I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

I felt really troubled the whole time I was reading this book, because it really is a scary topic. Kids growing up to be killers. A voice eerily reminiscent of Dexter. Really quite terrifying. And also very good.

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a complex character. His upbringing with his serial killer Dad has created a dual identity within himself, and it makes for some pretty powerful reading. Jazz suffers from hearing the voice of his demented father in his head and it is creepy, but what I imagine to be realistic. I liked how Jazz worked so closely with the police chief in his town, to help himself cope with the conflicts running through his mind. Just brilliant. And I loved both supporting characters of Connie and Howie. Those two were so perfect in their love for Jazz and their dialog!

And the ending - WOW. Just after the halfway point, the story begins to fly towards it's climax. And I totally did not see it coming. I definitely appreciate a book that gives me a genuine surprise.

I'm a big fan of Barry Lyga, stemming back to his totally awesome debut The Adventures of Fan boy and Goth-Girl. His stories always manage to pull me in right away and demand my complete attention and brain power until finished. I Hunt Killers was no exception. If you haven't read Lyga before, I promise you will want to explore his back catalog after this one!

Overall Rating: 5 Stars