Game Review

TITLE Game (Jasper Dent #2)
AUTHOR Barry Lyga
PUBLICATION April 16th 2013 by Little, Brown Young Readers
READ March 29 to 31, 2013
SOURCE From Hachette Canada for review

I Hunt Killers introduced the world to Jasper (Jazz) Dent, the son of the world's most infamous serial killer.

When a desperate New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz's door asking for help with a new case, Jazz can't say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple--and its police force running scared with no leads. So Jazz and his girlfriend Connie hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer's murderous game.

Meanwhile, Jazz's dad Billy is watching...and waiting.

Upon finishing GAME the first thing that popped into my mind was “do I really have to write a review for this? I don’t want to!” The novel is chalk full of twists and turns and you are never sure who you can trust. Like its predecessor, GAME has a much more adult feel with its intensely gory scenes and the players who take the stage. But thrown in the middle is our core group of teens, Jazz, Connie & Howie, so YA it is.

One of my favorite things about this series (besides the awesome gore) is the relationships between the three teens. Jazz and Connie are still together and as their relationship becomes much more serious they are struggling with just how far they should take things. There is a darkness inside Jazz and he thinks that since he is the son of the worlds most notorious and feared serial killer the act of sex with spark something in him and he will become like his father. Needless to say this leads to quite a bit of angst between the two of them and I love how Connie handles it all. I actually love how Connie handles everything, she is a no nonsense, straight up girl and she calls Jazz on his bullshit at every turn. I love how strong she is, I mean you would have to be to get yourself mixed up with the Dent’s, right? We also have good old Howie along for the ride here and he adds some much needed comic relief to the novel. He is freaking hilarious! Every scene that he is in leads to at least a chuckle and now that he and Connie are closer we even get some witty banter between the two of them.

What tops my list of favorite things with these novels though is the gore-filled twists and turns that lie within. GAME takes us to New York where the Hat-Dog Killer is on the loose. After his success taking down The Impressionist the NYPD wants Jazz on the scene so they can use him to get into the mind of the serial killer and catch him quickly. There were points in the novel where I felt like I had to stretch my imagination a bit to believe that the NYPD had really called in a teenaged boy and were showing him crime scene photos, suspect files, and taking him on a tour of crime scenes. I do think that Lyga did the best that he could to make it as believable as possible, but there was always that seed of doubt in the back of my mind scoffing at some of the stuff Jazz had access to. I think that I didn’t have the same problem with I Hunt Killers because it all took place in the small town of Lobo’s Nod and Jazz’s father was at the center of everything so the sheriff’s office going to him didn’t seem too out there in the setting. So stretch my my mind I did and getting lost in the story proved to be a lot of fun.

I remember reading reviews of I Hunt Killers and them mentioning how gory it was, yet while I was reading it it didn’t feel overly so. I am a big horror movie/crime TV show fan so I think I kind of glaze over the gory details sometimes because I am just so used to them. But in this one I felt like the icky details were definitely amped up and it was more than welcome. There were a few times that I caught myself actually saying “ewwwww” out loud and re-reading the scene to take it all in. Definitely bring a strong stomach to the playing field with this one folks!

With a cliffhanger that will have you wanting to throw your book out of anger this is a worthy followup in what is proving to be a fantastic series. I haven’t read anything quite like this within the YA genre and Barry Lyga is the sole author giving me hope for murder mysteries in this age group. He pushes the limits and has created some wonderfully twisted characters while at the same time ones who get you laughing at every turn. If you are a fan of whodunit stories this is a series that you definitely need to get going on because you don't want anything spoiled for you!

I Hunt Killers Review

TITLE I Hunt Killers
AUTHOR Barry Lyga
PAGES 282 (ePub format)
PUBLISHED April 3rd 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
READ April 16 - 18, 2012
BUY IT Amazon / Kobo / Chapters.Indigo

SYNOPSIS What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could--from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret--could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga is a murder mystery like no other.  The fresh take on the age old 'nature vs. nurture' debate was haunting and engrossing.  For me, this was like being in a very intense episode of Criminal Minds mixed with just enough Dexter (two of my favourite shows!) We got to experience the mystery from many perspectives but the real gem here is Jasper. Not only did Jazz attempt to solve Lobo's Nods latest string of murders but he was also constantly trying to profile himself.  He was frightened of who he might be and what that may mean for those close to him.

The content of this novel is pretty edgy for the genre that it is in, it doesn't hold back on the gore, which was perfect! The "lessons" Billy taught Jazz as a young kid are appalling and presented an interesting look into the human psyche and how one deals with intense situations.  Jasper's mind set and the thought patterns that he went through as he attempted to figure himself out were mesmerising and a big part of what made this read so memorable for me. He often found himself questioning his sanity and motives in the exact same way that I, the reader, was.  Another interesting character is that of Dear Old Daddy himself, the monster, Billy Dent. His skewed view of reality and unapologetic demeanour added up to the worst kind of monster.

Not all of the characters in this book had dark motives.  Connie (Jazz's girlfriend) and Howie (his best friend) were great additions to the story.  Connie was seriously kick-ass, she didn't hold back and she looked all her fears right in the eyes. I really enjoyed her and thought she was a strong female character (which is so nice to see in YA these days.) Howie was also a strong character (not in the physical sense of course.) The parts with him and Jazz were always good for a laugh and provided a good contrast to the dark setting of the novel.

I Hunt Killers is more than just a murder mystery, it is an intense look at one kids mind.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an Alluring Read.