I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've had friends jokingly tell me that I rate EVERYTHING a 3. I find, so often, that books that are super popular and everyone is screaming about are just kinda okay for me. It makes me wonder if maybe I'm too picky or if I'm missing something, some connection, that everyone else is getting. But then I pick up a book like I Hunt Killers and it reminds me of why I reserve those 5 star ratings. Books like this remind me of why I love reading so much.
I absolutely lost myself in this story from the very beginning. I was immersed, riveted, completely out of commission for anything outside of finishing this book, which I did in just a day. Jasper Dent was one of the most fascinating characters I've read recently. Raised to be a serial killer by his serial killer father, Jasper now analyzes his every thought, his every action, trying to determine if he will follow in his father's footsteps, if he too is a sociopath. To be raised like that would undeniably cause irreparable damage to a child, and Jasper is no exception. Luckily, the detective that caught his father has kind of become a mentor to Jasper. When another serial killer seems to be operating in his small town, Jas is forced to confront those feelings and explore that darker side of himself.
While the story within I Hunt Killers was intriguing, it was the characters and the relationship between them that grabbed me and held me and makes me want to read more. From Jas' crazy grandmother, to his sick twisted father, to the gruff detective who feels sorry for Jas, each character has dimension and allure that pulls a reader further into this dark and often quite scary story. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I would absolutely recommend this to everyone who enjoys dramatic thrillers and fans of shows like Criminal Minds.
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4 comments:
I have never really given this book much thought when I have seen it at the store. Now I'm starting to think there is more to this story and it sounds like the relationships are really powerful and change the course of his life.
Plus I like teen books that have a male main character.
Thanks for the great review! Glad you found a special 5 star read
This is a lot darker and scarier than most YA books actually. I would compare this with most adult thrillers. And the characterization and relationships were extremely well done.
I liked the book but didn't go crazy about it. I don't know, somehow I found his dad's story more interesting (of which there was really little). I won't be reading the next book which is already out :-(
@Lectus Read
I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy this as much as I did. I would also be interested to hear the dad's back story but I am definitely fascinated with Jas' motivations after growing up the way he did. I have a thing for broken and dysfunctional characters.
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