Book Review: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga – A Dark, Brilliant, Unforgettable Masterpiece

From the very first page of I Hunt Killers, Barry Lyga pulls you into a world so rich, so chillingly alive, that it’s impossible not to be instantly gripped. This isn’t just a book, it’s an experience, a descent into the complex and morally tangled life of Jasper “Jazz” Dent, the son of the world’s most infamous serial killer, Billy Dent. Raised in the shadow of monstrous violence, Jazz was trained from childhood to think like a killer. But instead of giving in to that darkness, he resists it. When a new murderer mimicking Billy’s crimes starts leaving a trail of bodies in their small town, Jazz uses his inherited knowledge of criminal psychology to help track the killer down. The novel is a masterful psychological thriller wrapped in a character-driven coming-of-age story, where survival means confronting not only a murderer, but yourself.

Although there are many people who agree that this book is a masterpiece, there are just as many others who feel differently. One review from L. Voisinet on Amazon reads:

“This is a terrible, disgusting, awful book. It’s about a kid whose father is a serial killer. This book is FULL of gratuitous, detailed violence and psychological duality. The story is depressing and the stuff of nightmares, with absolutely NOTHING to admire in the main character other than that he doesn’t actually kill anyone good.

It ends (spoiler) with him tattooing his chest so that he can look in the mirror and reassure himself that he hunts killers (so he has become a serial killer of serial killers). That’s the “solution” to his inherited tendencies?

A truly disgusting book. My daughter, who is a sophomore in high school, was horrified; it gave her nightmares ,and I am truly sorry I let her read it.”

Frankly, this perspective couldn’t be further from the truth, and it reveals a complete misunderstanding of what I Hunt Killers is really about. First of all, the idea that Jazz has “nothing to admire” because he merely resists killing is, quite honestly, incomprehensible. What makes Jazz so compelling and powerful is exactly that resistance, the constant, painful, terrifying decision not to give in to what he was taught. He is brave, deeply self-aware, and struggles in a way that is very real to people who grow up with trauma, toxicity, or mental health challenges. To watch him navigate that with intelligence and courage is not horrifying; it’s inspiring. The fact that people are calling this “disgusting” is absolutely shameful. Because the characters’ suffering so closely mirrors what common forms of trauma and PTSD look like, L. Voisinet on Amazon is on the borderline of calling trauma “disgusting”. In the real world, you don’t get to choose if you have trauma, how traumatizing it’s going to be, or if you will get flashbacks, so to put shame on that is much more shameful than writing a slightly gory book.

As for the complaint that the book is “gratuitous” or “disgusting”, let’s be honest here. This is a thriller about serial murder. Of course, it contains dark themes, but Lyga handles them with tremendous skill and care. There’s nothing gratuitous here; the violence is never glorified. It’s there to show the stakes, the horror Jazz is trying to rise above. And the claim that the story is inappropriate for teens is absurd. If a high schooler is so shaken by fictional death that it “gave her nightmares,” perhaps the real issue isn’t the book, but an over-sheltered perspective. The real world is full of death, trauma, and moral ambiguity. Books like I Hunt Killers give young readers the tools to explore and understand those truths in a safe, thoughtful way. I suggest that if people can’t handle the real world through paper, then teenagers like this should just stick to picture books. Because stopping your high schooler from reading this is not protection, it’s willful ignorance.

One of my favorite lines from the book, simple yet unforgettable, is:

“People matter. That’s the point.”

That’s what Jazz is fighting for, not to be a killer, but to prove that human life does matter. That even someone born of darkness can choose light. To reduce that to “a boy who tattoos his chest to become a killer of killers” (a complete misreading of the ending, by the way) is to ignore the emotional and psychological nuance the book offers in abundance.

The character development is breathtaking. Jazz isn’t just compelling, he’s unforgettable. So are the people around him: the loyal and hilarious Howie, the strong and grounded Connie, and even the haunting presence of Billy Dent himself. Every single person in this novel feels real. They’re messy, flawed, hurting, brave. You don’t just read about them; you feel like you know them. And the twists? Absolutely stunning. Just when you think you have it figured out, Lyga throws a curveball that redefines everything, and it works every time.

I Hunt Killers is more than just a thriller; it’s a character study, a dark mirror of the human psyche, and a deeply moving journey of a boy clawing his way toward hope. It’s an absolute triumph of young adult fiction. Thoughtful, intense, layered, and unforgettable. If you want a book that makes you think, feel, and gasp, this is it.

To say this book is disgusting is not only misleading, it’s ridiculous. It’s one of the best I’ve ever read. And it deserves to be read, not banned.