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A review by chemwitch
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
3.0
I haven't slept, I'm in the middle of a read, and I'm at work. What a great time to write a review!
This book had... a lot going on.
Our MC is Jasper "Jazz" Dent, son of a serial killer. Throughout the book he struggles with the "nature vs. nurture" question that psychologists have been asking for decades. Does being raised by a serial killer mean you'll become one? I didn't necessarily like Jazz. He is whiny and thoughtless and cruel and dark. He thinks he knows everything and everyone else knows nothing. His behavior is occasionally disgusting and he is a great protagonist to this story.
Our side characters are Howie and Connie. Howie is Jazz's best friend and a severe hemophiliac. He's... kind of gross and crude. He's also meant to be a 17 year old boy, so I'll buy it. He means well and tries to keep Jazz from going too dark. He's a comic relief character. Connie is Jazz's girlfriend. She is a total bad ass who keeps Jazz grounded and reminds him that people can be dark without being evil. I love her and would die for her. Connie for President 2020.
The biggest part of what makes this book a three-star read is the plot. I saw the twist coming from a mile away, and I'm not terribly good at guessing twists. The murder felt almost shoe-horned in, between the angst and the romance and the angst. Did I say angst twice? I hated to see Jazz triumph over actual police officers. There was just a lot shoved into a YA novel and it felt like any of these ideas on their own would have been fine.
Also, the entire cast of characters seems fine, just fine with the disgusting treatment of Jazz's grandmother. He literally drugs her. It's gross. Which fine, it can be argued he's an edgy boi or whatever but the whole cast just doesn't give her a second thought. Ew?
1/13/19: 3.5 stars. Decently entertaining. I would die for Connie. Rtc
This book had... a lot going on.
Our MC is Jasper "Jazz" Dent, son of a serial killer. Throughout the book he struggles with the "nature vs. nurture" question that psychologists have been asking for decades. Does being raised by a serial killer mean you'll become one? I didn't necessarily like Jazz. He is whiny and thoughtless and cruel and dark. He thinks he knows everything and everyone else knows nothing. His behavior is occasionally disgusting and he is a great protagonist to this story.
Our side characters are Howie and Connie. Howie is Jazz's best friend and a severe hemophiliac. He's... kind of gross and crude. He's also meant to be a 17 year old boy, so I'll buy it. He means well and tries to keep Jazz from going too dark. He's a comic relief character. Connie is Jazz's girlfriend. She is a total bad ass who keeps Jazz grounded and reminds him that people can be dark without being evil. I love her and would die for her. Connie for President 2020.
The biggest part of what makes this book a three-star read is the plot. I saw the twist coming from a mile away, and I'm not terribly good at guessing twists. The murder felt almost shoe-horned in, between the angst and the romance and the angst. Did I say angst twice? I hated to see Jazz triumph over actual police officers. There was just a lot shoved into a YA novel and it felt like any of these ideas on their own would have been fine.
Also, the entire cast of characters seems fine, just fine with the disgusting treatment of Jazz's grandmother. He literally drugs her. It's gross. Which fine, it can be argued he's an edgy boi or whatever but the whole cast just doesn't give her a second thought. Ew?
1/13/19: 3.5 stars. Decently entertaining. I would die for Connie. Rtc