Book Review: Game
Media Type: Print Book
Title: Game
*Series: Jasper Dent #2
Author: Barry Lyga
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Pages: Hardcover; 528
Release Date: April 16, 2013
Source: Library
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Content Screening: Violence; Adult Language
HDB Rating: 5 Keys to My Heart
Recommended to: Readers with a strong stomach who don’t mind darker reads.
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.
Jazz’s life has gotten somewhat back to normal, or at least as normal as Jasper Dent’s life could ever be. Plagued by the same questions, and the same inner battle, he just can’t seem to let himself rest. The only thing that quells the demons is Jazz’s new passion; hunting killers. So when New York’s finest calls upon him to help catch the Hat-Dog Killer, he answers.
Pulled out of the safety of his small town, and taken away from the people who hold him together, Game shows an even stronger Jazz than the previous book. I was amazed at how much he grew during the story. Not only is he faced with an unfamiliar city, he also has to put together the pieces of a brand new serial killer’s rampage. Watching Jazz fight off his inner demons, while simultaneously hunting for a true demon, kept things moving lightning fast. True to form, Lyga throws in twists and turns galore. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, you haven’t. Trust me, it’s frustrating in the best way possible.
Connie also plays a much bigger role in this book. Jazz’s feelings for her have always been tempered with the possibility he might someday snap. That’s what I loved about their relationship in the first place. However in this book we really see how strong Jazz has to be to keep his life at an even keel. Best of all, Connie gets much more hands-on with the action! She is one feisty girl, and I couldn’t help but want to follow her. If there was ever a girl who was worthy of Jasper Dent, Connie is it.
I could babble on and on about the perfectly placed clues, the brilliant writing style, or the new characters who come into play, but then this review would essentially end up as a book itself. The highest compliment I can give Barry Lyga and Game is that 528 pages flew by in what felt like seconds. I was left holding a book, with a gaping maw, and lamenting the fact that there were no more pages left to read. There’s one heck of a cliffhanger here, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. You should definitely pick up a copy of this book and, in the meantime, I’ll be sitting here. Whimpering and waiting for more.
Other books in this series:
I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1)
