As the son and protege of a legendary serial killer who's now behind bars, Jazz has a burning need to prove to the world and to himself that in his case, the adage that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree is one hundred percent false. Jazz doesn't want to be a killer, but his instincts and outlook on the world and the people around him were so shaped by his serial killer father (who was grooming him to go into the family business, as it were) that it's an everyday struggle for him to be normal, not on the outside, where his serial killer-trained charm can almost always keep him out of trouble, but inside, where he berates himself for the way he easily manipulates people to get what he wants. As a new serial killer goes to work in Jazz's town, he's determined to catch the killer to prove once and for all that he does not take after his father.

Jazz struggles through moral and social dilemmas that no one else really has to face in quite the same way. As I read, the act of putting myself in his shoes was slightly uncomfortable, but also fascinating. Usually I would find a book like this to be too heavy and depressing, but somehow I Hunt Killers manages to be fun to read at the same time that it makes you think and empathize in a somewhat uncomfortable way. Jazz's no-nonsense girlfriend, Connie and his best friend Howie add needed lightness to the book, and Jazz's own sarcastic wit helps to poke fun at the serious bits. Jazz manages to be angsty while simultaneously making fun of his own angst, which makes this a damned entertaining read.

What this book is not is Dexter for teens. Jazz isn't a serial killer who kills serial killers, despite what the title may imply. He's just a kid struggling to prove that he can overcome his father's influence on his life.

Overall, this book is the perfect balance of dark and warm-hearted, thoughtful and action-y. One of those rare makes-you-think books that's also fun to read.