Book Review of "I Hunt Killers"

By Emily Gilroy

March 16th, 2018 - Greenville, New York Arts and Culture

The title of the book I read is I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga. This novel is about a sixteen-year-old boy named Jasper Dent, son of one of the world's most notorious serial killers Billy Dent. Jasper was under Billy’s care until he was thirteen. Now, three years later, another body shows up in Lob Nod. Convinced it’s a serial killer and he will strike again, Jasper hunts for the killer. He goes on this hunt because he is fearful society will suspect him because of his father’s reputation. To keep his name clear, Jasper makes it his mission to find the serial killer, later known as the “Impressionist”. The main characters are Jasper, his girlfriend, Connie, and his best friend, Howie.

Jasper’s biggest struggle was his obsession with finding the Impressionist, as well as his struggle with how society views him. Everyone knows who his father his and Jasper believes they expect the same. Jasper finally resolves his problems by finding the Impressionist and coming to accept who he is.

Jasper changed from beginning to end by becoming more comfortable with who he is. In the end, Jasper is no longer considered a threat to society. Finding the Impressionist gave Jasper some kind of closure.

The theme of the book is an individual won’t necessarily end up like their parents if they choose their own path. That was one of Jasper biggest fears; becoming his father. He had many battles within himself and society regarding this fear. He finally came to the conclusion that he can't change how people see him but he can change how he views himself. At first, I wasn’t very fond of the author's choice of writing style in the third person, but as I continued to read, I found it was very well-written.