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canada_matt's review
4.0
Before commencing the ‘I Hunt Killers’ series, I wanted to round-out my reading experience with this final short story of character development and insight. Lyga has penned a number of them, all of which have proven to be highly useful to wet my feet before taking the plunge. This piece turns the focus on Howie Gersten, best friend to Jasper Dent and an interesting teenager in his own right. Plagued with hemophilia, Howie has been kept in a protective cocoon by his parents, which might explain his forward nature with others, particularly girls at school. However, the constant reminder of his situation while walking around Lobo’s Nod has become tiresome, so he has organized an invitation to attend a Hallowe’en party with Connie and Jasper in another community. While his sarcastic comments have come along with him, Howie seeks to explore those at the party free from his companions. He meets a young girl who is curious to know more about him, particularly as he is from the Nod, where the stories of Billy Dent’s killings still serve as the town’s greatest draw. Howie dares to impress and does all he can to lure this young woman into the web of his teenage mind while not forgetting that he has his own carnal needs. As with much in his life, Howie must come to terms with the fact that not everything goes as planned. Another great Lyga short piece that has given me all I need to better understand the vast array of characters within the series. Recommended for series fans and those who want to enjoy a brief respite from their daily lives.
I am pleased to have heeded the recommendation of my friend, who asked that I give this collection my attention. When a read a short blurb from Lyga about his creation of these pieces as a means of filling in the gaps of backstory, I knew I was right to have taken the time to read them first. Now, I am ready to begin the journey of longer pieces and explore the teenage perspectives of those in Lobo’s Nod. Howie proves to be the typical teenager, whose raging hormones are not satisfied simply by talking. That being said, as with his two other friends—Jasper and Connie—he has his own individualising characteristic that pushes him apart from others. He wants nothing more than to have a ‘normal’ evening, whatever that might entail. The struggle to shed his daily life at the door is overpowering and Howie is able to do that in his own sarcastic manner. He seeks to better understand himself and those around him in this piece, without inundating the reader with too much information. Lyga has armed his series reader with much and left them to draw some of their own conclusions, which are sure to be interesting in regards to Howie. The story works here and provides the curious reader with something on which to build. Some will surely have read the pieces in chronological (published date) order and already know much about Howie Gersten, while others are only really meeting him in depth for the first time here (as I have, choosing to explore the books as they are marketed by numbers in the series). Either way will likely work, though I will have to reserve final judgment until I finish the entire trilogy that awaits. Now, I am ready for those books and will gladly offer up my insights before too long, as I need to get my teeth into some of the more substantive pieces.
Kudos, Mr. Lyga, on another great piece. I have come to enjoy your short pieces and hope I can find the same pleasure in the novels to come.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
I am pleased to have heeded the recommendation of my friend, who asked that I give this collection my attention. When a read a short blurb from Lyga about his creation of these pieces as a means of filling in the gaps of backstory, I knew I was right to have taken the time to read them first. Now, I am ready to begin the journey of longer pieces and explore the teenage perspectives of those in Lobo’s Nod. Howie proves to be the typical teenager, whose raging hormones are not satisfied simply by talking. That being said, as with his two other friends—Jasper and Connie—he has his own individualising characteristic that pushes him apart from others. He wants nothing more than to have a ‘normal’ evening, whatever that might entail. The struggle to shed his daily life at the door is overpowering and Howie is able to do that in his own sarcastic manner. He seeks to better understand himself and those around him in this piece, without inundating the reader with too much information. Lyga has armed his series reader with much and left them to draw some of their own conclusions, which are sure to be interesting in regards to Howie. The story works here and provides the curious reader with something on which to build. Some will surely have read the pieces in chronological (published date) order and already know much about Howie Gersten, while others are only really meeting him in depth for the first time here (as I have, choosing to explore the books as they are marketed by numbers in the series). Either way will likely work, though I will have to reserve final judgment until I finish the entire trilogy that awaits. Now, I am ready for those books and will gladly offer up my insights before too long, as I need to get my teeth into some of the more substantive pieces.
Kudos, Mr. Lyga, on another great piece. I have come to enjoy your short pieces and hope I can find the same pleasure in the novels to come.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
amanda10141980yahoocom's review
5.0
This book follows Howie, Jasper’s best friend. That’s pretty much all I can say. I loved it.
caitlindee's review
4.0
**3.75**
Howie is such a great character, I'm really glad we got a novella about him. But as I said with Career Day I just wish it had been longer! This one had more length, but just not enough for me!
Howie is such a great character, I'm really glad we got a novella about him. But as I said with Career Day I just wish it had been longer! This one had more length, but just not enough for me!
midnightbookgirl's review
5.0
Oh, Howie, how I adore you! Good luck surviving book 3, Blood Boy! Read for R.I.P. IV. Also, Lyga is donating proceeds of this short story to charity. No ice bucket needed! ;)
imzadirose's review
2.0
Meh. I'm not a Howie fan. Well, I like him, but not a whole short story of him. It was ok.
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