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colby_law's review against another edition
I honestly thought it was a little bit predictable with the whole "game" but I did not see that last piece of information coming.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
the ending didn't feel like an ending, but not in a typical cliffhanger fashion. it felt like pages were missing. I feel for how many pages there were the ending shouldn't have felt the way it did.
elnaann1313's review against another edition
3.0
I was frustrated with the characters multiple bad decisions which landed them in predictable, dangerous situations. The ending, however, was anything but predictable. Cliffhangers like this are cruel to the reader. When is the sequel due to be published?
katie1031's review against another edition
4.0
3.75
I liked this book more than the last one. The game aspect was really interesting and the ending had me excited to read the next. However, I don't love how the author had the main character speak about fat people.
I liked this book more than the last one. The game aspect was really interesting and the ending had me excited to read the next. However, I don't love how the author had the main character speak about fat people.
mollywetta's review against another edition
4.0
I’m morbid and a fan of the macabre, and I totally dug I Hunt Killers. Game was one of my most anticipated sequels of this year, and I was very excited to read the sequel.
Game picks up soon after I Hunt Killers. Billy, Jasper’s dad, is on the loose. Jazz is dealing with his crazy grandma, his complicated feelings for his girlfriend, Connie, and his dreams, which are becoming even more disturbing. Life’s not easy for him. Still, when a NYPD detective comes knocking on his door looking for help tracking a serial killer, he can’t say no.
Game requires a suspension of belief, but on a much larger scale than I Hunt Killers. Instead of just helping with a local investigation, Jazz is recruited by the FBI and NYPD. Despite Jazz’s unconventional upbringing and uncanny insight into the mind of a serial killer, I can’t fathom that these authorities, would, let alone could, bring in a minor to assist with their investigation. Despite the believability issues I had with the plot, Game is an engrossing, thrilling read.
CHARACTERS
Jazz continues to be a fascinating character study. Balancing the seductive pull of his dark urges with his commitment to his mantra “people are real, people matter” creates constant tension, which makes for good fiction.
However, what I enjoyed most about Game was getting to know Connie better. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, even though the plot of this novel requires her to make some not-so-great decisions. She’s tough, and firm, and goes after what she wants. She loves Jazz, and not because of his darkness, but in spite of it. There was one moment when I went “is she really thinking that?” and it’s nice when a character surprises you or is shown to have another side.
Billy is a world class creep, mostly because he’s so damn charming. His dialogue is excellent, and really gives readers a glimpse into his twisted mind.
All of the secondary characters introduced here fell flat for me, especially the law enforcement officers. They had no depth, and certainly weren’t given the treatment Sheriff G. William was given in terms of development in I Hunt Killers. I’m not sure what to think of Jazz’s aunt, Billy’s sister, and I wonder if she’ll factor into the next book.
I think the chapters from the POV of the killer could work for some readers, but they felt extraneous to me. I find Jazz’s story and the way his mind works much more compelling than a garden variety killer’s.
PLOT
This sequel is a page-turner just like I Hunt Killers, and Lyga crafted a mystery that was intriguing from the beginning and kept me guessing. There are many layers to this game, and Lyga reveals them slowly. Without giving away the mystery, I’ll say that it’s got plenty of twists, heaps of gore, and one hell of a cliffhanger. This novel focuses more on the plot turns and less on Jazz’s internal struggle and character development.
Which leads us to my biggest disappointment with this novel: the ending. Where I Hunt Killers was a fantastic story that wrapped up all the loose ends, it left room for a sequel while working as a standalone novel. Game, in contrast, was a novel split in two, with no clear climax, no resolution. The last half of the book is all rising action. At over 500 pages, it’s not short, and I expected some kind of ending.
I enjoyed Game, but not as much as I Hunt Killers. I’ll look forward to the final installment, but I almost wish I would have waited to read them back to back. If you’re put off by a lack of resolution, I’d suggest you wait for the release of the next one, too.
Game picks up soon after I Hunt Killers. Billy, Jasper’s dad, is on the loose. Jazz is dealing with his crazy grandma, his complicated feelings for his girlfriend, Connie, and his dreams, which are becoming even more disturbing. Life’s not easy for him. Still, when a NYPD detective comes knocking on his door looking for help tracking a serial killer, he can’t say no.
Game requires a suspension of belief, but on a much larger scale than I Hunt Killers. Instead of just helping with a local investigation, Jazz is recruited by the FBI and NYPD. Despite Jazz’s unconventional upbringing and uncanny insight into the mind of a serial killer, I can’t fathom that these authorities, would, let alone could, bring in a minor to assist with their investigation. Despite the believability issues I had with the plot, Game is an engrossing, thrilling read.
CHARACTERS
Jazz continues to be a fascinating character study. Balancing the seductive pull of his dark urges with his commitment to his mantra “people are real, people matter” creates constant tension, which makes for good fiction.
However, what I enjoyed most about Game was getting to know Connie better. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, even though the plot of this novel requires her to make some not-so-great decisions. She’s tough, and firm, and goes after what she wants. She loves Jazz, and not because of his darkness, but in spite of it. There was one moment when I went “is she really thinking that?” and it’s nice when a character surprises you or is shown to have another side.
Billy is a world class creep, mostly because he’s so damn charming. His dialogue is excellent, and really gives readers a glimpse into his twisted mind.
All of the secondary characters introduced here fell flat for me, especially the law enforcement officers. They had no depth, and certainly weren’t given the treatment Sheriff G. William was given in terms of development in I Hunt Killers. I’m not sure what to think of Jazz’s aunt, Billy’s sister, and I wonder if she’ll factor into the next book.
I think the chapters from the POV of the killer could work for some readers, but they felt extraneous to me. I find Jazz’s story and the way his mind works much more compelling than a garden variety killer’s.
PLOT
This sequel is a page-turner just like I Hunt Killers, and Lyga crafted a mystery that was intriguing from the beginning and kept me guessing. There are many layers to this game, and Lyga reveals them slowly. Without giving away the mystery, I’ll say that it’s got plenty of twists, heaps of gore, and one hell of a cliffhanger. This novel focuses more on the plot turns and less on Jazz’s internal struggle and character development.
Which leads us to my biggest disappointment with this novel: the ending. Where I Hunt Killers was a fantastic story that wrapped up all the loose ends, it left room for a sequel while working as a standalone novel. Game, in contrast, was a novel split in two, with no clear climax, no resolution. The last half of the book is all rising action. At over 500 pages, it’s not short, and I expected some kind of ending.
I enjoyed Game, but not as much as I Hunt Killers. I’ll look forward to the final installment, but I almost wish I would have waited to read them back to back. If you’re put off by a lack of resolution, I’d suggest you wait for the release of the next one, too.
aepstone's review against another edition
I need to stop reading these -- Barry Lyga's well-written suspense keeps me up late reading, and up even later afraid of my nightmares!
celjla212's review against another edition
4.0
For various reasons, it took me several months to get this book finished. The biggest reason is because the beginning is very slow and didn't grip me quite like the first book did. But once I buckled down and decided to finish it, the remaining 70% of the book just flew by!
The author does a great job of throwing you off the real killer's trail but also keeping the thrills coming. Billy Dent is a master of murder I've not seen in any YA book before.
The book ends on a huge cliffhanger and I can't wait to see how this series ends!
The author does a great job of throwing you off the real killer's trail but also keeping the thrills coming. Billy Dent is a master of murder I've not seen in any YA book before.
The book ends on a huge cliffhanger and I can't wait to see how this series ends!
labunnywtf's review
1.0
Man, the first book in this series really set me up for failure.
You were raised by a fucking serial killer, and these are the dumbass situations you literally walk your happy ass into?
Are you kiding?
And don't even get me started on the girlfriend, who makes decisions much like the person who sees
and says, "Hey, I like candy."
So fucking stupid.
I was so glad to be done with this, I pulled up the third book and read the last few chapters rather than battling through more piss poor decisions.
How fucking convoluted can you get?
No. I encourage reading of the first in the series, but leave it at that. JFC.
You were raised by a fucking serial killer, and these are the dumbass situations you literally walk your happy ass into?
Are you kiding?
And don't even get me started on the girlfriend, who makes decisions much like the person who sees
and says, "Hey, I like candy."
So fucking stupid.
I was so glad to be done with this, I pulled up the third book and read the last few chapters rather than battling through more piss poor decisions.
How fucking convoluted can you get?
No. I encourage reading of the first in the series, but leave it at that. JFC.
geekwayne's review against another edition
3.0
'Game' by Barry Lyga is the second book in the Jasper Dent series. It is not a standalone book and leaves things in a pretty big cliffhanger.
Jasper Dent, son of famous serial killer Billy Dent, is just trying to live a normal life. After helping the local cops stop a serial killer in his his hometown, he finds a New York detective on his doorstep asking for help. He doesn't want to help them because he just wants to get back to being a teenager, but this would be a short book if that were the case. Before long, he finds himself helping to try to find a killer named the Hatdog killer because of the clues left behind.
The cast of characters are back from the first book, but maybe not enough for me. Especially missing is Jasper's surrogate father figure, G. William, the gentle Sheriff of Lobo's Nod. He's here, just not enough. Secrets from Jasper's past figure in, but nothing gets explained this time around.
And then, as the action builds, it just ends. I'm okay with cliffhangers but this kind of felt like half of a book. I enjoyed it, but pretty much everything is left wide open. I felt a bit cheated.
It's pretty gruesome, especially for something purporting to be YA, so readers beware that it's pretty graphic in places. I have book 3 to read, and maybe the best advice is to read this one and book 3 back to back. I liked it, but not quite as much as the first one.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Jasper Dent, son of famous serial killer Billy Dent, is just trying to live a normal life. After helping the local cops stop a serial killer in his his hometown, he finds a New York detective on his doorstep asking for help. He doesn't want to help them because he just wants to get back to being a teenager, but this would be a short book if that were the case. Before long, he finds himself helping to try to find a killer named the Hatdog killer because of the clues left behind.
The cast of characters are back from the first book, but maybe not enough for me. Especially missing is Jasper's surrogate father figure, G. William, the gentle Sheriff of Lobo's Nod. He's here, just not enough. Secrets from Jasper's past figure in, but nothing gets explained this time around.
And then, as the action builds, it just ends. I'm okay with cliffhangers but this kind of felt like half of a book. I enjoyed it, but pretty much everything is left wide open. I felt a bit cheated.
It's pretty gruesome, especially for something purporting to be YA, so readers beware that it's pretty graphic in places. I have book 3 to read, and maybe the best advice is to read this one and book 3 back to back. I liked it, but not quite as much as the first one.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.