Review (Becky): I Hunt Killers, by Barry Lyga

Title: I Hunt Killers

Author: Barry Lyga

Pages: 361

Genre:  Realism (contemporary, horror)

Audience:  Teen

Source: Library 

Rating: 4-I'd find this book fascinating but also be a little too scared to have coffee with it.

Goodreads Summary:

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.

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?

~My Thoughts~ 

This was an exceptionally creepy red. I didn't think the concept would make much of an impression on me because it feels so familiar (Dexter), but the crimes are really disturbing and often Jasper's memories and reactions are just as disturbing. This is really not sugar coated at all, and you can see how damaging his early life was to his sense of normalcy and ability to connect to others.  I did know who the impressionist was right away, though, within the first meeting of him. I also never bought Jasper being a danger to Connie or Howie. It was to obvious that he cared about them too much to ever hurt them deliberately. While his confusion seems very real, its only at the crime scene where he is trying to revive his teacher where I had any doubt about his motives.  The secondary characters didn't have much depth but were still colorfully drawn.  Overall it was an engrossing read and I'm definitely checking out the sequel.