Game by Barry Lyga

Game by Barry Lyga (Book #2 of the Jasper Dent series)

Published April 16th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

520 Pages

Goodreads Summary: Billy grinned. “Oh, New York,” he whispered. “We’re gonna have so much fun.”

I Hunt Killers introduced the world to Jazz, the son of history’s most infamous serial killer, Billy Dent.

In an effort to prove murder didn’t run in the family, Jazz teamed with the police in the small town of Lobo’s Nod to solve a deadly case. And now, when a determined New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz’s door asking for help, he can’t say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple–and its police force–running scared. So Jazz and his girlfriend, Connie, hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer’s murderous game.

Review: DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES – I HUNT KILLERS.

I was turned onto the Jasper Dent series by Ashley @ Socially Awkward Bookworm.  It is one of her favorite series and after reading the first book, I Hunt Killers, I could definitely see why.  Occasionally I have come across sequels that just don’t measure up to the first book.  In this case it was the exact opposite to that.  Game was much better than I Hunt Killers!  I was very pleasantly surprised when I found that I just couldn’t put this book down.  Jasper’s girlfriend, Connie, plays a bigger role in this book and while I found myself wanting to scream at her through the pages, her part in the story was definitely an exciting addition.  There is so much more thrill to the story now that Billy has escaped prison.  The mystery surrounding the Hat-Dog Killer is so suspenseful.  The entire story keeps you on the edge of your seat.  Jasper’s best friend, Howie, adds the comedic touch needed to lighten the mood a bit.  I definitely recommend this book and series to anyone looking for a big thrill ride that will get your adrenaline pumping.

5 Stars

Top Ten Recent 5 Star Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  Each week there is a new topic and this week’s topic is: 10 Of My Most Recent 5 Star Reads.

For this post, I opened up my Goodreads to My Books and sorted my Read shelf by date read.  Then I looked and pulled the first 10 books to come up that I rated 5 stars.  My 10 come from December through March.  I did not include any of my audiobook rereads though.  These are all books that I read physical copies of for the first time.

• Shattered Blue by Lauren Bird Horowitz – If you pay any attention to my blog at all, you will know how much I love this book!  I’m currently re-reading it for the 3rd time and loving it all over again.
• Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins – This book  was so cute!  I loved Isla and Josh and their story.  Plus I also loved having the characters from the other two books included in the story.
• The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon – My love for the Outlander series knows no bounds.  The 5th book in the series was so good and filled with so many of the things that I love about this series.  Plus you just can’t go wrong with James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser.
• I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga – This book was awesome!  I was in the mood for an exciting thriller and this book totally delivered!
• November 9 by Colleen Hoover – My first full length CoHo book made me an instant fan of her writing.  This was so much more than just a romance.

• Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover – After reading November 9, I hoped that any of her books I read after that wouldn’t let me down… and she pulled through.  Ugly Love was even better than November 9!
• Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover – This book totally blew me away.  I finally posted my review of it yesterday and immediately wanted to start reading it again.  SO GOOD!
• Game by Barry Lyga – Sometimes it is hard to find a sequel that is as good or better than the first book.  But Game was exactly that.  So much better than the first book, I Hunt Killers!  This took the thrill from the first book and amplified it x10!
• The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner – This book was fantastic.  The characters and the writing were so real!  This book broke my heart and put it back together again.
• Truthwitch by Susan Dennard – I had read an advance excerpt of this awhile ago but finally got around to reading the full book earlier this month.  It was so good!  I couldn’t put it down.  I loved the two main characters and the entire world that the author built.  I can’t wait to read more in this series in the future.

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What are some of your most recent 5 star reads?

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

 I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Published April 3rd 2012 by Little, Brown and Company

359 Pages

Goodreads Summary: What if the world’s worst serial killer…was your dad?

Jasper “Jazz” Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he’s also the son of the world’s most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal’s point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo’s Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

Review: For months I had seen people rave about the Jasper Dent series.  I finally got all 3 books from Book Outlet and decided to give it a try.  I plowed through I Hunt Killers in a couple of days because it was so good!  First off, the characters.  Jasper AKA Jazz is the son of the most notorious serial killer in the US.  He is constantly worried that he will turn into his father, who taught him everything he needs to know about pulling off a successful murder without getting caught.  To combat this, he decides to help the local cops with a murder investigation that Jazz thinks are the workings of a serial killer.  Howie, Jazz’s best friend, is his partner in “crime” who is a fun loving, goofy, hemophiliac.  I absolutely adored their friendship.  They would do anything for each other, no questions asked.  Billy Dent, Jazz’s serial killer father, is a total creep!  It’s amazing how insane he is.  I don’t want to give anything away.  The suspense is heart pounding and the short chapters from the killers POV had me looking over my shoulder to make sure that I was truly alone.  I spent the entire book trying to guess who the killer was!  The book has a crazy ending and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Game.  I suggest you read this book if you haven’t already!

5 Stars

Plus look how cool all of the covers are with or without the jackets!