My Dad's a Serial Killer

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

What if your father was one of the world’s most famous serial killers?  What if he had killed over 120 people?  What if he had taken you “to work” with him in order to train you to follow in his footsteps?  How would you cope?  How would you feel about yourself?  About others?  And… the most important question… What do you do when a new serial killer starts killing in your home town?

This is what Jasper (Jazz) has to contend with in his life.  His father is in prison and Jazz lives and attends high school in the small town where his father was finally caught.  But, when Jazz hears about a body being found on a farm on the outskirts of town, he sneaks to the site to see what is happening.  Jazz immediately realizes this is the work of a new serial killer.  But what can he do?  He is only 17, will the police believe him?   With his background, will he be suspected of the crime? 

I really enjoyed this book.  It started off a little slowly, but the ending was well worth the time spent reading.  Also, even though it is intended for a Young Adult audience, “I Hunt Killers” has the depth to be read and enjoyed by an adult audience. 

The author, Barry Lyga, makes you empathize for Jazz, who, before his dad’s arrest, was being trained to be the perfect serial killer.  Jazz has to constantly tell himself “People are real.  People matter,” because he was raised to denigrate life.  Yet, Jazz is trying to be a good and  normal teenager – he has a girlfriend and a best friend.  He is trying to take care of his grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s.  There is a social worker who wants to send Jazz away to a foster home.  Jazz has the normal teenage angst spiced up with the horror of being able to say, “my dad is a serial killer.”   Add to all of that the emotional upheaval of a new series of murders and you end up with a great book. 

I truly enjoyed reading I Hunt Killers.  I have ordered this book for all the library’s Nooks and have already pre-ordered the next book in this series.  I Hunt Killers is going on my 2013 Favorite Book list. 

Some readalikes for I Hunt Killers are:

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Kill Switch by Chris Lynch

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

~Mary P