I Don't Want to Kill You (John Cleaver, #3)

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I Don't Want to Kill You (John Cleaver #3)

by Dan Wells (Goodreads Author)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 2,414 ratings · 395 reviews

John Wayne Cleaver é um rapaz bem-comportado, tímido, reservado (e obcecado com a morte, mais especificamente com homicídios), que estuda obsessivamente serial killers e passa os tempos livres a trabalhar na casa funerária da família. A morte parece fazer parte indelével da sua vida; talvez por isso John tenha desenvolvido os poderes de dedução que lhe permitiram salvar a...more

Kindle Edition, 321 pages

Published (first published March 30th 2010)

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Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, young-adult, book-list-2010

7/10 on Book Chick City

I have been waiting for 'I Don't Want To Kill You' for what feels like forever. I absolutely loved the first two 'John Cleaver' novels and just couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of the third and final book in this chilling trilogy. I cracked this baby open with great anticipation.

We meet John only a short time on from where 'Mr Monster' finished and there is another demon in town. This time it's after him. John has killed two of the demons friends and it wants reveng...more 7/10 on Book Chick City

I have been waiting for 'I Don't Want To Kill You' for what feels like forever. I absolutely loved the first two 'John Cleaver' novels and just couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of the third and final book in this chilling trilogy. I cracked this baby open with great anticipation.

We meet John only a short time on from where 'Mr Monster' finished and there is another demon in town. This time it's after him. John has killed two of the demons friends and it wants revenge. John spends most of his time anticipating the demons' moves and analysing its motives. While John obsesses over this new demon, there a more murders which he thinks are linked to it, and he also notices there are far too many teenage suicides where he lives and wonder's why.

Unfortunately 'I Don't Want To Kill You' didn't quite meet my expectations. It may be because they were just too high. I was hoping for more internal struggle from John with regards to his desires to kill and his sociopathic tendances. Instead it felt he was just a young kid wanting to solve a murder. There really wasn't that much darkness or intensity, or the mention of John's 'rules' that were so prevalent in 'I Am Not A Serial Killer' and 'Mr Monster'.

I was to see John on the cuspe of finding out whether his serial killer compulsions were his truth or something he could resist. But John's development halted. I also felt that this time there was slightly too much repetition. With 'I Am Not A Serial Killer' the mention of all the activity which went on behind the scenes in his mother's morgue were gruesome, vivid, and gave a certain depth to John and his dark side. It suited his personality at that time. In this book, I felt it had already been done and we really didn't have to go there again. I understood what it meant to John to work there and handle dead bodies I didn't need to be reminded throughout this instalment.

Because of this, I didn't think that John's development as a person moved forward. John's relationships with girls also intensified, but it didn't really seem to bother him that much, even when it begins to get intimate with holding hands, hugging and kissing. The John in 'I Am Not A Serial Killer' and 'Mr Monster' would have been totally freaked out by this. If John was much older I may have seen this as character development, but because these books are all in the span of about a year it just didn't work for me.

VERDICT:

Despite my disappointment with some aspects of 'I Don't Want To Kill You' it is still a very good and engaging read in its own right, I just expected more from the last instalment of such a dark and thrilling series. I'm also not sure I'm particularly happy with the ending or think it was fitting for such a complex and dark character as John - I felt it was maybe a little bit predictable, and safe. However, I still enjoyed it and would recommend this series in a heartbeat, as overall it is utterly brilliant!
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Aug 20, 2011 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, horror, humour, supernatural, serial-killers

I’m a little sad to think the John Cleaver series is now over. I was really enjoying the socially awkward teenage sociopath and his struggle through high school. While the supernatural twist was a good one, I really wanted to know more about John and his struggle with others and teenage urges. I wonder if there are more books like this.

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Mar 26, 2012 Pansy Lane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. (Minor spoilers for the first book only-- this is more of a review of the series in general.)

I wanted to wait until l finished all three books before writing a review about any of them, because that seemed to make the most sense. I enjoyed these books a lot-- I read them in three days, so obviously I was into it-- although of course it's more of a "fun quick read" kind of thing and not a "life-changing omg must recommend" feeling.

First of all, I accidentally read several pages of I Don't Want T...more

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May 07, 2013 André Nuno rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Neste terceiro e, até ao momento, último livro da série, John Cleaver, que no livro anterior havia ligado a um demónio e lhe anunciou que o haveria de matar, defronta-se com mais um conjunto de assassinatos na sua vila. Cedo Cleaver percebe que o demónio que havia espicaçado aí estava para o apanhar.

A contagem de corpos vai aumentando à medida que o número de conhecidos e amigos de John vai diminuindo drasticamente.

Este é, em meu entender, o melhor dos três volumes. Wells não insiste tanto em ba...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Terry Weyna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I Don’t Want to Kill You is the final book in Dan Wells’s JOHN CLEAVER trilogy. It’s a powerful conclusion, sad, brutal, humorous and loving all at the same time. Wells has done a fine job of writing three books that can stand each stand on their own, but which together make a powerful coming-of-age story.

John Cleaver is 16 or 17, and in some ways a typical teenager; he eats huge bowls of cereal, goes to high school, argues with his mother. But John is a sociopath, and he wants very much to be a...more I Don’t Want to Kill You is the final book in Dan Wells’s JOHN CLEAVER trilogy. It’s a powerful conclusion, sad, brutal, humorous and loving all at the same time. Wells has done a fine job of writing three books that can stand each stand on their own, but which together make a powerful coming-of-age story.

John Cleaver is 16 or 17, and in some ways a typical teenager; he eats huge bowls of cereal, goes to high school, argues with his mother. But John is a sociopath, and he wants very much to be a serial killer. It’s an urge he fights as hard as he can, and so far, at least, he’s not killed anyone human. But he has killed a few demons. At the end of the second book in the trilogy, Mr. Monster, John challenged a demon he called Nobody to come to town and take him on. Nobody seems to have been pulling the strings of the first two demons John killed, and he wants to go to the source and end things once and for all.

When the pastor of a local Presbyterian church is found dead, John believes that the demon he is searching for is responsible. The method of the killings is identical to that of numerous murders committed by the Handyman, as the press has named him. John can’t believe that the Handyman, who previously had always worked in Georgia, would have come to Clayton County, North Dakota, unless he were Nobody, the demon he seeks. John sets out to profile the demon, catch it and kill it.

In the meantime, though, John still has to start his junior year of high school. To his surprise, he also discovers that Marci, a hugely popular and beautiful classmate, is interested in him. The two spend time hiking and biking before the school year starts, and once the Handyman shows up, a fair bit of time talking about the killer. Marci is perhaps more willing to put up with this sort of talk than the average teenage girl might be because her father is a police officer; her father leaks information to the two teens every now and then, and John has an additional source of information in that his family’s business is running a mortuary, so he gets to study the bodies.

Wells maintains a delicate balance in writing about John. He’s not a typical teenage boy, and he doesn’t act like one. But John’s rules for himself — the rules that keep him from killing — also make him a more honorable teenager than most. For instance, John doesn’t stare at Marci’s chest the way most of the boys do, and that makes him especially appealing to her. He’s also even denser than most teenage boys; he doesn’t think to ask Marci to the homecoming dance, and she has to basically pry an invitation out of him. And then, of course, there’s his crime fighting, or his demon fighting. He is so focused on prying Nobody out of hiding that he does some ugly things as well as some noble things.

I don’t want to say much more about this book; you’ll want to find out the rest for yourself. Wells has created a fascinating character in John, and does a fine job of filling out the characters of other important figures in the book as well. The prose is clear and strong, with little ornamentation. The plot unfolds at an impressive speed. Make sure you have the time to read steadily once you start; I stayed up until after 1:00 a.m. finishing the last 100 pages because I just had to know what happened or I wouldn’t have been able to sleep. It’s a satisfying ending to an excellent trilogy.

Originally published at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...(less)

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Jan 23, 2013 Lori Anaple rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, paranormal, suspense

I finally get it. It took me three books to do it, but somewhere in this one I had an "AHA" moment. I have to look at this book from a religious perspective. Not religious in terms of preachy, become a christian, but religious as in choice and a loving God.

There are three pivotal scenes which led me here. The first was in Mr. Monster when John didn't kill the asshat who beat on his sister; where he learned that he would be no better than said asshat if he killed or even hurt him. The second is a...more I finally get it. It took me three books to do it, but somewhere in this one I had an "AHA" moment. I have to look at this book from a religious perspective. Not religious in terms of preachy, become a christian, but religious as in choice and a loving God.

There are three pivotal scenes which led me here. The first was in Mr. Monster when John didn't kill the asshat who beat on his sister; where he learned that he would be no better than said asshat if he killed or even hurt him. The second is at when John is face to face with the Handyman serial killer. John makes his decisions on practicality, what would hurting this man make him. And the third, when Nobody extends her love. John weighs these decisions ultimately making his choice on who he wants to be. He realizes who he is.

He also comes to realize, I think, that he is not really a sociopath. He has just shoved his feelings so far down that he doesn't feel them anymore. All because of his Dad. Tragic really. His Dad used to beat on his mother, his sister and him, but he still loved him because he was "Dad". When Dad left, John shut down emotionally. This trilogy is his journey to feeling again.

We also have Marcy to thank for bringing John out of his shell. He learns to love and the final scene was touching; if not inevitable.

Even though I gave it 5 stars, I do think this book (series) is far from perfect. It certainly isn't one of my Best Books EVER, but I do appreciate horror/suspense and I do appreciate a profanity free horror/suspense book. I also liked the journey John finds himself on. What didn't sit so well for me was the finality...is it over? What happens to John? What becomes of him? What about all of the other demons that are out there? I liked the struggle of good vs evil; especially on such an internal level. Conversely, what about someone who was a true sociopath? This book just wouldn't work. The author is trying to show that good and evil are a choice, and I don't totally buy it. I think that there is true evil in the world and I think a true sociopath, when faced with these same choices and dealing with the same desires, would succumb.

If you didn't like my review, you are wearing a very nice shirt. HA!(less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-in-a-series, child-narrator, fantasy-science-fiction, horror, mystery-thriller, young-adult

I’m very nearly speechless after this rather explosive finale to the John Wayne Cleaver trilogy. After being forced to wait a few days between reading this one and its predecessor, Mr. Monster, only let my hopes run high. And at first, I admit to being a bit disappointed. Cleaver isn’t quite as witty and charming initially and he spends less time acting like the creepy kid I’ve come to love and a bit more as a more normal kid - even hangs out with a girl daily without constant references to how...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Hollie Murray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read the whole John Cleaver series in the space of two weeks and I can honestly say they have been the best set of novels I have read in a long time. I first started reading and didn't really know what to expect but even with in the first chapter I was completely hooked.
I really liked the character John and I think the character itself gave you a lot to think about. There was more meaning to the book than just the gory side. As I usually read romance, this was like a breath of fresh air, I...more

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May 08, 2012 Ryan Lawler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I Don’t Want To Kill You is the third and final book in the John Cleaver series. After the awesome debut of I Am Not A Serial Killer and the sheer epicness that was Mr. Monster, this book had some mighty big boots to fill. In the end this book may have fallen just short of the level set by Mr. Monster, but it is still a brilliant book and a fitting a fitting end to the series.

I Don’t Want To Kill You starts a few months after the end of Mr. Monster. John is still feeling the affects from his bat...more I Don’t Want To Kill You is the third and final book in the John Cleaver series. After the awesome debut of I Am Not A Serial Killer and the sheer epicness that was Mr. Monster, this book had some mighty big boots to fill. In the end this book may have fallen just short of the level set by Mr. Monster, but it is still a brilliant book and a fitting a fitting end to the series.

I Don’t Want To Kill You starts a few months after the end of Mr. Monster. John is still feeling the affects from his battle with another demon, the loss of control to his inner demon, and the breakdown of his first ever relationship. But there is hope – he has thrown down the challenge to Nobody, leader of the demons, and he gets his answer when another serial killer starts to terrorise Clayton. The first demon was unprepared for John, the second demon underestimated John, but this third demon is pissed and she is desperate to make an example of John at the expense of his friends and family.

As he has done in the previous books, Wells takes a well constructed plot and applies liberal amounts of creepiness and suspense. This time around you get the distinct feeling that John is the one being hunted, the people being killed around him are getting closer and closer and it is very much a race against time to solve the mystery, unmask the killer, and save his own skin. The twists are big, the revelations are bigger, and bad things happen to good people. My wife cried but I am far more heartless than her.

This is all great material, but I think I was slightly let down by the lack of actual mystery elements, the lack of an the elaborate setup and all the red herrings that were so well done in the previous two books. It’s hard to go into much detail without spoiling the book, so while I found the concept and the physical form of the demon Nobody to be very cool, I felt slightly disappointed that the ‘big reveal’ of Nobody wasn’t all that big and was also a bit predictable. It may seem like a small thing, but the ‘big reveal’ was what made the first two books so good. It might be because I was expecting something similar to the first two books and was disappointed when that expectation wasn’t met.

As in the previous books, Wells demonstrates that his biggest strength is characterisation, and this is evidenced by the way we get to know so much about the support cast despite being limited to John’s point of view. John is a very observant and obsessive character and he provides a very detailed / creepy analysis of every character he interacts with, especially when wondering how he would feel when killing them. We get to see a John that is much more in control in this book, he is embracing his obsessive nature, and he is able to vent everything to Marci who is fascinated by the way he thinks. I loved Marci in this book, a lot more than I thought I would, and she played the ‘most desirable teenager in the cosmos’ role brilliantly.

The style, the pacing, the writing as before is absolutely brilliant. Wells is a gifted wordsmith, and at times this book is beautifully poetic in its prose. It seems weird, but it was an absolute pleasure to read about such dark and disturbing themes. I cant say anything more about his writing, except that I expect Wells could take any concept whatsoever and write it in a way that would be appealing.

I Don’t Want To Kill You is a great conclusion to a brilliant debut series. The final demon was the most monstrous of all, the characters reached the end of their arcs, and it felt like series reached a natural conclusion despite the very tantalising thread Wells left for us in the final scene. I am very excited to see what the future holds for Dan Wells, and I hope that he returns to the world of John Cleaver in the not to distant future.(less)

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Apr 05, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read the German edition called "Ich will dich nicht töten"

Mit psychologischer Präzision seziert der Autor hier mysteriöse Mordfälle eines Serienmörders, geschrieben in der Ich-Perspektive aus der Sicht des erst sechzehnjährigen John, einem Soziopathen mit eigentümlich kriminellem Gespür, der eben diesen Mörder jagt. Der Highschoolschüler hilft nebenbei noch seiner Mutter und Tante im familieneigenen Bestattungsinstitut und erhält so detaillierten Einblick in die Opfer dieses Mörders, direkt na...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Themistokeles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Inhalt: John Cleaver hat den letzten Dämon Agent Forman besiegt und mittels dessen Telefon einen weiteren kontaktiert, Nobody. Diese hat er durch das Telefonat nach Clayton bestellt. Zudem redet Brooke seit den Verfällen in Formans Haus nicht mehr mit John. Zu seinem Erstaunen jedoch möchte Marci, ein anderes Mädchen aus seiner Schule und Tochter eines Cops mit ihm ausgehen. John kommt das eher weniger gelegen, denn er wartet immer noch auf den ersten Schlag von Nobody, bis kurz nach Marcis Einl...more Inhalt: John Cleaver hat den letzten Dämon Agent Forman besiegt und mittels dessen Telefon einen weiteren kontaktiert, Nobody. Diese hat er durch das Telefonat nach Clayton bestellt. Zudem redet Brooke seit den Verfällen in Formans Haus nicht mehr mit John. Zu seinem Erstaunen jedoch möchte Marci, ein anderes Mädchen aus seiner Schule und Tochter eines Cops mit ihm ausgehen. John kommt das eher weniger gelegen, denn er wartet immer noch auf den ersten Schlag von Nobody, bis kurz nach Marcis Einladung die Meldung eines Mordes in den Nachrichten erscheint. Ein Priester wurde umgebracht und die Tat wird sofort als Tat eines bekannten Serentäters identifiziert, des Handymans. John ist davon überzeugt, dass es sich beim Handyman um Nobody handelt und heftet sich auf dessen Fährte. Zusammen mit Marci, die ihm zu seinem Erstaunen bei seinen Schlussfolgerunegen unterstüzt. Neben den Handyman Morden findet jedoch noch etwas anderes in Clayton statt, mehr als ein Mädchen begeht Selbstmord, was John vollkommen aus der Bahn wirft, denn er kann nicht nachvollziehen, dass die Menschen, die er vor den Dämonen zu schützen versucht, ihrem Leben einfach so ein Ende bereiten. Und auch der Fall Nobody wird für ihn und Marci immer verzwicktet, bis sie auf eine Fährte stoßen, die ihnen etwas ganz neues unerwartetes aufzeigt.

Meinung: Wie schon die beiden Vorgänger muss ich sagen, war auch dieser Teil wieder sehr genial. Hingegen vieler anderer Reihen oder Trilogien, in denen häufig die letzten Bände von der Qualität her abnehmen, muss ich sagen, dass ich den dritten Teil dieser Reihe fast noch besser fand, als die ersten beiden Teile. John wird eindeutig von Band zu Band erst immer monstermäßiger und danach dann wieder menschlicher. Was in diesem Teil besonders in seiner Beziehung zu Marci zu Tage tritt, die doch vollkommen anders ist, als diejenige, die er zu allen anderen Menschen bisher entwickelt hat. Auch die Entwicklungen, die Brooke und Johns Mutter in diesem Band durchmachen, hat mir richtig gut gefallen, da sie zum einen einfach zu den Charakteren passt und zum anderen der Geschichte auch eine gewisse Bedeutung beimisst. Was ich sehr schade finden würde, wäre wenn dies wirklich der letzte Band der Reihe wäre, da das Ende meiner Meinung nach noch kein richtig geklärter Abschluss ist und ich mich auch sehr freuen würde, noch mehr von John lesen zu können. Denn sowohl der Dämon dieses Bandes wie auch Johns Charakter haben mir auf ihre ganz eigene Art sehr gefallen.
Zudem finde ich auch den Schreibstil von Dan Wells einfach verdammt gut, da er es nicht nur schafft, Johns doch sehr eigenen Charakter so genial herauszustellen, sondern zudem auch noch die Fähigkeit besitzt, viele der Dinge sehr plastisch zu beschreiben.
Ein Buch bei dem es sich mehr als lohnt es zu lesen, wie bei der gesamten Reihe, die einfach von einer ganz besonderen Genialität zeugt, die vielleicht auch ein wenig an Wahnsinn grenzt.(less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The end to the trilogy that began with I Am Not a Serial Killer. Teenage sociopath, John Cleaver, is as fascinating as ever in this final volume, in which he is forced to confront the truth about monster killing. Does killing, even demons, make John an avenger or a murderer?

Clayton, Ohio still can't catch a break--so many deaths and only one funeral home in town. Luckily, John's mother runs that funeral home, giving her emotionally absent son a chance to investigate the bodies up close and pe...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Samuel Loveland rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Original Blog Link; http://samuelloveland.com/2011/05/03/...

Genre – Thriller/Horror/Supernatural, Adult and Young Adult

While still following the Dan Wells tradition of being disturbing, thrilling, fast-paced and funny all at the same time, this book was possibly the most beautiful thing I have read this year. You may wonder how vivid scenes of embalming can be juxtaposed with anything that might be considered “beautiful”; it’s all in the journey.

I Don’t Want to Kill You was a book well worth wai...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Izzy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: flag-dark-themes, mystery, paranormal, ya, flag-violence

I enjoyed this book a lot! Ever since the first book, I had been really hoping that John Cleaver would be able to make a positive personal connection, and in this book he does. The ending was a solid, satisfying conclusion, but I was left wanting to know more. I never imagined that I would enjoy horror (being terrified by what I'm reading makes me moody, even after I put the book down), but Wells is an author I can trust not to reward bad choices. I loved all three books.

The only thing I missed...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Heidi Tighe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book didn't scare me, which confuses me because it seems like it did many others, but it thrilled me, moved me, inspired me.

First, his characters: in addition to John Wayne Cleaver, who's a pretty unique fellow in and of himself, Wells creates amazing characters. He doesn't take shortcuts or rely on tropes and stereotypes. The voluptuous most popular girl at school? Guess what--she's not an empty-headed bimbo. She's smart, reflective, even wise. Wayne's mother is neither the denial-ridden,...more

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Jan 01, 2013 David Helton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Short, but very, very sweet. That's how I would describe the John Cleaver trilogy. When I finished this book I immediately felt the overwhelming need to read another one, followed by anger at Dan Wells for stopping this great series after three books. But it was just my post-series depression.

The best thing about this trilogy is that it doesn't overstay it's welcome, and the ending is the kind that makes your mind wander and imagine all of the possibilities that wait for John in the future. I li...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, young-adult

This series really grew on me, and this one might just be my favorite of the bunch. If John's prominent homicidal side turned you off in Mr. Monster, then you'll be happy to hear that in this book we find a very different John who *gasp* is getting in touch with his feelings. How does a sociopath have feelings you ask? Well, that is a very good question and more or less what this book revolves around. This book is far, far less gross and terrifying than the last book, but is far more emotionally...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, general-fiction, mystery-thriller, psychology

I really really love this series. The first two books were both amazing, and this concluding novel was just as good. Though it sounds a little gory, and a little creepy, and a little strange to have a story about a teenage sociopath who works with his mom in a mortuary desperate not to be a serial killer who channels his killing lust into demonslaying...and it is all those things...it works. And it works really really well.

The writing is superb. It has a casual feel to it and is perfectly done i...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Michael Nash rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, this book got its hooks into me good and I couldn't put it down (figuratively, since I was listening to the audiobook). Wells seems to completely dispense with any pretense of writing YA fiction and goes straight for the heavy stuff, like examining (at length) the connections between heroism and sociopathy. Although I guess that sort of happened sometime during all of those torture room scenes at the end of Mr. Monster. John is a fascinating character, not because he's a sociopath, but beca...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Ginger Weasley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

***SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO BOOKS (i am not a serial killer & mr monster) AHEAD***

the third and last book in the series about the young john cleaver. after enjoying the first book and really loving the second one i couldn't wait to read the last one. but i was disappointed.

the story could've been good - at the end of the second book john calls 'Nobody', another demon and told her that he killer forman. and now he's expecting her to come to his town to haunt and kill him. sound like a prett...more

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Apr 30, 2011 Marvin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

I just finished the John Wayne Cleaver trilogy by Dan Wells and here is my ratings for each novel:

I An Not a Serial Killer: Four stars
Mr. Monster: Four and a half stars.
I Don't Want to Kill You: Five stars.

I listed my rating because this is what I think a trilogy should do. It should build on each book making the next one even better. You should never get the feeling that the author is just trying to finish it up or complete for the pay check. Dan Wells appears totally invested in each work. In...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-suspense, ya

A fitting end to the trilogy, I think. The story was dark, although it lacked the bleakness of the second novel (thankfully), and John and his mom both showed growth from the previous stories. The ending (without giving anything away) was unexpected but definitely works for the characters. I am a little relieved by it, actually, even though some bad things happened to get there and a couple of them are really sad.

One thing I never mentioned before about these stories is John's sense of humor: he...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quote of the year: "You don't have to march into hell every single time they open the gates." Hot-girl-cop's-daughter Marci.

In this final (maybe) installment of the John Wayne Cleaver series, John has officially become a demon hunter. His mother has officially gone into panic mode because of his dangerous escapades, and the fact she lives with a potential serial killer. John is still trying to balance his urges to kill and embalm his classmates with a strong desire to be "normal." When Marci, th...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Andrea added it · review of another edition

Teenage sociopath John Cleaver is determined to destroy the demons that are terrorizing his town. The problem is, he can't track the demon until it kills.

This is a really tough book for me to rate because it is not the kind of book I like. In fact, I avoid this type of book. It was super creepy (as a horror book should be), and parts were gross (probably pretty common in the genre too). I almost gave up reading a couple of times, but then I pushed ahead since I'm trying to read all of the 2011...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Alexandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The main character of this trilogy is John Cleaver, a high school age sociopath who has no remorse, no idea how to relate to people, no sympathy or empathy and no feelings. He is kind of like a robot; very focused on his purpose, (which is to find demons and kill them) and not interested in much else. After having finished I Don't Want To Kill You, the last book in the trilogy, I feel a little bit like John. That is to say, I don't feel anything.

I didn't connect with any of the characters in th...more

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May 06, 2012 Matthew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wanted to wait to review all three books at once, since the story flowed so well.

I also include spoilers for these books, as well as for “Dexter in the Dark” book and a major plot point in the Dexter TV show.

The title first caught my eye, but I didn’t take a real interest until I read the summary. It was recommended for fans of the Dexter series and well into the first chapter, I could see why.

When I got to the third chapter and John flat out said "Demon", I had an idea where the plots dire...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Jesse Whitehead rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Wayne Cleaver is a teenage sociopath. He lacks the ability to form emotional connections with people and to feel empathy. He is also obsessed with serial killers. Having studied serial killers and their habits and psychological profiles he has begun to recognize in himself many of the signs of their behavior. Afraid of becoming one of the subjects of his obsession he creates a series of rules to govern himself based on how he observes others behaving around each other.

In the previous two bo...more John Wayne Cleaver is a teenage sociopath. He lacks the ability to form emotional connections with people and to feel empathy. He is also obsessed with serial killers. Having studied serial killers and their habits and psychological profiles he has begun to recognize in himself many of the signs of their behavior. Afraid of becoming one of the subjects of his obsession he creates a series of rules to govern himself based on how he observes others behaving around each other.

In the previous two books he was forced to compromise and even break those rules to save the people of his community from a terrifying demon that was in their midst. Now the consequences of those actions have come around full circle and John is forced to confront his own personal nightmare and to look it in the eye.

Another serial killer has come to town and in the midst of yet another killer stalking the streets there has been a rash of suicides in the community. John knows the killer is a demon… because he invited her to come to town. Now he needs to find her and kill her so that she cannot hurt anybody else.

If these stories were told by anybody else they wouldn’t be worth reading. John has a wry sense of humor that he employs at just the right times to make us laugh even while we are ready to cry for him.

Many people refer to the humor of these books as the element that makes John likeable and I suppose that might be part of it. I think it’s more than that. His particular disability makes him incapable of empathy and he tends to fantasize about killing and hurting people. But he doesn’t. He overcomes his desires and temptations. That struggle is what relates him to all of us. Everybody struggles – hopefully not with a desire to kill – and most people know what its like to walk away from something that we know we want right now but we will regret later. That makes John one of us and it can be rather shocking how familiar many of his problems feel.

Dan Wells has written a trilogy of books – and I hope even more – that should not ever have to end. They are the kind of stories that you can’t put down but fervently hope the end is farther away than it is.

It’s kind of a staple of young adult fiction that the main character must have a broken or dysfunctional family – look at any Disney family for example – and these books are no exception. The difference is that John’s mother really does love him and he really does love her. He shows it in odd ways, he is, after all, a sociopath, and they don’t always get along but they love each other. His father is a different story.

There is physical danger to character in this book but the parts where Dan Wells tears your heart out and squeezes it in his fist are the parts where John realizes that he’s going to have to let out Mr. Monster in order to save people that he is incapable of caring about.

This book gets marketed as horror but it is so much more than that.(less)

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May 26, 2011 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own

Perfect ending to one of my all-time favorite series (at least for now). I haven't read anything of this quality since I finished it.
This book wasn't all sugar and rainbows, but if you read the other two (and you better have) then that won't surprise you. It was, however, incredibly satisfying. Not only is it a fantastic story, but the characters, plot and world are all well-developed enough that you can pick out themes. Not that common in popular fiction. In fact, if it weren't quite so distur...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-paranormal, thriller

After absolutely loving the first and second books in the John Cleaver series, I couldn't wait to get stuck into this one... and it didn't disappoint.

John's not like other teenage boys. He doesn't have real friends, he tries to keep his distance from girls, he enjoys helping his mother in the family mortuary, he's an expert on serial killers, he has a set of rules he constantly recites to himself, and he's a sociopath. Oh, plus he's killed two demons. Evil demons that decided to terrorise his to...more After absolutely loving the first and second books in the John Cleaver series, I couldn't wait to get stuck into this one... and it didn't disappoint.

John's not like other teenage boys. He doesn't have real friends, he tries to keep his distance from girls, he enjoys helping his mother in the family mortuary, he's an expert on serial killers, he has a set of rules he constantly recites to himself, and he's a sociopath. Oh, plus he's killed two demons. Evil demons that decided to terrorise his town. And now, there's a new demon in town and she's got her eye on John.

The new killer in town seems to be very ritualistic and kills public leaders. While John is trying to figure out how he can stop Nobody--the female demon he's sure is responsible for these deaths--he befriends Marci. However, not all is as it seems and for once, John might actually find himself up against a real serial killer, and another who is directly connected to the unexplained number of teenage suicides...

I particularly liked seeing how John dealt with a girlfriend--something he's never wanted, but unwillingly finds himself with. Marci, the hot girl in school who shouldn't technically even look his way, really affects him. She makes him realise that he's not as alone as he always thought he was, and that other people are also interested in murderers and what makes them tick. Their relationship was sweet, and tragic. And it changes John, in the most devastating way.

I Don't Want to Kill You is an awesome book! It's entertaining and dark, and I enjoyed it very much. It's just as addictive as the two before it and a real page-turner. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next, but was saddened when I got to the end.

I really enjoyed this trilogy, and just found out that this will be the last book in the John Cleaver series. No! I could totally read more books with John as the narrator. Still, this was a wonderful end to John's trilogy. Not just because it intensified everything, but because we get to see a side of John we haven't seen before.... in a very human way.(less)

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Oct 30, 2011 Renae Mackley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you’re looking for a good scary story that still lets you sleep at night, I’d like to recommend the Dan Wells series I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I Don’t Want to Kill You. It starts out with fifteen year-old sociopath John Cleaver (love the last name—it reminds me of what J.K. Rowling does with her character names) explaining his job in the family mortuary and his detachment to relationships. I found the first hundred pages interesting but not hooking. Another reader promised me...more

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About Dan Wells

Dan Wells is a thriller and science fiction writer. Born in Utah, he spent his early years reading and writing. He is he author of the Partials series (Partials, with the second book coming early 2013) and John Cleaver series (I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I Don't Want To Kill You). He has been nominated for both the Hugo and the Campbell Award, and has won two Parsec Awards for his p...more

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I Am Not A Serial Killer (John Cleaver, #1)

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“We're taking you to the hospital,' it said, 'you're going into shock. Can you tell us how you feel?'
'I feel ...' What do I feel?
I guess that's good enough.
I feel.” — 20 people liked it

“Hello, Bradley,' said Mom. She'd regained her composure after my outburst, and now raised her camera. 'Stand close.'
'No, Mom,' I said. 'No pictures.'
'But you're friend's here now,' she said, waving us together. 'Smile!'
'I don't need a picture with-' the flash snapped '-another guy. That's great, Mom, thank you. Send that one to Dad and tell him we're going steady.” — 15 people liked it

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I Don't Want to Kill You (John Cleaver #3)

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