Title: I Hunt Killers [Amazon|GoodReads] Author: Barry Lyga [Website|Twitter] Standing: Stand alone novel. Genre: Young Adult, Thriller Published: April 3rd, 2012 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers Format: Hardcover; 368 pages Source: ARC copy provided as part of a tour hosted by The Midnight Garden (thank you!).
Jazz was afraid of two things in the world, and two things only. One of them was that people thought that his upbringing meant that he was cursed by nature, nurture, and predestination to be a serial killer like his father. The second thing...was that they were right.
As long as he can remember, Jazz’s dad has been killing people. With a body count of 123 (124?), Billy Dent has become the world’s most notorious serial killer. A new brand of sociopath. And he spent years grooming Jazz to take up his throne when he was gone. Now, four years after Billy was finally caught and put away, Jazz struggles to live life as a normal teen. Lies and manipulation come as easy to him as breathing, and Jazz’s biggest fear is that he’s more like his dad than anyone knows. When a body shows up in a field outside Lobo’s Nod, Jazz knows instantly what the cops don’t want to believe--that another serial killer is on the loose. Jazz is certain he’s right, and that he can help the cops to catch their man. After all, he’s the only one of them who really knows how to think like a serial killer.
When I first heard of I Hunt Killers, it was self-described as “Dexter meets Silence of the Lambs for teens”. I always hate these types of descriptions which makes my mind just think things like ‘Serial killers...you know, for kids!”
But at the same time, it certainly got my attention. And while I’d say I Hunt Killers is perfect for any fan of thrillers, particularly of the serial killer variety, I’ll also say that it was more original than I expected. Now, while I’ve watched a fair amount of these types of movies, the only other book I’ve read in this vein is Darkly Dreaming Dexter. I liked Darkly Dreaming Dexter, but it was honestly pretty boring after having already watched the Showtime adaptation. I am happy to report that I Hunt Killers wasn’t about a serial-killer-killing serial killer (Dexter was awesome, but it’s been done), it was its own uniquely nauseating story of the child of a serial killer grappling with his own nature and frighteningly adept understanding of a sociopathic killer mentality.
Jazz is one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever seen behind. He’s struggling with trying to be a normal teen, while completely aware that he is anything but. He’s continually reminding himself that people are real, that people matter, while fighting the fact that he has an absence of feelings for other human beings he can only explain away by admitting to himself that he’s a sociopath. Jazz wants so badly to be not be like his father, that the desire is probably the only thing that stands between them. He has so many of his father’s characteristics. He’s handsome and charming, he knows how to work people, he’s incredibly intelligent, but he also has a fascination with the ease with which he could destroy people. Jazz is acutely aware of how close he is to slipping, how sometimes he thinks he might want to hurt people.
I really wasn’t sure what we’re supposed to think of Jazz’s mental state, as he clearly didn’t know what he thought himself. He’s so convinced he’s a sociopath--he has memories he can’t breach where he worries he’s done terrible things. Honestly, I was pretty convinced he was a sociopath as well. After all, not all sociopaths kill people, some of them are just business CEOs. Jazz’s thought process was frightening to behold, and I loved it.
The story of I Hunt Killers never let up. It starts with a dead body found naked in a field, and there is never a dull moment. Jazz’s relationships with his friend, girlfriend, grandmother, and the cops have surprising depth and believability. For me, what made I Hunt Killers unique as a thriller was that it wascharacter driven. Most often, I find that these types of books are so on the edge and plot driven, that the characters are only there to move things along. Not so with I Hunt Killers. It was entirely character driven, while simultaneously having a fast-paced and completely engrossing plot.
Certainly one of my favorite reads this year, I Hunt Killers was a fantastic reminder that our decisions matter--they make us who we are more than our genetics and more than our upbringing. Barry Lyga captures a mentality so vastly different from the average person’s that it is captivating, and frightening; like a train wreck, impossible to look away. Likelihood that I'll be back for more: Oh goodness yes! I’ve had some of Barry Lyga’s other books on my TBR already (like Mangaman), and I certainly plan to get to them.
Recommended for: Anyone who likes thrillers. Because this one is YA, it’s less gruesome than an adult novel might be, though it is gruesome in parts. I dug it, but many may not. You can read the first 10 chapters of I Hunt Killersfor free on Kindleand Nook. And check out the awesome trailer here:
Real life repercussions of reading this book: I totally learned a better way to stop a nosebleed! I used to get completely scary nosebleeds, but I Hunt Killers taught me that if you put pressure on the vein above your gums by shoving tissue under your upper lip it’ll help stem the flow. Good to know even if I don’t get the totally freaky ones anymore.
Title: Slide [Amazon|GoodReads] Author: Jill Hathaway [Website|Twitter|Facebook] Standing: Book one in a new series. Genre: Young Adult, Speculative Fiction, Mystery Published: March 27th, 2012 by Balzer & Bray for HarperCollins Format: Kindle edition. Source: ARC from publisher via NetGalley. Challenge: Debut Author Challenge
...it’s wrong that death is a loss. It’s something you gain. Death is always there, whispering in your ear. It’s in the spaces between your fingers. In your memories. In everything you think and say and feel and wish. It’s always there.
Everyone knows Vee has a problem, they just don’t really know what it is. Diagnosed as narcoleptic, Vee passess out on an increasingly regular basis. What everyone doesn’t know, is that when she’s unconscious, she slides. Vee finds herself looking through the eyes of other people, an unwilling passenger to their lives, unable to look away. When her little sister’s best friend supposedly commits suicide, Vee’s the only witness who knows the truth--Sophie didn’t kill herself, she was murdered. Now, Vee is forced to remain silent for fear of being labeled crazy, but she is compelled to solve Sophie’s murder and stop the killer before more harm can come to her sister.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Guy and girl are best friends, but their friendship is on the brink of unraveling because it’s pretty clear that one (or both) of them has feelings for the other beyond friendship, but they’re too wound up to actually talk about it and instead start pushing each other away. New guy comes to town and sees said girl as ‘special’, and is totally into her even though she’s probably not hot/popular/his type enough for him and her life is completely screwed up right now, but he sees beyond all that to the unique flower that is her.
Sound familiar? If so, you might find aspects of Slide as tedious and wrote as I did. But (yes, there is a BUT), I will tell you that luckily, this played out love triangle is a considerably minor part of the plot. For me, there was plenty more to Vee and the mystery and suspense of Slide to keep me turning pages at top speed until I reached the end, leaving me liking Jill Hathaway’s debut much more than I was expecting to when I was about ⅓ of the way through.
Thankfully, Vee Bell isn’t just about the boys in her life. Vee is quite possibly one of the best big sisters I’ve encountered in recent YA. She doesn’t smother her sister, she lets her make her own mistakes (though let’s face it, I did have that scene from 10 Things I Hate About You where Kat tells Bianca why she ‘quit’ being popular running through my head...they have just about the same dynamic), and yet she has her back and makes taking care of her when she’s down her top priority. Of course, Vee doesn’t see that she has a choice. Her mother has passed away, and her father is largely absent due to his job as a surgeon. Vee has pretty much shouldered the emotional responsibility of an adult twice her age, which is common for the oldest children in this type of family, but the fact remains that she does have the option not to take care of everyone around her. She’s strong and she does, despite her own cavalcade of problems, and this makes her a winning lead.
Of course, there’s also the mystery. Slide was a fairly fast paced and thrilling read; Vee’s affliction in which she passes out and ‘slides’ into others was both unique and terrifying. Vee is drawn into other’s bodies through an empathetic connection made when she is touching an object with emotional significance to another person. This means she’s basically become OCD, avoiding other people’s belongings and used items (like books) with due care. When she does slide, she is stuck in that person’s mind. She cannot read thoughts, control anything, or look away. As a result, Vee finds herself the only witness to a murder, and knows that if she ever tells she’ll be labeled ‘crazy’ instantly. In order to appease her fears, Vee must learn to use her curse as a gift.
Slide, for me, brought up some interesting privacy issues. Vee cannot really control when she slides, and despite her efforts to control who, often seems to overlook items that might direct her. She realizes the secrets she knows about people because of her affliction are a horrible invasion of privacy, and yet, she also begins to feel that it is okay to invade someone's privacy if you have good intentions. I had a hard time with this sentiment, although I could see the logic that brought her to this conclusion. As someone who values our privacy and freedom with the utmost dedication, I found it hard to stomach the notion that this type of ‘spying’ might be justifiable in order to make someone feel better. It does help to solve the mystery, but it's also no surprise that it blows up in Vee's face as well.
I appreciated Slide’s nauseating typeface on the cover, but will say that I was disappointed in the story’s end. It just seemed too convenient to me. All in all, a take it or leave it kind of read. It went very quickly, and I enjoyed it, but I didn’t have to have this book in my life. The concept for me was cooler than the actual story.
Likelihood that I'll be back for more: Eh, not sure. Upon finishing Slide, I remarked that I actually ended up liking it more than I thought I was going to, but at the same time I don’t really see the need to make this a series. Not sure I’ll be reading the next installment, but who knows, maybe I will.
Recommended for: People looking for mystery and suspense, but only if you’re willing to overlook some overplayed tropes to get it. The book it reminded me most of ‘feel’ wise was Fracture by Megan Miranda.
Real life repercussions of reading this book: For the love of all that is good, I cannot even think the title of this book without getting the Goo Goo Dolls in my head.
Title: The Thirteen Hallows [Amazon|GoodReads] Author: Michael Scott [Website|Twitter|Facebook] and Colette Freedman [Website|Twitter] Standing: Stand alone novel. Genre: Urban Fantasy, Thriller Published: December 6th, 2011 by Tor Books Format: Hardcover; 350 pages. Source: Borrowed from my local library.
Sarah Miller is drawn into an unimaginable situation when she saves Judith Walker, a septuagenarian (this word is used twice in the book...I personally feel like there isn’t room for more than one use of “septuagenarian” in any story, but there I go using it twice in one review), from two muggers on the street. She soon learns, in the worst way possible, that there is more to the situation than meets the eye as Judith bestows on her the duty of passing on her sacred hallow to her nephew. Meanwhile, the thirteen Hallows of Britain are being collected by a dark man with a dark purpose, leaving a wake of brutal murders in his path; and there is one thing the Hallowed Keepers know for certain--the hallows must never, ever be brought together.
To me, The Thirteen Hallows came across as a book with a lot of buildup and an underwhelming payoff. It opens with a gruesome murder, which it quickly becomes apparent will be a theme along with sadomasochism and explicit sex. I point this out in this particular case because fans of Michael Scott's previous works for younger readers may be surprised. While I myself have no problem reading such things, some may, so consider this fair warning to those readers who prefer things to be left to the abstract.
The story has the fast pace of a thriller, and while there is a strong sense of urgency, I found myself craving more mystery. The plot alluded on several occasions to needing to solve the mystery, but I didn’t feel there was one, for the characters or myself. The story ends up being rather predictable, in fact, so much so that I was in denial for most of the book about the villain’s motives. He can’t just be out for ultimate power and world domination, right? There has to be some complex back-story, right? Right?! Or not. The overall characterization in The Thirteen Hallows was very black and white, and while many people like their good guys good and their bad guys bad, I love to dwell in that gray area where you can't really be sure who you would stand behind if the tale were told from another perspective (see: how George R.R. Martin stole my heart).
I realize at this point you’re probably asking yourself why I continued reading, and I will tell you. The Thirteen Hallows was a quick read that managed to keep me on the edge of my seat for the bulk of its duration. Moreover, it revealed a fascinating folklore that I had not been privy to previously. I spent nearly as much time reading about people and items mentioned in this story as I did reading the story itself. Like, did you know that there was a Scottish wizard named Michael Scot? Or that there was an actual Hellfire Club?! (That’s an X-Men reference for those not comicly inclined.) I certainly didn’t. In fact, the most dynamic ‘characters’ were the Hallows of Britain themselves:
It was not that the objects themselves were evil: They were merely powerful, and the powerful attracted the curious, and so many of those who set out on this path of discovery were ultimately seduced by the attractions of evil.
I found myself a little seduced by the hallows. Overall, I could take it or leave it, but it certainly will have me on the lookout for more interesting tales of British folklore.
Likelihood that I'll be back for more: I am somewhat interested in reading The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, but it’s not a priority. The Thirteen Hallows is written as a stand alone novel, but they definitely left some wiggle room for a sequel. If they do go that route, I will probably pass.
Recommended for: People who enjoy paced thrillers--it read slightly like a fantasy Davinci Code.
Real life repercussions of reading this book: Spent heaps of time reading tidbits of folklore online...
Title: I Hunt Killers [Amazon|GoodReads]
and Nook. And check out the awesome trailer here:
