Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
I did not see that coming. It has been a while since I could not guess who the killer is in a book so for that alone I would have given this book 5 stars. On top of that this is all about serial killers and the main character is kind of - sort of - a serial killer in the making. I am really excited to see what will follow.
Why put yourself in these dangeous situations. I understand correcting the bad but its like shes doing it because she's a sociopath. I feel like this book could have been way more creepier. The end was wayyy to predictable. I think an adult version of this book have been much better.
I was initially going to give this three stars, as there were certain moments and personalities in this book that annoyed me. However, the annoyance didn't take away the good writing in this book. Without going into the annoyances and what I found utterly stupid, the ending--before the epilogue, made it 4 stars. It takes a lot to stun me in mystery/horror books, and the moment at the end did make me jerk. I was not expecting that action from the main character. If you appreciate this sort of genre, or find an interest in crime/serial killers/criminal psych., and find yourself bored, it's a quick read. You will have moments where you want to put the book down and never return to it, or laugh out loud from the outlandish moments in the book. Overall, it was quick and decent.
3.5 star book. I thought the premise was very interesting and the book was gripping enough. I liked the portrayal of the main character, how accurate it was compared to what I've read about sociopaths (not that she out right calls herself that, but that what she leans towards from a psychological perspective). I do not usually read thriller/mystery books, and, once again, I know why. I hate endings to these kinds of books! Plus, the ending in this one felt wrong, like the writing was not as good as throughout the book, and once the killer is revealed, the person speaks in a very odd way that felt unrealistic and took me out of the story.
Initially I was like, "Hey cool, it's just like Dexter". Now that I've been thinking about it for a while, I'm like, "Uhh...you completely ripped off the first season of Dexter..." It's not a bad book, but the parallels between Lane and Dexter are a few too many. It's starting to feel less like a simple nod in Dex's direction, and more like the dreaded P-word...
The ending messed me up. Wasn't prepared for that.
I might be done with books about teen serial killers. Lane's emotional issues make the whole reading of the book awkward. You do connect with her by the end of the book because (mild spoiler!) she's not as evil as she thinks she is. But it still manages to be a fairly disturbing read with some hard-hitting ethical dilemmas.
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Killer Instinct is the first book in the young adult series by the same name. And right off the bat, I have to say that I love the new covers for the series so, so much. I think they are much cooler looking than the old covers, and I think they fit with the story. Killer Instinct is about a girl that is fascinated with serial killers. And not only is she fascinated with them and with the way their mind works, she thinks that she may fit the profile as one. Lane, the main character, kind of reminded me of the show Dexter. And like Dexter, she has a conscience. She doesn't want to just go around killing people just for the heck of it. She wants to be a vigilante serial killer of sorts. Killing or torturing only criminals who she thinks deserve it. She is seeking revenge for their victims.
Which I thought was a cool concept in YA because it was different than so many books out there. But then there is a whole other level to the story. Soon a mystery unfolds and Lane finds herself right in the middle of it. I totally loved the whirlwind and crazy journey that Killer Instinct took me on. A serial killer has been on the loose for year, called the Decapitator. He kills victims always in the month of September, and this September he comes to Lane's hometown and starts sending messages directly to her. On her hunt to find out who the Decapitator really is and what he wants with Lane, Lane finds herself learning more about the secrets of her past.
S.E. Green had me totally enthralled in the story. The writing was was great and made it so easy to become lost in the story. I loved Lane, even though she is a little creepy. (shh, don't tell her I said that.) I loved how much she loves animals and her younger brother. She has feelings, even when she thinks she doesn't, and her blooming something with Zach. Even though some parts of the plot seemed a bit too easy and convenient, I loved Killer Instinct and I totally did not see the ending coming. I thought it was crazy! I am really glad that I have the second book, Killer Within, because I need to start reading it ASAP. Fans of the tv show Dexter, and fans of YA looking for something dark, twisted, so wonderfully unique, and more than a little messed up, should check out the Killer Instinct series. The second book was released last month, so do what I am doing and read them back to back!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Killer Instinct is the first book in the young adult series by the same name. And right off the bat, I have to say that I love the new covers for the series so, so much. I think they are much cooler looking than the old covers, and I think they fit with the story. Killer Instinct is about a girl that is fascinated with serial killers. And not only is she fascinated with them and with the way their mind works, she thinks that she may fit the profile as one. Lane, the main character, kind of reminded me of the show Dexter. And like Dexter, she has a conscience. She doesn't want to just go around killing people just for the heck of it. She wants to be a vigilante serial killer of sorts. Killing or torturing only criminals who she thinks deserve it. She is seeking revenge for their victims.
Which I thought was a cool concept in YA because it was different than so many books out there. But then there is a whole other level to the story. Soon a mystery unfolds and Lane finds herself right in the middle of it. I totally loved the whirlwind and crazy journey that Killer Instinct took me on. A serial killer has been on the loose for year, called the Decapitator. He kills victims always in the month of September, and this September he comes to Lane's hometown and starts sending messages directly to her. On her hunt to find out who the Decapitator really is and what he wants with Lane, Lane finds herself learning more about the secrets of her past.
S.E. Green had me totally enthralled in the story. The writing was was great and made it so easy to become lost in the story. I loved Lane, even though she is a little creepy. (shh, don't tell her I said that.) I loved how much she loves animals and her younger brother. She has feelings, even when she thinks she doesn't, and her blooming something with Zach. Even though some parts of the plot seemed a bit too easy and convenient, I loved Killer Instinct and I totally did not see the ending coming. I thought it was crazy! I am really glad that I have the second book, Killer Within, because I need to start reading it ASAP. Fans of the tv show Dexter, and fans of YA looking for something dark, twisted, so wonderfully unique, and more than a little messed up, should check out the Killer Instinct series. The second book was released last month, so do what I am doing and read them back to back!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
I’m not even sure what to say about this book… I’m not even sure what I actually honestly think about it yet there are so many conflicts in my head.
To be blunt… the story is a total mindf&%k. TOTAL.
A little bit about the book: Lane is a high school student, though maybe not your typical one. With parents who work for the FBI she’s fascinated with serial killers. I’m not talking just a little bit of curiosity either. Her parents both work for the FBI and repeatedly work on certain types of cases. She’s grown up knowing a lot more about all the bad in the world than many other kids. When a serial killer starts taking an interest in her, she can’t help but be intrigued.
But that’s not all that’s going on in her life. Lane has a fascination with violence and justice … and she hates the unfairness of people getting around the law and decides to offer up her own brand of justice to those that she feels are deserving.
And… that’s pretty much all I can tell you without the chance of giving things away.
Here’s where I’m supposed to tell you what I thought and this is where I’m going to struggle. My first visceral reaction to this would probably be WTF. But after thinking about it for a bit, I can say that while I didn’t love it, I honestly didn’t hate it. I was intrigued by the character of Lane. She is so uniquely done. She was hard for me to get a grip on, and I think that was intentional. I mean, I think I have to guess that it was based on the way we’re supposed to think of her. Her emotions never really hit the surface and so it makes it easy to understand her fascination with serial killers and also providing this sense of justice upon people. I don’t think it’s that she’s emotionally stunted I just think that the things in her past have kind of modified how she deals with things. And I think this is why I struggled a bit with her. It’s common knowledge if you’re a reader of my reviews, that I NEED to bond with the main characters, I need to like them and connect with them and understand their actions. This absolutely didn’t happen here. Not only does this character not bond with her friends and family on an emotional level, she doesn’t bond with readers that way either. And that’s why I think it was intentional on Green’s part and for that I have to give her major kudos.
Green actually gives you quite an interesting mystery here with twists and turns that you most likely won’t see coming. If you’re like me you will suspect everyone though and in a sea of thrillers where you have to guess who is doing what, I am also giving props to her for me never seeing the ending of this book coming.
There were a few things that I just didn’t understand. I feel like this was almost two separate stories… the story where this serial killer is reaching out to Lane and the story where she provides vigilante justice. I’m not sure I see why they connect and I feel like the vigilante part isn’t really explored like it should have been. I also didn’t really get some of the characters… Her sister, Zach and his brother the doctor… It simply seemed that they were there to show Lane’s disconnect to people and relationships, and I’m not sure they were done well enough to have a true impact on the story and therefore by the end they really felt completely unnecessary.
I don’t know what to tell you guys. I think if you’re looking for something that is different… characters you won’t necessarily bond with but will be intrigued by you will want to pick this up. When you finish – come leave me a message because I absolutely want to see what your reaction to this book is.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
To be blunt… the story is a total mindf&%k. TOTAL.
A little bit about the book: Lane is a high school student, though maybe not your typical one. With parents who work for the FBI she’s fascinated with serial killers. I’m not talking just a little bit of curiosity either. Her parents both work for the FBI and repeatedly work on certain types of cases. She’s grown up knowing a lot more about all the bad in the world than many other kids. When a serial killer starts taking an interest in her, she can’t help but be intrigued.
But that’s not all that’s going on in her life. Lane has a fascination with violence and justice … and she hates the unfairness of people getting around the law and decides to offer up her own brand of justice to those that she feels are deserving.
And… that’s pretty much all I can tell you without the chance of giving things away.
Here’s where I’m supposed to tell you what I thought and this is where I’m going to struggle. My first visceral reaction to this would probably be WTF. But after thinking about it for a bit, I can say that while I didn’t love it, I honestly didn’t hate it. I was intrigued by the character of Lane. She is so uniquely done. She was hard for me to get a grip on, and I think that was intentional. I mean, I think I have to guess that it was based on the way we’re supposed to think of her. Her emotions never really hit the surface and so it makes it easy to understand her fascination with serial killers and also providing this sense of justice upon people. I don’t think it’s that she’s emotionally stunted I just think that the things in her past have kind of modified how she deals with things. And I think this is why I struggled a bit with her. It’s common knowledge if you’re a reader of my reviews, that I NEED to bond with the main characters, I need to like them and connect with them and understand their actions. This absolutely didn’t happen here. Not only does this character not bond with her friends and family on an emotional level, she doesn’t bond with readers that way either. And that’s why I think it was intentional on Green’s part and for that I have to give her major kudos.
Green actually gives you quite an interesting mystery here with twists and turns that you most likely won’t see coming. If you’re like me you will suspect everyone though and in a sea of thrillers where you have to guess who is doing what, I am also giving props to her for me never seeing the ending of this book coming.
There were a few things that I just didn’t understand. I feel like this was almost two separate stories… the story where this serial killer is reaching out to Lane and the story where she provides vigilante justice. I’m not sure I see why they connect and I feel like the vigilante part isn’t really explored like it should have been. I also didn’t really get some of the characters… Her sister, Zach and his brother the doctor… It simply seemed that they were there to show Lane’s disconnect to people and relationships, and I’m not sure they were done well enough to have a true impact on the story and therefore by the end they really felt completely unnecessary.
I don’t know what to tell you guys. I think if you’re looking for something that is different… characters you won’t necessarily bond with but will be intrigued by you will want to pick this up. When you finish – come leave me a message because I absolutely want to see what your reaction to this book is.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.