I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Plot: Jasper "Jazz" Dent grew up under the tutelage of his father Billy Dent, an infamous serial killer. Billy taught Jazz how to maintain a normal facade as well as tricks of the killing trade for avoiding capture. When Jazz was thirteen, Billy was finally caught and imprisoned after murdering more than one hundred people, and for four years Jazz struggled to live a normal teenage life. But Billy's voice always echoed in Jazz's head. When a body is discovered in Jazz's hometown, the 17-year-old is convinced it's a new serial killer. Jazz sets out to hunt down the killer, hoping to prove to everyone - and to himself - that he is not like his father.

Comments: First of all, I Hunt Killers was creepy. I must admit that I'm easily frightened, but the graphic descriptions of the victims in this book are freaky. This story delves deep into the minds of serial killers, which I think is enough to make anyone paranoid and a little disturbed. In addition, the constant struggle in Jazz's head between normal teenager and raised-to-be-a-serial-killer is also incredibly perturbing.

Despite that, it was a well-written, suspenseful novel. As before mentioned, the descriptions were startlingly vivid. Jazz's suspicion of pretty much everyone is contagious, so you don't trust anyone. It was definitely a good murder mystery.

I really didn't like Jazz. I think you're supposed to, but I didn't like him. Though he tried to tell himself that he wasn't like his father, he always had urges to kill people, which was creepy. Maybe that's not his fault, but it still was unsettling. Furthermore, Jazz never stopped manipulating the people around him. That's all he ever did - twist their feelings with his smooth talking. Worse, he didn't seem to think that that was wrong or a big deal. I really disliked that part of him, that he would think so little of the people around him that he wouldn't think twice about making them do what he wanted. He took pride in his ability to bend them to his will. It disgusted me.

I think some loose ends tied up too neatly in this story. Everything ended easily. A few openings suggest a sequel, but for the most part the ending was generic and rather predictable. Unrealistic in its simplicity and smoothness. And Jazz continues to display his overconfidence and pride up to the final page.

Rating: I rate this a six out of ten. Jazz wasn't a very enjoyable character and the plot itself was just creepy.