I Hunt Killers Review

TITLE I Hunt Killers
AUTHOR Barry Lyga
PAGES 282 (ePub format)
PUBLISHED April 3rd 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
READ April 16 - 18, 2012
BUY IT Amazon / Kobo / Chapters.Indigo

SYNOPSIS What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could--from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret--could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga is a murder mystery like no other.  The fresh take on the age old 'nature vs. nurture' debate was haunting and engrossing.  For me, this was like being in a very intense episode of Criminal Minds mixed with just enough Dexter (two of my favourite shows!) We got to experience the mystery from many perspectives but the real gem here is Jasper. Not only did Jazz attempt to solve Lobo's Nods latest string of murders but he was also constantly trying to profile himself.  He was frightened of who he might be and what that may mean for those close to him.

The content of this novel is pretty edgy for the genre that it is in, it doesn't hold back on the gore, which was perfect! The "lessons" Billy taught Jazz as a young kid are appalling and presented an interesting look into the human psyche and how one deals with intense situations.  Jasper's mind set and the thought patterns that he went through as he attempted to figure himself out were mesmerising and a big part of what made this read so memorable for me. He often found himself questioning his sanity and motives in the exact same way that I, the reader, was.  Another interesting character is that of Dear Old Daddy himself, the monster, Billy Dent. His skewed view of reality and unapologetic demeanour added up to the worst kind of monster.

Not all of the characters in this book had dark motives.  Connie (Jazz's girlfriend) and Howie (his best friend) were great additions to the story.  Connie was seriously kick-ass, she didn't hold back and she looked all her fears right in the eyes. I really enjoyed her and thought she was a strong female character (which is so nice to see in YA these days.) Howie was also a strong character (not in the physical sense of course.) The parts with him and Jazz were always good for a laugh and provided a good contrast to the dark setting of the novel.

I Hunt Killers is more than just a murder mystery, it is an intense look at one kids mind.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an Alluring Read.