Game

February 25, 2013
Lyga’s engrossing follow-up to I Hunt Killers (2012) again focuses on 17-year-old Jazz, the son of the world’s most prolific serial killer, but expands his world by fleshing out previously minor characters. Jazz is called upon to help the NYPD hunt Hat-Dog, a brutal killer who might be connected to Jazz’s now-escaped father, Billy Dent. Meanwhile, Jazz’s girlfriend, Connie, starts receiving mysterious information about Jazz’s past. Her quest drags in Jazz’s hemophiliac best friend Howie, whose horndog behavior belies his deep understanding of his friend, as well as his talent for sneakiness. The gore and violence flow freely (references to disemboweling and enucleating abound); the main differentiator between this and adult thrillers is the age of the protagonists. As such, it’s a riveting story for any reader capable of handling the violence, as Lyga juggles multiple points of view and elegant shocks and twists. Readers might be frustrated by the multicliffhanger finale, but the main mystery wraps up smartly, and the character arcs are as fascinating as the gruesome murders. Ages 15–up. Agent: Kathleen Anderson, Anderson Literary Management.

February 15, 2013
Son of a notorious serial killer, Jazz Dent goes to New York City to continue his hunt for killers like his father--and maybe the old man himself. Seventeen-year-old Jasper "Jazz" Dent and his hometown of Lobo's Nod have mostly recovered from the predations of the Impressionist, a serial killer who impersonated Jazz's father, Billy, but Billy's out there somewhere, killing again. When NYPD Detective Louis Hughes comes to Jazz's door asking for help in catching the Hat-Dog Killer, Jazz says no--but he can't deny that he's an expert on serial-killer behavior, since his notorious father raised him to be one. Jazz and his girlfriend, Connie, head to NYC to help, but they find themselves caught up in a grisly game with no idea of who the players are or whom they can trust. Jazz isn't even sure he can trust himself. Lyga's second serial-killer-hunting title is even more open-ended (and overstuffed) than the first (I Hunt Killers, 2012). Chapters from the perspectives of the various killers undercut the mystery aspects of the tale, and extraneous subplots distract from what could have been a complex thriller. Jazz is believable, but the other characters are mostly flat; Billy himself often comes off as more Bozo than Bundy. Even fans may balk at the closureless close, but there is obviously more to come. (Thriller. 15 & up)

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March 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-The Hat-Dog killer is on the loose in New York City, and Detective Hughes convinces 17-year-old Jazz Dent to fly in from Lobo's Nod and help solve the case. In I Hunt Killers (Little, Brown, 2012), Jazz helped police capture the Impressionist, a copy-cat killer mimicking the infamous sociopath, Billy Dent-Jazz's own father. In this episode, a series of murders in peaceful Brooklyn neighborhoods is occurring with gruesome similarities, including disemboweled victims who are also cut with images of either a dog or a hat. To compound the suspense, Billy has broken out of prison and may or may not be at the heart of this new reign of terror, testing his son's ability to piece together a new "game." Chilling random chapters from the killer's point of view allow readers to know things that Jazz has yet to figure out. The teen's internal dialogue often questions whether he really has "good guy" genes or has inherited his father's dark side, just waiting to present itself. His nerdy best friend, Howie, and girlfriend, Connie, keep him grounded in the real world that includes caring for an unpredictable grandmother with Alzheimer's disease. While Jazz is a well-developed, endearing character with a conscience, this dark psychological thriller will appeal to fans of television's Dexter Morgan, but with its focus on killing, sociopathic behavior, and sexual violence, it's best for mature high school readers.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2013
Grades 10-1 *Starred Review* Billy Dent, the serial killer introduced in I Hunt Killers (2012), is on the loose. But the timing of his escape means he can't be behind the 14 murders attributed to New York City's Hat-Dog Killer, so nicknamed because of the alternating symbols he carves into his victims' flesh. Jazz Dent, 17, is called upon by the NYPD to offer insight only the son of a serial killer can provide, and he quickly assesses that Hat-Dog is playing some sort of game. But what are the rules? When finally revealed, the game seems slap-yourself-on-the-forehead obvious yet orchestrated so cunningly that rare indeed will be the reader who figures it out early. Along the way, Lyga pulls off two neat tricks. First, he inverts the usual YA goal to lose one's virginity, with Jazz terrified that giving into desires will be the ignition moment that sparks bloodlust. Second, Lyga continues to navigate that thinnest of tightropes: a hero we root for even as he manipulates people as ruthlessly as his pop. A parallel plot starring Jazz's girlfriend does include some unlikely clue-solving and plenty of are-you-nuts?! behavior. Even so, you can't deny Lyga's ambition to craft the most serious (and bloodiest) crime series yet for teen readers. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With ABC Family about to swing into production on a I Hunt Killers TV show, interest in this series, already significant, will stack up faster than a pile of bodies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)