Howie

Upon reading this book I really enjoyed Howie as a character in the book.  In I Hunt Killers Howie was Jazz's best friend.  Even though this was a good read, Howie's humor was perfect whenever the story was boring at times.  As a matter of fact his stupid humor reminded me of my own stupid humor, so I could relate to him.  I also felt bad for Howie, being that he was a hemophiliac and could get hurt extremely easily.  I'm just glad he was in one piece by the end of the story!

Jazz

I think Jazz could have very easily become a serial killer, but his friends and the Impressionist helped to push him away from becoming one.  Connie repeatedly reminded Jazz that he will never become anything like Billy.  Howie showed Jazz that even though he was an easy target to a serial killer, Jazz would never attack him.  The Impressionist helped to push Jazz away from serial killing because of how similar he was to Billy, and because of how gruesome his murders were; Jazz wanted to be nothing like Billy, so this was a tremendous help.  Jazz eventually realized by the end of the book that he was not a serial killer.

Overall Opinon

I really enjoyed reading I Hunt Killers, it was suspenseful and very well written, which kept me interested throughout the entire book.  Between trying to figure out who the Impressionist was, and reading about Jazz's personal struggles, it was very hard to put the book down.  I also liked how Jazz was haunted by his past and from his father's voice in his head.  The ending left me wanting to know what happened after the events in the book.  Overall, I Hunt Killers, by Barry Lyga is a great book that anyone can enjoy.

What if Jazz was a killer?

Can you imagine what would have happened if Jazz decided to use his knowledge of killing to help the killers? I feel that the whole story would be different. For starters, Jazz would be more like we expect him to be: a killer. Knowing that Jazz's dad, Billy is the world's most infamous serial killer, I think the police would have had a harder time solving the murders. With Jazz on the other side we would also get to experience what happens while the murders kill. Overall Jazz's personality makes this story interesting because he tries to prove that he is not the same as his father.

Overall Opinion

I Hunt Killers was one of the better books I have read for a summer reading assignment. The book had a slow start, and with a topic and plot line that focuses around a serial killer's child I didn’t know what to expect from it. The more I read, the more I became drawn in to the characters and started to understand Jazz better. He provided a very different perspective, which created a unique story line. My overall opinion of this book is that it was definitely worth sticking out the beginning because it truly picks up in the middle and end and it provided a nice break from normal summer reading, which seems to all blend together. This is not a book you forget reading.

Overall Opinion

Ever since I was little, I have always been intrigued by mysteries.  Monk has been my favorite TV show since I was a little kid, along with watching Law and Order: SVU as I got older.  I have even taken forensics classes in the summer!  I knew that I would enjoy I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga as soon as I read the title.  I have to admit that at first, I found the novel to be a bit boring and a struggle to get through.  Little did I know was that as I read on, I would become extremely captivated in Jazz Dent’s story.  I think that the story has a lot of unpredictable twists and turns to it, making the reader always want to read more. Through growing up with his father, Jazz knows what serial killers are capable of accomplishing.  I think that Jazz’s knowledge of the capabilities of serial killers is a crucial part of what motivated him to not follow his father’s footsteps.   One of my favorite components of the novel was how Barry Lyga allowed the readers to get inside Jazz’s head, hearing Billy Dent’s voice.  The author really paints a mental picture in the reader’s minds throughout the entire book.  I definitely recommend this novel for not only mystery lovers, but for anyone!  I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga is capable of hooking anyone on the novels cliffhangers.

The Importance of The Impressionist

The Impressionist, in my opinion, is one of the most important characters of the novel.  Not only did he idolize Billy Dent, but he also could not comprehend how Jazz, or anyone for that matter, did not want to follow in Billy’s footsteps.  I believe that if The Impressionist was to not be included in I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, Jazz’s efforts towards proving himself to not be like his father would not have been as strongly intriguing and remarkable.  The Impressionist is the exact opposite of Jazz; he is impressed and a complete fan of Billy’s work.  On the contrary, Jazz, who was subjected to the cruel, gruesome murders that his father committed, wants to prove to everyone that he is not a murderer and did not follow in his father’s footsteps.  He wants to help the police in their investigations by using the knowledge and skills that he obtained from his father.  The Impressionist and Jazz are complete opposites.  Both characters bold the characteristics of each other because of how contrasting they are.  The Impressionist really defines the fact that Jazz could have easily gone down the same dark path that The Impressionist did.

Overall Opinion

My overall opinion of  I Hunt Killers was that it was a unique story, and at times, could become pretty fascinating. The parts that became so gripping were the ones where you were welcomed into the psyche of Jazz, and you were able to experience the disturbance that Jazz once felt as a child. Jazz was a well written character because you weren't sure if his thoughts were being constructed by himself, or the psychological scar that his father had carved into him.  As Jazz struggles to determine his true destiny, It became apparent that both Howie and Connie were there to guide Jazz in times of need, because it became evident that Jazz wouldn't be able to do it alone. Towards the end of the book, the author took the more traditional and safer route by introducing the the person orchestrating the latest murders, aka the impressionist. While I did enjoy the impressionists' qualities and overall plan, I just thought the book could have taken a risky plot twist and still come out on top. I would have liked to seen that the physiological scar that Billy (Jazz's Father) left on Jazz could have left him to try and recreate his father's string of murders without him consciously being aware of doing so. It would leave the reader with the main character not mentally stable, and could leave the reader guessing, not knowing if what Jazz was saying was true or not. Even though the book ended a different way than I had hoped, The character's development, dialogue, and actions kept me interested until the end.

The Beginning

When I started to read I Hunt Killers  I was hesitant because the thoughts and ideas Jazz talked about and the things his father, Billy, said were things I wasn't used to reading and they were a little bit disturbing. The beginning of the book was difficult for me to get into because at first I could only focus on how awful the situation was, and it was uncomfortable to read such horrific things said by his father. However, the more I started to read the more I became drawn into the plot and characters.

Jazz and Howie

My favorite thing in the book was the relationship between Howie and Jazz. Their relationship is very relaxed, open and funny. They told each other everything and they trusted one another. My favorite part was when every time Jazz needed to break in somewhere he would always drag Howie along and Howie knew it. As they said in the book, Howie would follow Jazz into "the gate of hell" if he asked. There relationship brought a great comic relief into the book.

Opinion

Over all I thought that this was a pretty good book. The beginning was a little slow, But I thought that all the events and information in the first half was very important. Due to the first half you were able to make a connection or relate with the characters which made the second half more interesting. The book was very easy for me to read because I wanted to read it. It always kept me on my toes with all it's twists and turns. I am definitely considering to read the second book and see what happens to Billy Dent.