About this item
Jazz is a likable teenager. A charmer. But hes also the son of a (now incarcerated) infamous serial killer, and Dear Old Dad (as Jazz calls him) has taught Jazz everything he knows. But what Jazz doesnt know is whether or not he is destined to follow in his fathers footsteps. He knows he has urges, but he also knows (hopes) that he has a conscience, that he isnt like his father, that he can follow his own path. And so, in an effort to right his fathers wrongs, Jazz decides to help the police (although they don't know it yet) hunt down the Impressionista new serial killer in town.As the Impressionist kills more victims, Jazz uses the skills hes learned to determine the killer is copying his fathers careeralmost to the letter. Everyone in town thinks that Jazz could be the murderer, and why shouldnt they? The only people that stand by him are his hemophiliac best friend, Howie, and his tough, beautiful girlfriend, Connieone of the few girls Jazz feels comfortable around given his fathers history: his dad may have murdered dozens of women, but they were all white, and Connie is black.As the bodies pile up, Jazz struggles with determining his true destiny. Ultimately, he manages to stop the Impressionist, but in the meantime learns his father has escaped from his maximum security prison, and Jazz may have played a role in his escape. For now hes safe, but he knows his dad is out there, somewhere, looking for his next victim.
About the Author
Called a "YA rebel-author" by Kirkus Reviews, Barry Lyga has published more than twenty novels in various genres in his dozen-plus-year career, including the New York Times bestselling I Hunt Killers and Thanos: Titan Consumed for Marvel Studios. His books have been or are slated to be published in nine different languages in North America, Australia, Europe, and Asia.After graduating from Yale with a degree in English, Lyga worked in the comic book industry before quitting to pursue his lifelong love of writing. In 2006, his first young adult novel, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, was published to rave reviews, including starred reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal. Publisher's Weekly named Lyga a "Flying Start" in December 2006 on the strength of the debut.His second young adult novel, Boy Toy, received starred reviews in SLJ, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus. VOYA gave it its highest critical rating, and the Chicago Tribune called it "...an astounding portrayal of what it is like to be the young male victim." His third novel, Hero-Type, according to VOYA "proves that there are still fresh ideas and new, interesting story lines to be explored in young adult literature."Since then, he has also written Goth Girl Rising (the sequel to his first novel) , as well as the Archvillain series for middle-grade readers and the graphic novel Mangaman (with art by Colleen Doran) .His most famous series is I Hunt Killers, called by the LA Times "one of the more daring concepts in recent years by a young-adult author" and an "extreme and utterly alluring narrative about nature versus nurture." The first book landed on both the New York Times and USAToday bestsellers lists, and the series has been optioned for television by Warner Bros./Silver Pictures.Lyga lives and writes near New York City. His comic book collection is a lot smaller than it used to be, but is still way too big.
