I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga

Release Date: April 3, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Series: Jasper Dent series, Book I

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Jasper "Jazz" Dent was an unwilling celebrity in his small hometown of Lobo's Nod when the law discovered his father was the worst serial killer in history. With his father convicted and behind bars, Jasper spent the last four years trying to live a "normal" teenage life while living with his grandmother. His two closest friends, Connie and Howie, kept him ground when the dark thoughts threatened to overtake him.

When bodies began piling up in the small town for a second time, Jasper couldn't shake the feeling that his special knowledge was important to the investigation. If he didn't help, more people would die and the blood would be on his hands. What he didn't know was how far the killer would go to protect his work. Can Jasper find the killer without giving in to the dark desires? Will he be able to survive at all?

Review:
A late-night scouring of the available titles at NetGalley led me to requesting this title by Barry Lyga. Intrigued from the beginning, I was glad to discover that this book didn't disappoint. I often wondered what became of the children born to those so evil. This book took one of the paths available and explored as many nooks and crannies as possible. From the beginning, it was apparent how special of a kid Jasper truly was. I do mean special in a weird and intriguing way.

Most of the book was centered around Jasper and his attempts to find his place within the small, backwoods town that he called home. Being a teenager was hard under the most normal of circumstances, but when you were the son of a famous serial killer, life was unbearable. The only bright spots in his life were his girlfriend, Connie, and his best friend, Howie. They kept him centered when the lessons his father taught him threatened to push him over the edge. While dealing with all this, a gnawing feeling that a second serial killer at work in their town kept him awake at night and in trouble with the local sheriff.

Right away the conflict within Jasper and with the world around him permeated the story. It was a bit odd to start reading and see a teen with night-scope binoculars watching police investigate a body found in the middle of a farm field. There wasn't much of a change in pace as it was full on from the first chapter. Each interaction between the characters dropped tidbits of information that kept me turning the pages. Not only did this book explore the theory of nature versus nurture in relation to Jasper going up to be a serial killer or not, the entire story explored the meaning of family and whether being bond by blood was the only acceptable definition of family. Now, I don't give spoilers in my reviews if I can help it, but what happened at the end of the book threw everything on its head.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a refreshing twist on the serial killer genre and put a spotlight on the part of a serial killer's life that's often fallen by the wayside - the family. I liked how honest Jasper was with himself about the desires and remorse that he felt and the lengths he went to in order to stay grounded. It was admirable to see him face down his inner demons and use his knowledge to help instead of destroy. I'm anxious to see how future books play out and whether Jasper is ever tempted to take that one little step into the darkside. If you love a twisting, turning, strangely enduring and unique type of serial killer story, I would definitely put this book on your TBR list!

I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga is currently available at many retailers in various formats including hardcover, paperback, audio-book and digital including Kindle. The link provided below leads to the book's Amazon page.
I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga

Currently Reading

I'm still alive. At least I think I am. When I decided to take a week to take care of a few real life issues interfering with my reading and reviewing, I didn't intend on battling some kind of chest/sinus congestion at the same time.  That kept me from reading, setting me even further behind. So, I am going to push the reading bit even while I'm forcing my NaNoWriMo to move forward as well.


To be read;
The Saeshell Book of Time, Part 1: The Death of Innocents (Children of Sophista #1) by Rusty Biesele
Jackfish Reborn by Rejean Giguere
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Say You Will (Summerhill Book 1) by Kate Perry
Fire in the Blood by Erin M. Evans


Finished;
I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga


Though I've been out of action for a bit, I hope you all have been having productive NaNoWriMo times so far this month. Lots of time left to conquer this goal. Let's do it together!

Until next time,
Kay B

Currently Reading

 When I thought most of my busy days would end on Halloween, I was so very wrong. Not only am I still busy into November, but my prioritizing skills are being tested time and again. On top of all this, my chronic illnesses have decided to rear their ugly heads. My movements feel as though they're slowed, like I'm swimming through caramel or honey. Every little thing I do takes so much more time than I want it to take.

On the plus side, I'm making headway into NaNo2014. I'm slightly under the average word goal for today. With an hour of solid writing time, I might be able to pull ahead of schedule. I don't know how the story's going to end or what's going to happen until I write it out. Yes, I have a general idea what's going to happen, but sometimes the characters take off on their own. I have to chase them down to figure out what comes next. So we'll have to wait and see.


Happy to see these books on top;
The Saeshell Book of Time, Part 1: The Death of Innocents (Children of Sophista #1) by Rusty Biesele
Jackfish Reborn by Rejean Giguere
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Say You Will (Summerhill Book 1) by Kate Perry
I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga


Sorry to see these go;
Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus


As a great way to end the year, the first annual Give A Granny drive that our community project held this year met its goal! In fact we collected over 500 granny squares. Now the hard part comes into play. We get to edge them with a binding color before sewing them into blankets for the nursing residents. What do you all have planned for this month?

Until next time,
Kay B

Small Break

Due to a number of reasons, I don't have book reviews ready for this week. I am in the middle of several books. Now that I have time to finish them, I will begin posting once again next Monday. Currently Reading will still be available this Wednesday.

I'm so sorry for the break in reviews. Unfortunately real life has decided to get full quicker than I anticipated.
Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Until next time,
Kay B

November's Hopes and Dreams

Oh, yeah! It's NaNoWriMo time!

November is such a bittersweet month for me. There are quite a few personal tragedies that make getting through the month hard in a number of ways. Though many say that time heals, I haven't found that statement to be accurate as of yet. So, I've learned to distract myself through projects such as NaNoWriMo or the Brown-Brooks Project, which is currently making afghans for the residents of a local nursing home.

However, doing NaNoWriMo hasn't always been a positive distraction. Because I was working on a manuscript during the time in which I lost someone very close to me, it took a few years before I began to pick up the pen and write again. Using the computer to write didn't help either. I felt stuck behind this huge brick wall with a flashing neon light. The message it kept delievering? You can't do this. You can't do this.

Over and over, I saw this until I actually believed it to be true. My writing wasn't going anywhere anyway. I had one poem published in a vanity press collection. What kind of writer doesn't get published? I would jot down beginnings of stories, half-written poems or just names and descriptions of characters. Nothing changed until 2012. Something clicked inside me and a story came tumbling out. I thought it would be something to do with the loss I was feeling, but it was something else entirely. Winning NaNoWriMo in 2012 gave me the push I needed to continue looking into other things such as a local writing conference and getting a few articles published in a local literary magazine.

All it takes is a step out of that comfort zone. No matter the big, neon signs saying negative things. No matter the unsettling feelings that taking the step brings with it. You can take that step toward making your dream come true. Whether it's writing a novel or becoming a recording artist, you have take those first steps. Conquer the brick walls in your way and keep moving forward.

Anyone else out there doing NaNoWriMo this year? How's it going so far?  I know it's only a couple of days into the month. Should have about 3000 words by now. Let's do this together!

Until next time,
Kay B

Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus

Release Date: May 12, 2013
Publisher: Smarmy Press

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Life as a teen is hell, especially for 15 year-old Jake who sees himself as weak and at the bottom of the high school food chain. He can't find the courage to stand up to the daily torment he receives from bullies, can't make a move on the girl of his dreams, and definitely can't find his place in the world. Sensing that he needs to change, he turns to his older, world-wise cousin, Nick, for the answers.

At Nick's side Jake learns the cold, hard truth about the world at large. He begins to channel his anger into confidence and leans more to Nick's lessons until he discovers a terrible secret that throws everything he knew into chaos. Does anything he knew before or after these lessons still hold water? Or has it all been a lie - one that could cost Jake everything?

Review:
This book came onto my radar as I spent time on Twitter one day. I honestly cannot remember exactly who had shared the tweet, but I went to the author's page to follow the link to the book's page at Amazon. Since I found the description of the book intriguing, I added the title to my Kindle and the ever-growing TBR list. I truly didn't know what to expect from this book as I began reading. It took reading until the very end to figure out everything.

Jake's coming-of-age story was written from his point-of-view in a journalistic style. He gave the reader a sense of what it was like to be in high school, conjuring up a view that many in this day and age could remember from their early years. Things began to take a different path right away when he wrote about his cousin, Nick, and the lessons about life that Nick taught him. As these lessons became harder and more intense, Jake's view of the world around him changed. It wasn't always for the better. The one bright spot in his otherwise invisible existence was Beth, the girl who paid more attention to him than anyone else. But even this positive relationship was tarnished by the darkness welling inside Jake as he struggled to find himself.

The story began with an action-packed scene, but remained a little slow on take-off for me. I think it was shifting gears into journal-reading mode on my behalf. Not more than a page or two after the opening scene, events began happening in rapid succession. Both Jake and the reader became stuck in Nick's web of lies and philosophy without realizing it until the final lesson was taught. To be honest, I was surprised by some of the later chapters (no, I'm not going to give spoilers) because I was too busy thinking about Jake figuring out his life to notice that someone around him wasn't all he/she presented to be. When I reached the turning point, I was both puzzled and excited, wondering what was going to happen next.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I anticipated. Because the author eased the entry into Jake's world, it was easy to get caught up in the little things that Jake thought important and miss the huge red flags that something was going on in the background. I really liked how honest Jake was in his journal. The confusion he was feeling came through the words, especially when he wrote about his dreams and struggled to find meaning in them. Kernels of truth about the world and society at large were woven into the fabric of the story. I think that's why it was easy to become snared by Jake's dilemma. If you're a fan of mysteries or simply love a good story where the boogey-man is quite real, then this is the book you should have on your TBR list!

Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus is currently available in both paperback and digital formats such as Kindle from various online retailers. The link provided below will bring up the book's page at Amazon.
Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus

Currently Reading

What a busy week! Not only was I trying to fit in a bunch of reading before NaNoWriMo, but I had a crochet project to finish, a wedding to attend and doctor appointments to keep! To be honest, I haven't had a week that jam-packed in a very, very long time. I know I've mentioned this before, but it's been awhile. For those that don't know, I have a few illnesses that are chronic (and annoying) conditions. They zap my energy and keep me from doing everything my mind plans within a short amount of time. What would take a few days for the average person would take me months.

Nevertheless, I am recovering and back to work on a variety of things. I'm trying to get everything settled before Halloween. This way I can enjoy the holiday with my family and friends before the rush of NaNoWriMo begins. Excited to work on something new this year, I am hoping to make the goal of 50k words by the end of November.


Diving into the worlds of the following;
The Saeshell Book of Time, Part 1: The Death of Innocents (Children of Sophista #1) by Rusty Biesele
Jackfish Reborn by Rejean Giguere
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Say You Will (Summerhill Book 1) by Kate Perry
Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus


Coming up for air as I finish these;
Confessions of a Self-Help Writer by Brian DeHaven


With the chilly temperatures, I'm thinking of snuggling into a warm blanket with a pile of books near me. Thanks to my Kindle, I can have a whole lot more in that pile. What are you looking forward to the most in November?

Until next time,
Kay B