While this book was intense and even scary at times, I did not find it disturbing, despite the subject matter. I saw parallels between this book and "Boy Toy", another book by Barry Lyga.
If you're a fan of Dexter (like me), I suspect you will love Barry Lyga's Jasper Dent, the conflicted hero of I Hunt Killers. 17-yr-old Jazz is charming, bright and good looking. Unfortunately, he's also the only son of the world's most notorious serial killer, Billy Dent, a sociopathic genius who killed 124 people before finally being caught and incarcerated.
Jazz lives his life in fear of growing up like his father, who taught him everything he knew. Trained in the art of torture, death and clean-up by Dear Old Dad, Jazz is haunted by memories he wants to leave far behind him, but a future he dreads even more.
When a string of horrible murders sets of panic and suspicion in his hometown of Lobo's Nod, only Jazz recognizes the signature of his father. But he knows his dad is still safely locked away. With the help of his hemophiliac best friend, Howie, his girlfriend Connie and the local sheriff who finally caught his father, Jazz uses the lessons his father taught him to think like a twisted murderer, and use that unique view to hunt the predator.
There is much to like about I Hunt Killers, which I was thrilled to learn is the first in a series. Jazz is a very intriguing narrator -- unreliable, and the perfect storm of nature vs. nurture. Not only does he carry the genetic legacy of a killer in his veins, he was literally taught by the best. But Lyga takes great pains to make Jazz sympathetic. Everything he does is ultimately designed to prevent him from becoming like his father, whether consciously or subconsciously. Jazz wants to be good. He's just (justifiably) worried that, deep down inside, he's really not.
I would caution that although this is a young adult novel, it is definitely much more appropriate for older teens. If it was a movie, it would be rated R -- there is some graphic description of violence and torture, sexual content and other disturbing content. Lyga doesn't scrimp on the horror in his descriptive scene building. But the violence is key to the story - it's not gratuitous, and the book needs it to create the sense of urgency required in a story about catching a deranged and creative serial killer. Lyga isn't whitewashing it.
Because of the developments at the end of I Hunt Killers, I can't wait to get my hands on Jazz's next adventure, The Game. Definitely check out this edgy coming of age story meets whodunit mystery.
Jazz lives his life in fear of growing up like his father, who taught him everything he knew. Trained in the art of torture, death and clean-up by Dear Old Dad, Jazz is haunted by memories he wants to leave far behind him, but a future he dreads even more.
When a string of horrible murders sets of panic and suspicion in his hometown of Lobo's Nod, only Jazz recognizes the signature of his father. But he knows his dad is still safely locked away. With the help of his hemophiliac best friend, Howie, his girlfriend Connie and the local sheriff who finally caught his father, Jazz uses the lessons his father taught him to think like a twisted murderer, and use that unique view to hunt the predator.
There is much to like about I Hunt Killers, which I was thrilled to learn is the first in a series. Jazz is a very intriguing narrator -- unreliable, and the perfect storm of nature vs. nurture. Not only does he carry the genetic legacy of a killer in his veins, he was literally taught by the best. But Lyga takes great pains to make Jazz sympathetic. Everything he does is ultimately designed to prevent him from becoming like his father, whether consciously or subconsciously. Jazz wants to be good. He's just (justifiably) worried that, deep down inside, he's really not.
I would caution that although this is a young adult novel, it is definitely much more appropriate for older teens. If it was a movie, it would be rated R -- there is some graphic description of violence and torture, sexual content and other disturbing content. Lyga doesn't scrimp on the horror in his descriptive scene building. But the violence is key to the story - it's not gratuitous, and the book needs it to create the sense of urgency required in a story about catching a deranged and creative serial killer. Lyga isn't whitewashing it.
Because of the developments at the end of I Hunt Killers, I can't wait to get my hands on Jazz's next adventure, The Game. Definitely check out this edgy coming of age story meets whodunit mystery.
