Out Books and is available now in both Paperback and e-book formats.
From the author's bio - Greg F. Gifune is a best-selling, internationally-published author of several acclaimed novels, novellas and two short story collections. Greg's work is predominantly in the horror and crime genres. Two of his short stories, Hoax, and First Impressions have been adapted to film. His novel Children of Chaos is currently under a development deal to be made into a television series, and his novel The Bleeding Season has been called one of the best horror/thriller novels of the decade. Greg resides in Massachusetts with his wife Carol, a few cats, and his beloved dog Dozer.
New Bedford, Mass, was a city like many others. A city with both good and bad. In many ways, Ritchie and his friends were much like the city they lived in.
There's a line early on in Dangerous Boys which refers to the city but also sums up its central characters. "Once darkness took hold, the city turned even more dangerous than in daylight hours."
I was immediately and totally engrossed by this coming of age tale. Ritchie, Aldo, Petie, Fritz, Ray, and Dino. "Dino Abruzzo. We called him Ma, which was a nickname that stood for mental Abruzzo." Under no circumstances, did you want to do anything to set Dino off. "When it came to Dino, it was like hanging out with a tiger. All fine and good until the tiger went tiger on your ass."
I found myself easily lost in the world created by the author. His words paint the picture of the life and times of these characters...
"I set the small oscillating fan to high, smoked a couple cigarettes, finished the beer and threw my headphones on. Rocking along with DIO for a while, I watched the shadows play along the walls and ceilings, the lights from passing cars on the street below gliding through the room like spirits, as lost and trapped within these walls as I was. Although it served as a sanctuary of sorts, my room was no different than the rest of the apartment: small, cramped, dusty and old. The building was dying. Slowly. Just like everything else in this neighborhood. It wasn’t much, but I was used to it, and it was the only room I ever remembered having, so I made the best of it. We’d lived in the building, in this same third-floor apartment, since I was five years old. People always told me nothing stayed the same. Here, nothing ever changed."
The story is relentless and the pace is blistering as the characters and their lives roll along to the inevitable destiny they all share. By the middle of the story, I felt I knew these characters intimately. Like I was one of them like I was a part of the gang.
It's been a long time since I've read a book as engrossing as Dangerous Boys. I can't recommend this one highly enough.
Dangerous Boys is published by Down and Out Books and is available now in both Paperback and e-book formats.
From the author's bio - Greg F. Gifune is a best-selling, internationally-published author of several acclaimed novels, novellas and two short story collections. Greg's work is predominantly in the horror and crime genres. Two of his short stories, Hoax, and First Impressions have been adapted to film. His novel Children of Chaos is currently under a development deal to be made into a television series, and his novel The Bleeding Season has been called one of the best horror/thriller novels of the decade. Greg resides in Massachusetts with his wife Carol, a few cats, and his beloved dog Dozer.
April 20, 2018
Like a transcript of Larry Clark's nightmares.
A go-nowhere gang in New Bedford, Massachusetts act out in all the worst ways. For me it was like spying on all those hard-living alpha male folk whose company I couldn't keep if I wanted. What with the relentless testing, the violence, the obsessions with base activities. I could feel them dragging me down.
But stay long enough with them and their way of living will quickly make sense. Too much damn sense.
Symbiosis ties these characters and their city in a hideous, self-perpetuating bind: who's making the foul-mouthed, violent, offensive reductive harmful culture—them or the environment? Both, back and forth, forever.
Though it is a specific culture, and one well-defined and anchored to its location, there's something hideously universal about this type of masculinity. While reading, a picture in my mind formed of some composite Glasgwegian gang member face. All the language blurred into that single bullshit axiom: "I don't find trouble; trouble finds me." The excuse of any man in the throes of a crippling trouble addiction.
Fortunately—if you can call it that—it turns out it's just like any other addiction. With immense sacrifice, it can be overcome. Though "never slipping up again" is the only guarantee that it'll last.
A go-nowhere gang in New Bedford, Massachusetts act out in all the worst ways. For me it was like spying on all those hard-living alpha male folk whose company I couldn't keep if I wanted. What with the relentless testing, the violence, the obsessions with base activities. I could feel them dragging me down.
But stay long enough with them and their way of living will quickly make sense. Too much damn sense.
Symbiosis ties these characters and their city in a hideous, self-perpetuating bind: who's making the foul-mouthed, violent, offensive reductive harmful culture—them or the environment? Both, back and forth, forever.
Though it is a specific culture, and one well-defined and anchored to its location, there's something hideously universal about this type of masculinity. While reading, a picture in my mind formed of some composite Glasgwegian gang member face. All the language blurred into that single bullshit axiom: "I don't find trouble; trouble finds me." The excuse of any man in the throes of a crippling trouble addiction.
Fortunately—if you can call it that—it turns out it's just like any other addiction. With immense sacrifice, it can be overcome. Though "never slipping up again" is the only guarantee that it'll last.
March 26, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to my 33rd read of the year, Dangerous Boys by @therealgregfgifune
Don’t know why I haven’t seen anyone reading or posting about this book, so I’m here to try to change that. This is a coming of age crime fiction masterpiece that doesn’t mess around. This book will piss you off, it’ll punch you in the gut, and it’s a testament to Gifune’s talent that you will care, and fret, and feel sorrow and pain when everything comes crashing down around this very unlikable and morally bankrupt group of wannabe gangsters. You can tell from the beginning things were not gonna end up in a happy place, but for a bit, Gifune offers some hope for the main protagonist, and I kept hoping he would reach out and grab it. Don’t want to say anymore for fear of spoilers. I loved everything here. The setting, New Bedford MA in the early eighties, the well drawn characters, the dialogue, the story, which moves like a rocket. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This one will rank up high on my end of the year favorites list, and if you haven’t read any Greg Gifune yet, or are not a fan of the multilayered deep psychological horror Gifune usually deals out, this would be a great place to start! My highest recommendation! 📚📚📚
#bookstagram #booklover #book #booknerd #crimefiction #readersofinstagram #reader #circleofbookishfriends
Don’t know why I haven’t seen anyone reading or posting about this book, so I’m here to try to change that. This is a coming of age crime fiction masterpiece that doesn’t mess around. This book will piss you off, it’ll punch you in the gut, and it’s a testament to Gifune’s talent that you will care, and fret, and feel sorrow and pain when everything comes crashing down around this very unlikable and morally bankrupt group of wannabe gangsters. You can tell from the beginning things were not gonna end up in a happy place, but for a bit, Gifune offers some hope for the main protagonist, and I kept hoping he would reach out and grab it. Don’t want to say anymore for fear of spoilers. I loved everything here. The setting, New Bedford MA in the early eighties, the well drawn characters, the dialogue, the story, which moves like a rocket. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This one will rank up high on my end of the year favorites list, and if you haven’t read any Greg Gifune yet, or are not a fan of the multilayered deep psychological horror Gifune usually deals out, this would be a great place to start! My highest recommendation! 📚📚📚
#bookstagram #booklover #book #booknerd #crimefiction #readersofinstagram #reader #circleofbookishfriends
March 6, 2021
Greg F. Gifune is best known as a horror novelist, but his DANGEROUS BOYS is firmly rooted in the grit and grime and grease of the temporal world. Comparisons to Dennis Lehane and MYSTIC RIVER are inevitable, given the similarities of the knife-edged city streets and the knockaround young men that populate this novel. But DANGEROUS BOYS is much lighter on its feet, bucking up under its weighty themes without losing a step in its deceptively brisk pacing.
The story: In 1984, Richie, closing in on twenty, spends his days getting into fights, committing petty crimes and generally preparing himself for a long life in prison or a short life, period. But, much like Gordie Lachance in Stephen King’s THE BODY, a growing love of literature has given him the ability to dream of a life beyond the one he seems destined for. But can’t see ever turning his back on his friends, who see escalating their criminal pursuits as the only way of elevating their lifestyles above the street.
Aldo, the leader of Richie’s pack and nephew of the neighborhood mob boss, spells it out to Richie in a few brutal strokes: “Problem with you, man, is you think you got options. You don’t. You ain’t gonna work some stupid job, and even if you do, you won’t last. Know why? Because guys like us ain’t got the temperament for crap, and it’s only a matter of time before you’d f--- it up. Why wind up a petty criminal, out there on your own, when you could work for Uncle Lou instead? Don’t make no sense.”
It’s familiar literary territory, yet you won’t be thinking of predecessors or influences when you read DANGEROUS BOYS. All you’ll be thinking about is, what do you do when the guys you’ve been best friends with all your life — the ones who have your back no matter what, the ones whose bonds make no room for the women in their lives — are the ones who will almost certainly bring you down? For Richie, it will take the planning and execution of a big-time crime — one that will almost certainly come with a terrifying body count — to arrive at his answer.
And it’s an answer you will be desperate to know and unable to guess, making DANGEROUS BOYS a coming-of-age page-turner of the first rank.
The story: In 1984, Richie, closing in on twenty, spends his days getting into fights, committing petty crimes and generally preparing himself for a long life in prison or a short life, period. But, much like Gordie Lachance in Stephen King’s THE BODY, a growing love of literature has given him the ability to dream of a life beyond the one he seems destined for. But can’t see ever turning his back on his friends, who see escalating their criminal pursuits as the only way of elevating their lifestyles above the street.
Aldo, the leader of Richie’s pack and nephew of the neighborhood mob boss, spells it out to Richie in a few brutal strokes: “Problem with you, man, is you think you got options. You don’t. You ain’t gonna work some stupid job, and even if you do, you won’t last. Know why? Because guys like us ain’t got the temperament for crap, and it’s only a matter of time before you’d f--- it up. Why wind up a petty criminal, out there on your own, when you could work for Uncle Lou instead? Don’t make no sense.”
It’s familiar literary territory, yet you won’t be thinking of predecessors or influences when you read DANGEROUS BOYS. All you’ll be thinking about is, what do you do when the guys you’ve been best friends with all your life — the ones who have your back no matter what, the ones whose bonds make no room for the women in their lives — are the ones who will almost certainly bring you down? For Richie, it will take the planning and execution of a big-time crime — one that will almost certainly come with a terrifying body count — to arrive at his answer.
And it’s an answer you will be desperate to know and unable to guess, making DANGEROUS BOYS a coming-of-age page-turner of the first rank.
December 6, 2018
I received an advance ARC copy from Down and Out Books using amazon.com for my honest review.
This was my first read from author Greg F. Gifune, while I started this twice, I still liked his writing style enough and will try reading more of his writing.
With 'Dangerous Boy's', I just never got fully into the story, due to not liking any of the characters and it just kept reminding me of Dennis Lehane's novel 'Mystic River'. It also made me think of 'The Outsider's'a novel, but the other problem with this one was the pace slowed down, turn the page and it would flow faster and slow down again.
Sure readers will like this one, but for me, not so much and would recommend both 'Mystic River' or 'The Outsider's over this one.
This was my first read from author Greg F. Gifune, while I started this twice, I still liked his writing style enough and will try reading more of his writing.
With 'Dangerous Boy's', I just never got fully into the story, due to not liking any of the characters and it just kept reminding me of Dennis Lehane's novel 'Mystic River'. It also made me think of 'The Outsider's'a novel, but the other problem with this one was the pace slowed down, turn the page and it would flow faster and slow down again.
Sure readers will like this one, but for me, not so much and would recommend both 'Mystic River' or 'The Outsider's over this one.
June 26, 2018
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.
DANGEROUS BOYS by Greg Gifune is a novel about a gang of New Bedford, Massachusetts youths that run together and hang out in their neighborhood and the park they defend as their own, with others in the area aware of their presence and activities that have earned them a reputation as something to be avoided.
Richie is the young Italian who narrates this story, and is at a crossroads in his life where he sees the futility in what he and his friends have done the past several years, such as burglaries, car thefts, and A&B’s that will catch up with them sooner or later.
Ally is Richie’s best friend and leader of the gang with Richie next in command, his other friends are Dino; who is a loose cannon capable of extreme violence without warning, Fritz; the blond German who wears sunglasses always, Petie; the least sharp tool in the drawer, and Ray, the black ex-golden gloves boxer with alleged ties to a much feared all black gang called the “Black Mambas”.
Searching for a way out with dreams of life beyond the neighborhood, Richie sees his friends differently as of late, and his friends begin to notice the change in him; yet he remains with them and part of their criminal and violent activities, but is beginning to distance himself from them more lately.
Holly is a beautiful blond from Iowa attending SMU nearby, and Richie meets her at the university library and falls for her hard, which brings him both good feelings when alone with her, but feelings of inadequacy in comparison to her friends who’ve come from better circumstances; as his mother is a junkie and has deteriorated ever since the death of Richie’s father when he was 4 years of age.
Lou is Ally’s uncle who’s known to be an established mobster, and he meets with Ally and Richie to invite them to come and work for him, and while Richie is appreciative and respectful; he’s also hesitant and requests time to make his decision, knowing that there would be no possibility of turning back once in.
Ray tells Ally of a sure-thing big score he’s planned, and Ally tells the guys this is their chance to make a huge payday, something they all need as the small time burglaries won’t provide enough any longer.
Feeling uncertainty of their future as a result of the tragic outcome of a vengeance fueled raid at a drug dealer’s apartment, they focus on this big job to fulfill their dreams; except for Richie, who fears this could be the end for all of them if things go wrong which seems to be the most likely outcome.
Can Richie convince his friends that they are on the path to destruction, and will he avoid being part of the heist along with finding a way to escape his life with them, meanwhile finding a way to make a new life elsewhere?
Superb story with similarities to “Good Will Hunting” and “The Outsiders”; in that all characters have both a good and bad side, and an important event takes place that requires a decision to be made that will forever change the life they’ve known, if indeed they survive.
I liked this one quite a bit, especially Richie as a troubled young man trying to find himself in spite of the seemingly impossible odds against his breaking out of the world he feels trapped in.
4 stars.
DANGEROUS BOYS by Greg Gifune is a novel about a gang of New Bedford, Massachusetts youths that run together and hang out in their neighborhood and the park they defend as their own, with others in the area aware of their presence and activities that have earned them a reputation as something to be avoided.
Richie is the young Italian who narrates this story, and is at a crossroads in his life where he sees the futility in what he and his friends have done the past several years, such as burglaries, car thefts, and A&B’s that will catch up with them sooner or later.
Ally is Richie’s best friend and leader of the gang with Richie next in command, his other friends are Dino; who is a loose cannon capable of extreme violence without warning, Fritz; the blond German who wears sunglasses always, Petie; the least sharp tool in the drawer, and Ray, the black ex-golden gloves boxer with alleged ties to a much feared all black gang called the “Black Mambas”.
Searching for a way out with dreams of life beyond the neighborhood, Richie sees his friends differently as of late, and his friends begin to notice the change in him; yet he remains with them and part of their criminal and violent activities, but is beginning to distance himself from them more lately.
Holly is a beautiful blond from Iowa attending SMU nearby, and Richie meets her at the university library and falls for her hard, which brings him both good feelings when alone with her, but feelings of inadequacy in comparison to her friends who’ve come from better circumstances; as his mother is a junkie and has deteriorated ever since the death of Richie’s father when he was 4 years of age.
Lou is Ally’s uncle who’s known to be an established mobster, and he meets with Ally and Richie to invite them to come and work for him, and while Richie is appreciative and respectful; he’s also hesitant and requests time to make his decision, knowing that there would be no possibility of turning back once in.
Ray tells Ally of a sure-thing big score he’s planned, and Ally tells the guys this is their chance to make a huge payday, something they all need as the small time burglaries won’t provide enough any longer.
Feeling uncertainty of their future as a result of the tragic outcome of a vengeance fueled raid at a drug dealer’s apartment, they focus on this big job to fulfill their dreams; except for Richie, who fears this could be the end for all of them if things go wrong which seems to be the most likely outcome.
Can Richie convince his friends that they are on the path to destruction, and will he avoid being part of the heist along with finding a way to escape his life with them, meanwhile finding a way to make a new life elsewhere?
Superb story with similarities to “Good Will Hunting” and “The Outsiders”; in that all characters have both a good and bad side, and an important event takes place that requires a decision to be made that will forever change the life they’ve known, if indeed they survive.
I liked this one quite a bit, especially Richie as a troubled young man trying to find himself in spite of the seemingly impossible odds against his breaking out of the world he feels trapped in.
4 stars.
Read
July 3, 2018The complexity of this book can be shown by the questions one must ask oneself as reading. Why is Richie's gang at its cohesive, team-solidarity best just after planning a hold up at a local bank where neighborhood residents (New Bedford, MA) have their savings? Why are not only Richie's mother but also the mom of a girlfriend drug addicts? What makes Richie and his fellow gang members so loyal to the leader, who is clearly a homicidal monomaniac? Why is the protagonist so sure that he has no choice but to help his gang pull the bank job, although the college girl he loves tells him there is always a choice?
That the writer forces these questions on his readers shows how significant his book is. What makes these very intelligent and gutsy boys so resigned? Note too that Richie, who has a yen for inciting people to fight and then beat them bloody, is a lover of literature, asks all the right questions about who he is and what kind of future makes sense for him. Yet he seems entrapped.
The answers make readers look at a situation in which a cohesive neighborhood, once a proud, ethnic, working class area, is strangled by forces, esp the police, which exist to protect it. Jobs have left the area as companies move to the suburbs, or gotten fewer, as employers seek cheaper labor abroad. Pride and empowerment are embodied in a small, loyal, us-against-the-world group of boys inevitably becoming criminals. They ironically maintain the same values of loyalty, toughness, and open contempt for outsiders that the military, coaches, and schools indoctrinate young men into. “America hurts” (D H Lawrence).
There are two other noirs of this type: Truman’s Grand Trunk and Shearer (set in what was once an ethnic enclave in Montreal) , and Haske’s North Dixie Highway (set in the rural UP of Michigan). In the latter, the protagonist cannot resist the adventure, or the beautiful girl). He has already lost some jobs due to his ingrained aggressive responses, and in the end he is headed for a time to prison. Truman’s novel ends with the protagonist and his bunch getting rid of a lowlife bigot murderer, but as he faces his wedding day, a life of self-respect has hardly begun. Greg Gifune’s novel, and its unexpected denouement and final resolution, manages to be even more mysteriously compassionate.
That the writer forces these questions on his readers shows how significant his book is. What makes these very intelligent and gutsy boys so resigned? Note too that Richie, who has a yen for inciting people to fight and then beat them bloody, is a lover of literature, asks all the right questions about who he is and what kind of future makes sense for him. Yet he seems entrapped.
The answers make readers look at a situation in which a cohesive neighborhood, once a proud, ethnic, working class area, is strangled by forces, esp the police, which exist to protect it. Jobs have left the area as companies move to the suburbs, or gotten fewer, as employers seek cheaper labor abroad. Pride and empowerment are embodied in a small, loyal, us-against-the-world group of boys inevitably becoming criminals. They ironically maintain the same values of loyalty, toughness, and open contempt for outsiders that the military, coaches, and schools indoctrinate young men into. “America hurts” (D H Lawrence).
There are two other noirs of this type: Truman’s Grand Trunk and Shearer (set in what was once an ethnic enclave in Montreal) , and Haske’s North Dixie Highway (set in the rural UP of Michigan). In the latter, the protagonist cannot resist the adventure, or the beautiful girl). He has already lost some jobs due to his ingrained aggressive responses, and in the end he is headed for a time to prison. Truman’s novel ends with the protagonist and his bunch getting rid of a lowlife bigot murderer, but as he faces his wedding day, a life of self-respect has hardly begun. Greg Gifune’s novel, and its unexpected denouement and final resolution, manages to be even more mysteriously compassionate.
May 28, 2018
Thanks to Down and Out Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
It’s 1984 and at 20 years-old, Richie Lionnetti and his friends know their time as the tough guy leaders of their New Bedford Massachusetts neighborhood will soon end soon but most of them still enjoy their time on the top. Richie, second in command to Aldo Genaro, is not so sure about his life and seems to want to find a better one that is free of the violence and crime and one that more appreciates his love of reading. While at a nearby college that he visits to read his books, he meets a woman and falls in love. He however feels a need to honor his commitment to Aldo and his other friends and feels he could never really have a relationship with a college girl.
This is a very well written but dark book that keeps the reader interested from beginning to end. The characters are all interesting but it’s the main first-person character Richie that is the most interesting and one that the writer makes the reader hope escapes the danger and violence that appears to be Richie’s destiny. Aldo’s uncle Lou offers Rich and Aldo more security but only if they are both willing to join the local crime syndicate, something Aldo desperately wants but Richie is not so sure.
When one of Aldo’s crew comes to them with an opportunity for a big, but risky return, Aldo jumps on it as a way to show his uncle he is ready for the big time. Richie is not so sure about taking the risks especially since guns are needed but again feels obligated to support Aldo and the team. The other members will do whatever Richie does so they proceed in what ends not quite as expected.
I had not read or even heard of Greg Gifune before Down and Out provided the opportunity to read the book and I’m very glad they did. This book is just the type of book I enjoy – dark but well written with interesting, but flawed characters. I will certainly read more by Greg Gifune and fortunately for me he’s already written several others.
It’s 1984 and at 20 years-old, Richie Lionnetti and his friends know their time as the tough guy leaders of their New Bedford Massachusetts neighborhood will soon end soon but most of them still enjoy their time on the top. Richie, second in command to Aldo Genaro, is not so sure about his life and seems to want to find a better one that is free of the violence and crime and one that more appreciates his love of reading. While at a nearby college that he visits to read his books, he meets a woman and falls in love. He however feels a need to honor his commitment to Aldo and his other friends and feels he could never really have a relationship with a college girl.
This is a very well written but dark book that keeps the reader interested from beginning to end. The characters are all interesting but it’s the main first-person character Richie that is the most interesting and one that the writer makes the reader hope escapes the danger and violence that appears to be Richie’s destiny. Aldo’s uncle Lou offers Rich and Aldo more security but only if they are both willing to join the local crime syndicate, something Aldo desperately wants but Richie is not so sure.
When one of Aldo’s crew comes to them with an opportunity for a big, but risky return, Aldo jumps on it as a way to show his uncle he is ready for the big time. Richie is not so sure about taking the risks especially since guns are needed but again feels obligated to support Aldo and the team. The other members will do whatever Richie does so they proceed in what ends not quite as expected.
I had not read or even heard of Greg Gifune before Down and Out provided the opportunity to read the book and I’m very glad they did. This book is just the type of book I enjoy – dark but well written with interesting, but flawed characters. I will certainly read more by Greg Gifune and fortunately for me he’s already written several others.
May 1, 2018
Brutally violent at times, with moments that are truly touching without ever succumbing to sentimentality. This coming-of-age story about teenage gangsters reminded me of the classic The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton as well as Web of the City by Harlan Ellison. Greg F. Gifune is a gifted writer who really makes you feel the sense of desperation his characters feel, in their homes as well as on the streets. Highly recommended for anyone who likes literary crime fiction.
April 24, 2018
The complexity of this book can be shown by the questions one must ask oneself as reading. Why is Richie's gang at its cohesive, team-solidarity best just after planning a hold up at a local bank where neighborhood residents (New Bedford, MA) have their savings? Why are not only Richie's mother but also the mom of a girlfriend drug addicts? What makes Richie and his fellow gang members so loyal to the leader, who is clearly a homicidal monomaniac? Why is the protagonist so sure that he has no choice but to help his gang pull the bank job, although the college girl he loves tells him there is always a choice?
That the writer forces these questions on his readers shows how significant his book is. What makes these very intelligent and gutsy boys so resigned? Note too that Richie, who has a yen for inciting people to fight and then beat them bloody, is a lover of literature, asks all the right questions about who he is and what kind of future makes sense for him. Yet he seems entrapped.
The answers make readers look at a situation in which a cohesive neighborhood, once a proud, ethnic, working class area, is strangled by forces, esp the police, which exist to protect it. Jobs have left the area as companies move to the suburbs, or gotten fewer, as employers seek cheaper labor abroad. Pride and empowerment are embodied in a small, loyal, us-against-the-world group of boys inevitably becoming criminals. They ironically maintain the same values of loyalty, toughness, and open contempt for outsiders that the military, coaches, and schools indoctrinate young men into. “America hurts” (D H Lawrence).
There are two other noirs of this type: Truman’s Grand Trunk and Shearer (set in what was once an ethnic enclave in Montreal) , and Haske’s North Dixie Highway (set in the rural UP of Michigan). In the latter, the protagonist cannot resist the adventure, or the beautiful girl). He has already lost some jobs due to his ingrained aggressive responses, and in the end he is headed for a time to prison. Truman’s novel ends with the protagonist and his bunch getting rid of a lowlife bigot murderer, but as he faces his wedding day, a life of self-respect has hardly begun. Greg Gifune’s novel, and its unexpected denouement and final resolution, manages to be even more mysteriously compassionate.
That the writer forces these questions on his readers shows how significant his book is. What makes these very intelligent and gutsy boys so resigned? Note too that Richie, who has a yen for inciting people to fight and then beat them bloody, is a lover of literature, asks all the right questions about who he is and what kind of future makes sense for him. Yet he seems entrapped.
The answers make readers look at a situation in which a cohesive neighborhood, once a proud, ethnic, working class area, is strangled by forces, esp the police, which exist to protect it. Jobs have left the area as companies move to the suburbs, or gotten fewer, as employers seek cheaper labor abroad. Pride and empowerment are embodied in a small, loyal, us-against-the-world group of boys inevitably becoming criminals. They ironically maintain the same values of loyalty, toughness, and open contempt for outsiders that the military, coaches, and schools indoctrinate young men into. “America hurts” (D H Lawrence).
There are two other noirs of this type: Truman’s Grand Trunk and Shearer (set in what was once an ethnic enclave in Montreal) , and Haske’s North Dixie Highway (set in the rural UP of Michigan). In the latter, the protagonist cannot resist the adventure, or the beautiful girl). He has already lost some jobs due to his ingrained aggressive responses, and in the end he is headed for a time to prison. Truman’s novel ends with the protagonist and his bunch getting rid of a lowlife bigot murderer, but as he faces his wedding day, a life of self-respect has hardly begun. Greg Gifune’s novel, and its unexpected denouement and final resolution, manages to be even more mysteriously compassionate.
October 18, 2020
Greg F. Gifune is best known as a horror novelist, but his DANGEROUS BOYS is firmly rooted in the grit and grime and grease of the temporal world. Comparisons to Dennis Lehane and MYSTIC RIVER are inevitable, given the similarities of the knife-edged city streets and the knockaround young men that populate this novel. But DANGEROUS BOYS is much lighter on its feet, bucking up under its weighty themes without losing a step in its deceptively brisk pacing.
The story: In 1984, Richie, closing in on twenty, spends his days getting into fights, committing petty crimes and generally preparing himself for a long life in prison or a short life, period. But, much like Gordie Lachance in Stephen King’s THE BODY, a growing love of literature has given him the ability to dream of a life beyond the one he seems destined for. But can’t see ever turning his back on his friends, who see escalating their criminal pursuits as the only way of elevating their lifestyles above the street.
Aldo, the leader of Richie’s pack and nephew of the neighborhood mob boss, spells it out to Richie in a few brutal strokes: “Problem with you, man, is you think you got options. You don’t. You ain’t gonna work some stupid job, and even if you do, you won’t last. Know why? Because guys like us ain’t got the temperament for crap, and it’s only a matter of time before you’d f--- it up. Why wind up a petty criminal, out there on your own, when you could work for Uncle Lou instead? Don’t make no sense.”
It’s familiar literary territory, yet you won’t be thinking of predecessors or influences when you read DANGEROUS BOYS. All you’ll be thinking about is, what do you do when the guys you’ve been best friends with all your life — the ones who have your back no matter what, the ones whose bonds make no room for the women in their lives — are the ones who will almost certainly bring you down? For Richie, it will take the planning and execution of a big-time crime — one that will almost certainly come with a terrifying body count — to arrive at his answer.
And it’s an answer you will be desperate to know and unable to guess, making DANGEROUS BOYS a coming-of-age page-turner of the first rank.
The story: In 1984, Richie, closing in on twenty, spends his days getting into fights, committing petty crimes and generally preparing himself for a long life in prison or a short life, period. But, much like Gordie Lachance in Stephen King’s THE BODY, a growing love of literature has given him the ability to dream of a life beyond the one he seems destined for. But can’t see ever turning his back on his friends, who see escalating their criminal pursuits as the only way of elevating their lifestyles above the street.
Aldo, the leader of Richie’s pack and nephew of the neighborhood mob boss, spells it out to Richie in a few brutal strokes: “Problem with you, man, is you think you got options. You don’t. You ain’t gonna work some stupid job, and even if you do, you won’t last. Know why? Because guys like us ain’t got the temperament for crap, and it’s only a matter of time before you’d f--- it up. Why wind up a petty criminal, out there on your own, when you could work for Uncle Lou instead? Don’t make no sense.”
It’s familiar literary territory, yet you won’t be thinking of predecessors or influences when you read DANGEROUS BOYS. All you’ll be thinking about is, what do you do when the guys you’ve been best friends with all your life — the ones who have your back no matter what, the ones whose bonds make no room for the women in their lives — are the ones who will almost certainly bring you down? For Richie, it will take the planning and execution of a big-time crime — one that will almost certainly come with a terrifying body count — to arrive at his answer.
And it’s an answer you will be desperate to know and unable to guess, making DANGEROUS BOYS a coming-of-age page-turner of the first rank.
March 13, 2018
Awesome and Real
I became a big fan of Greg Gifune about four years ago I believe. While being a great fan of Horror and supernatural stories, I'm just as big a fan of Noir and well written thrillers. Greg is one of those authors who isn't constrained by genres as this book so eloquently shows. In fact, this may be his best work yet, for the man is a born storyteller. I found myself drawn in by these "Dangerous Boys" from page one and captivated by each character , flaws and all right up to the last page. Don't know if Greg will be able to top this one, it's just so good! One thing is for sure, I will read anything he chooses to write and publish because I'm a huge fan and he never fails to deliver the goods.
I became a big fan of Greg Gifune about four years ago I believe. While being a great fan of Horror and supernatural stories, I'm just as big a fan of Noir and well written thrillers. Greg is one of those authors who isn't constrained by genres as this book so eloquently shows. In fact, this may be his best work yet, for the man is a born storyteller. I found myself drawn in by these "Dangerous Boys" from page one and captivated by each character , flaws and all right up to the last page. Don't know if Greg will be able to top this one, it's just so good! One thing is for sure, I will read anything he chooses to write and publish because I'm a huge fan and he never fails to deliver the goods.
June 9, 2018
“The thing is to be tough and smart.”
In this summer must read, we settle for a gang of five who are mostly tough, too rarely smart. The five are trying to get by and maybe move up through low level criminal activity, supporting themselves and their dysfunctional families, during an extremely hot summer in 1984 in gritty New Bedford, Mass. Aged out of the juvie criminal system, next violation will be charged as adult hard time.
“They were a mess, all of them. But they were my friends, my brothers. They were all I had.” So says our first person narrator, Richie Lionetti, the second in command of the gang is the sole support of his substance addicted mother. Richie is smart, self educated, a reader and someone looking for a doifferent life. Aldo Genaro is the gang’s leader, his Uncle Lou is a true organized crime figure and tasks Aldo to show he can move up into the big leagues. One of the members is known as MA, Dino “Mental Another, Abbruzzio, big, unnaturally strong and given to blind violent rages. Petie Trezza, may be a bit slow, his girl friend runs around on him and the gang is called upon to dissuade her suitors with violent beatings. The fifth, Fritz Kohler, has a legit job at a family business and hangs As the rest do, out of a sense of comradeship formed in grade school. There is also Ray-Ray Smith, an African American loosely affiliated with the group and he has helpful ties with a local black street gang, the Black Mambas.
Our author balances the violence with an eye for detail, here’s Uncle Lou... “Lou was sitting behind his desk. He stood up as we entered. A short and rotund man with no neck and the build of an aging professional wrestler, he sported a greasy comb-over, dark eyes and tinted glasses with thick silver frames like something straight out of an Elvis getup. Along with a pair of stretch slacks, Italian loafers and a polyester shirt open to the middle of his hairy, gold-chain-laden chest, he looked like a cross between an old wise guy in a B-movie and the manager of a low-end used-car lot.”
He balances the violence with the desire of Richie to escape and with humor.
“You get a load of the feet on that guy?” Petie asked. “Oddly fuckin’ small.”
“Like little kid’s feet. You’d think he’d tip over, no?”
“Yeah, he’s not a big guy, but I don’t see how the hell he stays upright.”
“Richie, my hands are bigger than his feet. That’s fucked up. I bet he’s got like little baby toes too, huh?” “I don’t really want to talk about dude feet, bro.”
Dangerous Boys is true to its name, they try a heist which is a risky reach, the one that if it succeeds will get them into the big leagues. It is a pulse pounding finish to a wonderful read, highly recommended.
In this summer must read, we settle for a gang of five who are mostly tough, too rarely smart. The five are trying to get by and maybe move up through low level criminal activity, supporting themselves and their dysfunctional families, during an extremely hot summer in 1984 in gritty New Bedford, Mass. Aged out of the juvie criminal system, next violation will be charged as adult hard time.
“They were a mess, all of them. But they were my friends, my brothers. They were all I had.” So says our first person narrator, Richie Lionetti, the second in command of the gang is the sole support of his substance addicted mother. Richie is smart, self educated, a reader and someone looking for a doifferent life. Aldo Genaro is the gang’s leader, his Uncle Lou is a true organized crime figure and tasks Aldo to show he can move up into the big leagues. One of the members is known as MA, Dino “Mental Another, Abbruzzio, big, unnaturally strong and given to blind violent rages. Petie Trezza, may be a bit slow, his girl friend runs around on him and the gang is called upon to dissuade her suitors with violent beatings. The fifth, Fritz Kohler, has a legit job at a family business and hangs As the rest do, out of a sense of comradeship formed in grade school. There is also Ray-Ray Smith, an African American loosely affiliated with the group and he has helpful ties with a local black street gang, the Black Mambas.
Our author balances the violence with an eye for detail, here’s Uncle Lou... “Lou was sitting behind his desk. He stood up as we entered. A short and rotund man with no neck and the build of an aging professional wrestler, he sported a greasy comb-over, dark eyes and tinted glasses with thick silver frames like something straight out of an Elvis getup. Along with a pair of stretch slacks, Italian loafers and a polyester shirt open to the middle of his hairy, gold-chain-laden chest, he looked like a cross between an old wise guy in a B-movie and the manager of a low-end used-car lot.”
He balances the violence with the desire of Richie to escape and with humor.
“You get a load of the feet on that guy?” Petie asked. “Oddly fuckin’ small.”
“Like little kid’s feet. You’d think he’d tip over, no?”
“Yeah, he’s not a big guy, but I don’t see how the hell he stays upright.”
“Richie, my hands are bigger than his feet. That’s fucked up. I bet he’s got like little baby toes too, huh?” “I don’t really want to talk about dude feet, bro.”
Dangerous Boys is true to its name, they try a heist which is a risky reach, the one that if it succeeds will get them into the big leagues. It is a pulse pounding finish to a wonderful read, highly recommended.
June 13, 2018
Dangerous Boys
Mysterious Book Report No. 338
by John Dwaine McKenna
In the summer of 1984, a series of heat waves blasted the northeast United States in rapid succession, one after another. It’s particularly hot in the old whaling port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, where the usual cooling ocean breezes have disappeared, leaving the city in a steaming humid mess of baking sidewalks, human sweat and bad tempers. It’s where four lifelong friends are coming of age in a gripping new novel by one of the best crime fiction and horror writers in the country.
Dangerous Boys, (Down & Out Books, PB, $17.95, 308 pages, ISBN 978-1-946502-52-0) by Greg F. Gifune, is so compelling, you won’t be able to put it down; so well written, you’ll feel the heat and humidity; and so heartbreakingly real that you’ll feel sort of sorry for the lost boys at the same time you’re disgusted by their behavior, and utterly repulsed by their savagery and criminality.
Aldo, Richie, Dino, Fritz and Petie are young bad-asses on the verge of adulthood: too old to be doing what they’re doing, and too young to act like adults. They’ve known each other since grade school, hung out and raised hell together. Fact is, they’re thugs who’ve been committing petty crimes and getting picked up by the cops ever since they were seven years old. Now it’s decision time, but only Richie Lionetti wants out. He wants something better because he knows that they can’t continue as they are, and he doesn’t want the life of crime, or the dull, back-breaking, life-ending jobs his friends are destined for. Richie dreams of getting out. Out of the gang. Out of his nowhere life. And out of New Bedford, where his mother—his only living relative—is slowly killing herself with booze and heroin. So, Richie agrees when Aldo proposes the heist . . . the really big-time job that’ll put them over the top, into the big leagues and a whole new dimension of criminality . . . the job that can’t go wrong if we stick to the plan. Yeah. Right. This novel transcends time and space. It drops the reader smack dab into the hottest summer imaginable, at the point of no return for the young protagonists in this dark, dark noir thriller that made the MBR an instant fan of the work of Greg F. Gifune!
Mysterious Book Report No. 338
by John Dwaine McKenna
In the summer of 1984, a series of heat waves blasted the northeast United States in rapid succession, one after another. It’s particularly hot in the old whaling port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, where the usual cooling ocean breezes have disappeared, leaving the city in a steaming humid mess of baking sidewalks, human sweat and bad tempers. It’s where four lifelong friends are coming of age in a gripping new novel by one of the best crime fiction and horror writers in the country.
Dangerous Boys, (Down & Out Books, PB, $17.95, 308 pages, ISBN 978-1-946502-52-0) by Greg F. Gifune, is so compelling, you won’t be able to put it down; so well written, you’ll feel the heat and humidity; and so heartbreakingly real that you’ll feel sort of sorry for the lost boys at the same time you’re disgusted by their behavior, and utterly repulsed by their savagery and criminality.
Aldo, Richie, Dino, Fritz and Petie are young bad-asses on the verge of adulthood: too old to be doing what they’re doing, and too young to act like adults. They’ve known each other since grade school, hung out and raised hell together. Fact is, they’re thugs who’ve been committing petty crimes and getting picked up by the cops ever since they were seven years old. Now it’s decision time, but only Richie Lionetti wants out. He wants something better because he knows that they can’t continue as they are, and he doesn’t want the life of crime, or the dull, back-breaking, life-ending jobs his friends are destined for. Richie dreams of getting out. Out of the gang. Out of his nowhere life. And out of New Bedford, where his mother—his only living relative—is slowly killing herself with booze and heroin. So, Richie agrees when Aldo proposes the heist . . . the really big-time job that’ll put them over the top, into the big leagues and a whole new dimension of criminality . . . the job that can’t go wrong if we stick to the plan. Yeah. Right. This novel transcends time and space. It drops the reader smack dab into the hottest summer imaginable, at the point of no return for the young protagonists in this dark, dark noir thriller that made the MBR an instant fan of the work of Greg F. Gifune!
May 24, 2018
I hadn’t read any Greg F. Gifune’s previous novels but I had read some good reviews for this novel which had popped up in my friend’s reviews.
It’s billed as a ‘coming of age/dark thriller’ and tells the story of Richie Lionetti and his ‘gang’ of friends who all hang out together. The group comprises of Aldo, who is the leader and Richie who is his trusted lieutenant, along with Peetie, Fritz, Dino and occasional member Ray Ray. It’s Massachusetts 1984 during a very hot summer and the boys are all in their late teens and fastly approaching their 20’s. Their days of goofing around and committing petty crime are coming to an end and all that lies ahead is a life of crime or dead end jobs and lives in the suburbs with a wife and kids. The story is told through the eyes of Richie who though not well educated is a reader and he seeks a better life than the ones he sees around him but he just doesn’t know how to achieve his goals. To complicate matters he is lumbered with a drug addicted mother with whom he lives and loves. Aldo’s Uncle Lou is a connected guy and offers to take them under his wing but first they must prove that they’ve got the balls by pulling off a big score by themselves.
I do usually enjoy ‘coming of age’ novels, the authors who are particularly adept at this type of novel are Stephen King and also Willy Vlautin who seem to come up with original settings and plot lines for their stories. However I found that with this one I initially enjoyed it but as it progressed I felt it got a bit cliched and the plot twists seemed to be telegraphed in advance. The story does come to a gripping finale as the boys carry out their ‘big score’. The novel seemed to remind me of other novels and films I’d read/seen exploring similar themes and for some reason ‘Saturday Night Fever’, minus the dancing, seemed to spring most readily to mind.
I see the author is known primarily as a horror writer and I might explore further his novels in that genre in the future.
It’s billed as a ‘coming of age/dark thriller’ and tells the story of Richie Lionetti and his ‘gang’ of friends who all hang out together. The group comprises of Aldo, who is the leader and Richie who is his trusted lieutenant, along with Peetie, Fritz, Dino and occasional member Ray Ray. It’s Massachusetts 1984 during a very hot summer and the boys are all in their late teens and fastly approaching their 20’s. Their days of goofing around and committing petty crime are coming to an end and all that lies ahead is a life of crime or dead end jobs and lives in the suburbs with a wife and kids. The story is told through the eyes of Richie who though not well educated is a reader and he seeks a better life than the ones he sees around him but he just doesn’t know how to achieve his goals. To complicate matters he is lumbered with a drug addicted mother with whom he lives and loves. Aldo’s Uncle Lou is a connected guy and offers to take them under his wing but first they must prove that they’ve got the balls by pulling off a big score by themselves.
I do usually enjoy ‘coming of age’ novels, the authors who are particularly adept at this type of novel are Stephen King and also Willy Vlautin who seem to come up with original settings and plot lines for their stories. However I found that with this one I initially enjoyed it but as it progressed I felt it got a bit cliched and the plot twists seemed to be telegraphed in advance. The story does come to a gripping finale as the boys carry out their ‘big score’. The novel seemed to remind me of other novels and films I’d read/seen exploring similar themes and for some reason ‘Saturday Night Fever’, minus the dancing, seemed to spring most readily to mind.
I see the author is known primarily as a horror writer and I might explore further his novels in that genre in the future.
March 17, 2018
I can seriously see this being made into a movie. I loved it. Dangerous Boys is like Goodfellas mixed with Rumble Fish or The Outsiders. It follows 5 close friends who are all around 20 years old in the early 80's. They rule their section of New Bedford Massachusetts like the hoodlums they are. They take crap from absolutely nobody and make examples of folks who dare look at them the wrong way. Richie is 2nd in command in their squad. He is beginning to outgrow his petty thug lifestyle. He takes care and lives with his addict mother. He wants a better life, but has no clue how to do it. His friends are wild and violent and Richie and them have to cope with adulthood around the next corner. These dangerous boys are farther away from growing up than they could ever know, but Richie's gang has big plans. Plans that could propel them into adulthood instantly.
This was just my second Gifune novel and I think I have to read more because I won't soon forget this one. My favorite novel of 2018 so far
This was just my second Gifune novel and I think I have to read more because I won't soon forget this one. My favorite novel of 2018 so far
May 1, 2018
Caution: this may be your story or a friend's and you may not like the memory.
But you might like this fiction of young petty criminals stuck in a lifestyle many of us sensed in our early twenties. You'll relive the senseless smoking, several forms of intoxication, shallow sex and the pain brought upon ourselves and families. Yet, this tale is more than the deep, dark depths of growing up: there are moments of love and thoughts of a better future. Enjoy the ride from the safety of a book and see where it takes you.
But you might like this fiction of young petty criminals stuck in a lifestyle many of us sensed in our early twenties. You'll relive the senseless smoking, several forms of intoxication, shallow sex and the pain brought upon ourselves and families. Yet, this tale is more than the deep, dark depths of growing up: there are moments of love and thoughts of a better future. Enjoy the ride from the safety of a book and see where it takes you.
May 29, 2018
I thought long and hard about what to say about Dangerous Boys. Then I just decided to be honest.
It wasn't for me.
It seemed like a book that wanted to be a movie. But it couldn't decide what movie it wanted to be.
First, it wanted to be The Outsiders (even name-checks Ponyboy).
Then it wanted to be Lords of Flatbush or maybe the Godfather. (Capeesh? Really? Was Richie wanting to be Michael, taking up with the nice girl?)
Then Rocky. (Richie wanted to be a boxer? Since when did we hear anything about boxing?)
And then, at the end (no spoilers), Shawshank?
Nah. Not for me.
It wasn't for me.
It seemed like a book that wanted to be a movie. But it couldn't decide what movie it wanted to be.
First, it wanted to be The Outsiders (even name-checks Ponyboy).
Then it wanted to be Lords of Flatbush or maybe the Godfather. (Capeesh? Really? Was Richie wanting to be Michael, taking up with the nice girl?)
Then Rocky. (Richie wanted to be a boxer? Since when did we hear anything about boxing?)
And then, at the end (no spoilers), Shawshank?
Nah. Not for me.
June 8, 2018
This story is not an easy read- at one point I stopped reading it because the language and graphic detail was upsetting to me. Down and Out books provided me with a copy for my honest review so I picked it back up and finished it. The book is extremely well written. It transported me from my comfortable " suburban lifestyle" into the lives of these "dangerous boys". Richie's struggles are real and I grew to like him. Definitely not for the faint of heart,but worth the time to read. It is a story that will stay with for a long time.
June 22, 2020
A really good read about a young man in this 20's that seems to be at a crossroads in his life. I found this a good read, that kept me turning the pages as I wanted to see what happened. Good character development and very interesting. It put me in the mind of GoodFellas. Thanks to Netgally, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.
October 22, 2018
I loved this book. I love Gifune's work and so far this has been my favorite. It seems like everything really happened. The characters are rich and their actions are realistic. The dialogue is spot on and the best thing about the book even.
Wish there was a bit more to the ending, but the journey is what is special here. You'll fall in love with the characters.
Wish there was a bit more to the ending, but the journey is what is special here. You'll fall in love with the characters.
March 26, 2018
I'm going to be writing a review of this one for Mystery Scene magazine so I will update this review with the link to said review once it gets published and put up online.
Read
May 1, 2018I enjoyed the book and think it very well written. It was a downer in the sense that I knew things were never going to get better and were doomed to get worse. The fact that one was saved is good but he didn't really deserve to be saved and I don't know if he learned much from the experience. I know these neighborhoods exist and the family lives exist but I am not sure I learned very much from reading it. I have worked with youth my whole life and I knew there was no salvation for this group
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews