All Things Halloween Review - Blood of My Blood

Blood of My Blood (Jasper Dent, # 3)

By: Barry Lyga

Published: September 9th 2014 by Little, Brown

464 pages

Genre: YA, Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Crime

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Jazz Dent has been shot and left to die in New York City. His girlfriend Connie is in the clutches of Jazz's serial killer father, Billy. And his best friend Howie is bleeding to death on the floor of Jazz's own home in tiny Lobo's Nod. Somehow, these three must rise above the horrors their lives have become and find a way to come together in pursuit of Billy. But then Jazz crosses a line he's never crossed before, and soon the entire country is wondering: "Like father, like son?" Who is the true monster?

The chase is on, and beyond Billy there lurks something much, much worse. Prepare to meet...the Crow King.

In my review of Game (Jasper Dent, # 2), I said that since Game ends in a 3-way cliffhanger I would suggest having Blood of My Blood ready for you to pick up immediately upon finishing Game, but I’ve decided that I want to recant that statement. At this point, I suggest giving yourself a day or two to digest and rest before picking up Blood of My Blood. And I say that because Blood of My Blood is action-packed from start to finish in an great but exhausting way. Blood of My Blood does pick up exactly where Game left off, but so much happens in this book that you might just need a few days to gather yourself before really stepping in the brilliant madness that is Blood of My Blood.

Discussing briefly where Game ended, Jazz has been shot and left for dead by Hat in the storage unit. Connie has been captured by Billy. And Howie pulled a gun on Jasper’s aunt, Samantha, which backfired on him and he was knocked unconscious. It’s almost difficult for me to even discuss those things like that’s where Blood of My Blood began because it feels like six books ago that all of that happened compared to where things ended. I will say that if you felt sorry for Jasper, for his upbringing, for what he’s witnessed, for what he’s experienced, and for what he’s terrified of becoming…up until now…well you have no idea. There is so much I want to say, but all I’ll allow myself to say is that Jasper’s upbringing, his experiences, what he’s been through is so much more evil and twisted and wicked than I even imagined—and growing up witnessing torture and murder over and over again is pretty hard to imagine.

Where I Hunt Killers and Game had frequent appearances of the secondary characters, Blood of My Blood is so much more heavily focused on Jasper, Billy, and Jasper’s mom (who we found out in Game is still alive). The side characters, Connie, Howie, G. William, and Hughes make repeated appearances and even narrate occasionally, but nothing like the previous two books. I missed them, but Blood of My Blood is about Jasper and his family unit above all else. Jasper knows that he’s the only one who can stop his father, because it’s taken the police 20 years and they still haven’t captured Billy Dent, but also because Jasper knows how Billy thinks. And Billy wants Jasper to find him.

My heart broke for Jasper over and over and over again throughout this series, but most frequently throughout this book. Every single time I would think he could handle no more, something else was thrown at him. Something else was worth grieving over. Something else was taken away from him. But at the same time, neither I nor Jasper really had time to process any of it due to the speed and pacing of the events.

I will say that Jasper fits into that category of heroes that have literally been beaten to a pulp, put through the wringer and yet continues to press on above and beyond all natural possibilities. Jasper shouldn’t have been able to stand after everything he’d been through. All of that was a stretch on reality, but the body is capable of extremes beyond what we can imagine when put to the test.

Favorite quotes:

-“Hush, Daddy’s thinkin’.”

-“…I’m the only one who can do what needs to be done.” What needs to be done. Five simple words. Monosyllables. Nothing exceptional or special about them. But when Jazz strung them together, polychromatic spatters erupted behind Connie’s closed eyelids. “You can’t kill him.” She hated herself for saying it. Days ago, before she’d ever met the man, she had fantasized Billy Dent’s death. She lusted for it even more deeply now. But not at the expense of Jazz.

-“Remember what I told you before? If you kill him, he wins.” “And I told you: If I kill him, he’s dead.”

-“…The cops will come to you eventually. It’s better if you can’t tell them anything.” “I wouldn’t squeal on you.” Howie pouted, even though Jazz couldn’t see him. “Yes, you would.” “I totally would,” Howie admitted. “I’m weak. I lack character, Jazz. That’s my problem. That’s always been my problem. I blame my mother. For coddling me.” He thought for a second. “And I guess for carrying the hemophilia gene in the first place, too.”

-“You’ve fulfilled your service. Your utility is at an end. Pawns are always sacrificed before the game’s end. When we next meet, you will witness your last vista, hear your last cry, weep your last tears. You will take your last breath.”…”When you die, […], it will be ugly. I promise you that. And I also promise you that I will be a little sad at that moment. But only a little bit.”

-It was like playing checkers, only to learn that your opponent was playing chess all along.

-What happens to the sidekick when the good guys goes off the rails?

-”There isn’t enough space on your body for the tattoos, man.” Jazz shook his head. “We’re not trading here. This isn’t I do something for you, you do something for me. This is hard-core friendship. Varsity level. This is me asking you to do something for me without getting anything in return. This is friendship, Howie.” … “You just have to ask yourself, Howie: Do you need to be repaid or not?” Every piece of him cried out to say yes, to demand that in return for what he had done and would do that Jazz give up now and live.

Blood of My Blood and the entire Jasper Dent series is brilliant. It’s madness. It’s heartbreaking. It’s stomach churning. It’s not for the faint at heart. And it’s not for those who like happy little books, with pretty little endings. Now, I’m not commenting on the ending at all. Just know that overall, this book and this series has exceeded my expectations in every way. Blood of My Blood gets 5 Stars from me. Have you read Blood of My Blood? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

All Things Halloween Review - Game

Game (Jasper Dent, # 2)

By: Barry Lyga

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

520 pages

Genre: YA, Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Crime

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--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.

What to say? What to say? If I Hunt Killers is the Dexter of the Jasper Dent series then Game is The Following of the series. We know that I Hunt Killers ended with Japer’s father, Billy, breaking out of prison. We know that he had to have help in his escape. And so we know that Billy possibly has a fan club like Joe Carol from The Following even if Billy’s helpers are not essentially a cult.

Game, itself, felt like a much slower book than I Hunt Killers. With coming in over 500 pages, I’m not really surprised that Game felt like a longer and slower book; however, it was more than just length. The pacing really was much slower. And even when I was completely interesting in figuring out what was going on and knowing what was going to happen next, Game still felt like an easy book to put down.

The characters that I fell in love with so much from I Hunt Killers were present: Jasper, Connie, and Howie essentially. But even Billy is such a charismatic character that while knowing he’s utterly evil, I can’t help but enjoy his presence in the book when he’s actually present, in Jasper’s memories of him, and in the running Billy-commentary that Jasper has going on in his head. Jasper’s so real as a character. He still battles wondering if he’s going to snap and turn into his father at any moment. He’s still haunted by his memories, his past, and his potential. Connie is as supportive as ever—maybe even more so in Game than in I Hunt Killers. I don’t remember any sections of I Hunt Killers being narrated by Connie so that was a nice addition to Game. And I loved her faith in Jasper, her love for him, and her willingness to do just about anything for him—even taking on--or possibly leaving--her family. However, Connie had several parts where I wanted to smack her in the head and tell her that she was being reckless and stupid. Howie wasn’t as present as I wanted him to be, yet there were plenty of parts that had me chuckling to myself. Howie brings the humor to this book and this series. He keeps things from getting too intense with his typical teenage boyness and his struggles with his hemophilia.

As far as plot goes, I felt like Game was pretty brilliant. In some aspects, I had certain things figured out WAY in advance, but other things took me a while to piece together. I felt both really smart for figuring some pieces out and really stupid for missing some things that now feel more obvious. I think that might have been exactly the way Barry Lyga planned this book. You don’t want to completely frustrate the reader, but there has to be something they don’t get at the same time because being too predictable is the worst. I highly enjoyed the plot for Game and how it appears to play into the overall plot of the series. Yet as I mentioned earlier, the pacing was a bit slow.

I feel like it’s worth noting because apparently some readers HATE this, but Game ends in like a three-way cliffhanger. The reader is uncertain of every single character and what’s going to happen next with our favorite ones. But I’ve already started Blood of My Blood and it picks up immediately where Game leaves off so no worries there. I would just suggest perhaps making sure you have Blood of My Blood available to dive right in as soon as you finish Game.

My favorite quotes:

-“…I never met Mrs. Dent, but I know she must have been a good person because I’m pretty sure Billy Dent didn’t raise Jasper to rescue helpless hemophiliacs from bullies.”

-“Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been thinkin’ that someday you’re gonna crack and end up like your daddy. And you’ve been looking for proof that you won’t. What you don’t realize is this: The lookin’ is the proof.”

-He figured he cut a pretty dashing figure in his jeans and heavy shirt. And gloves. And hat. Not like a page out of a catalog or anything, but it showed how he thought ahead. He was prepared. Women dug guys who were prepared.

-“Howie, you’re the same age as my nephew.”
”Actually, I’m six weeks older.”
She shook her head. “It’s not going to happen.”
”You say that now.”
”I do.”
”We’re both two lonely people,” Howie said seductively, “trapped in a world created by Billy Dent.”
Samantha howled with laughter. Howie figured that wasn’t a good sign.

-“Dude! You hit on my aunt!”
”That depends on how you define ‘hit on.’”
”You totally hit on my aunt.”
”Was that wrong? Was I not supposed to do that?”
”You should think about what you just said. Think about it, Howie.”
”I’m just not seeing where I went wrong. For an older woman, she’s got a nice body, and she must moisturize like a mofo because her skin is—“

-“Watch it. That’s the mother of my illegitimate children you’re talking about.”

Also, I feel like it should be noted that I normally hate dialect, but I rarely even noticed it in either I Hunt Killers or Game. As a matter of fact, Barry Lyga did dialogue so well that I actually enjoyed it. It wasn’t always present. It wasn’t over the top. And I don’t know any other writer who could use “they’d’ve” and get away with it. But Mr. Lyga pulled it off.

Despite the pacing, I feel like Game has the makings of a brilliant book in a brilliant series. Even though I feel certain Game will probably be my least favorite in the series, Game gets 4 Stars from me easily. I can’t wait to see how things wrap up with Blood of My Blood. Have you read Game? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

All Things Halloween Review - I Hunt Killers

I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent, # 1)

By: Barry Lyga

Published: April 3rd 2012 by Little, Brown and Company

359 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Source: Borrowed from my local library

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Goodreads description--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?

Fans of Dexter...I Hunt Killers is the book for you. Husband and I haven’t quite finished watching Dexter (at the time of writing this review, by the time this review goes live we will have finished it), but we’re about a season and a half out from finishing. Because we’re in the middle of the show, I couldn’t help but spot similarities of I Hunt Killers with Dexter. While Dexter’s father wasn’t a serial killer but a cop, he still taught Dexter how to evade getting caught. Jasper’s father was also teaching his son how to be a killer and how not to get caught. But while Dexter’s father taught him how to evade capture by thinking how the cops think, Jasper’s father did it by taking him along on his kills. From the way Jasper remembers it, his father seems to have turned every situation into a teaching experience. And so even though Billy Dent isn’t a model father, he had the teaching part down pat.

Because Jazz knows how a serial killer thinks, it was easy for him to spot how a recent murder in his small town of Lobo’s Nod fit the bill for a serial killer and that there would in fact be more murders. Local sheriff, G. William, has taken a personal interest in Jazz’s life. Despite that, G. William finds it difficult to believe Jazz’s serial killer theory. This causes Jazz to branch out and do his own investigation. Eventually G. William sees Jazz’s point of view and enlists Jasper’s particular knowledge of his father’s murders to help solve the case.

More than the story itself, I Hunt Killers is character driven. Jasper is understandably affected by everything he experienced and witnessed at the hands of his father. He’s paranoid about what the town thinks of him which is also understandable. Anyone would fear being thought of as a killer when their father turned out to be one of the world’s worst and taught you everything you know at the same time. Jasper subconsciously seeks to find the killer in this instance in hopes of proving his own innocence. Jasper’s character was so psychologically well-thought out by Barry Lyga. Every action he takes, every thought he has serves a psychological purpose. Jazz is a complex and brilliant character.

But Jazz would be nothing without his sidekicks. His best friend, Howie, is a hoot. Howie is a Type A Hemophiliac. This is a genetic deficiency involving the blood’s clotting factor which increases bleeding. Because of this, Howie is well…fragile. He’s prone to injury, and normal injuries can prove to be much more serious for him than most. Howie is Jazz’s go-to partner for any illegal investigating and such. Howie always has Jazz’s back and they’ve been friends since before everyone found out about Jasper’s father. Howie stuck by Jazz during the transformation period from popular to pariah. Howie was a great character and an awesome best friend. Plus he actually caused me to laugh out loud at one point which is always a bonus for me.

We can’t forget about Connie—Jazz’s girlfriend. Connie and Jazz form a bi-racial couple, and I loved the added tidbit that Connie’s father wasn’t happy about the pair. Connie wasn’t as supportive of Jazz’s extracurricular investigations, but I didn’t mind that because she came from a place of being genuinely concerned about Jazz. Connie has Jazz’s best interest at heart. She wants him to be safe. There was a period when Jazz talks about Connie being a “safe” choice for him to date. I went through a period of time wondering if the fact that Connie was a “safe” choice meant that Jasper didn’t really have true feelings for her, but that wasn’t the case at all. All in all, I loved Jasper and Connie’s relationship. Have no fear though, this relationship, while present, doesn’t overtake or overshadow the story at all.

I’m not sure that there were any too big surprises or plot twists. There was one thing that I didn’t predict, but I wasn’t blown away or shocked by it as I might have been. Yet, I Hunt Killers leaned towards being one of those books where I didn’t feel the desire to figure everything out because the process of experiencing this book was just so stinking enjoyable.

I Hunt Killers is just about as well done as a book can be. It’s YA so there’s nothing too graphic. There is mention of some intense subjects considering we’re talking serial killers here and serial killers don’t really have personal boundaries. There’s a little bit of romance, a little bit of mystery, a little bit of humor, and a lot of psychology. I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of it. Fans of the TV shows Dexter, The Following, and even the short-lived Cult will probably enjoy I Hunt Killers. Ultimately, I’m giving this one 4.5 Stars. Have you read I Hunt Killers? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Boundaries - Review

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

By: Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Published: October 20th 1992 by Zondervan Publishing Company (first published January 1st 1992)

314 pages

Genre: Nonfiction, Self Help, Christian, Psychology

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: . Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances. Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions. Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others. Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God's will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator. Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: Can I set limits and still be a loving person? What are legitimate boundaries? What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy or money? Aren't boundaries selfish? Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries?

Not in my normal genre so I can't give this 5 Stars...SCREW THAT!!!! 5 Stars, 5 Stars, 5 Stars! 100 Stars if I could give 100 stars! *Sigh* Oh well, 5 Stars it is.

This is a book that every human being alive or dead should be required to read. Christian or Non-Christian alike. Yes, Cloud and Townsend relate the idea of boundaries to God. However, this idea of boundaries and how we apply them to ourselves and other people is universal. And it blew my mind. I never thought about this idea of boundaries and I have already been working since reading this book on establishing strong, clear, Biblical boundaries with myself and others.

I can see boundaries everywhere now. Perhaps just as easily seen as established boundaries are the lack thereof. And even though I have only just begun practicing better boundaries, and I have by no means "arrived," it's so easy for me to see where others could benefit from establishing their own boundaries.

And as with anything else, because this is truly the way God intended things to be, it is so easy to see how much better life would be with properly established boundaries.

I truly want to thank these authors for breaking this down for anyone and everyone who might take the time to read this book. And I want to thank my friend, Kay, for introducing me to this book and opening up a whole new world to me. I will say that I will be investing in the other books they have written on boundaries (Boundaries in Marriage, Boundaries with Kids, Boundaries with Teens, etc.).

I really don't know what else to say about it. Honestly, this is one of those books that I could probably go on and on and on about, but I'd just end up repeating myself. Only other thing I'll say on the subject of this book (other than YOU MUST READ THIS!!!) is that it's totally okay to take your time with this book. Read it slowly, soak it in. You'll be glad that you did.

Have you read Boundaries? What did you think? Let me know!

Updated: January 31, 2015