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I Hunt Killers #0.3
Career Day
You're seventeen years old and your father is the most notorious serial killer America has ever produced.
He brought you up. Taught you everything he knows. Everyone in your ordinary American town knows who you are. So even though Dear Old Dad is safely behind bars, when the killing starts all over again, you are the first person the police come to see.
They don't know whether it's nature or nurture. And neither do you.
He brought you up. Taught you everything he knows. Everyone in your ordinary American town knows who you are. So even though Dear Old Dad is safely behind bars, when the killing starts all over again, you are the first person the police come to see.
They don't know whether it's nature or nurture. And neither do you.
16 pages, ebook
First published March 16, 2012
About the author
Barry Lyga
79 books2,090 followersBarry Lyga is a recovering comic book geek. According to Kirkus, he's also a "YA rebel-author." Somehow, the two just don't seem to go together to him.
When he was a kid, everyone told him that comic books were garbage and would rot his brain, but he had the last laugh. Raised on a steady diet of comics, he worked in the comic book industry for ten years, but now writes full-time because, well, wouldn't you?
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl is his first novel. Unsoul'd is his latest. There are a whole bunch in between, featuring everything from the aftermath of child abuse to pre-teens with superpowers to serial killers. He clearly does not know how to stick to one subject.
When he was a kid, everyone told him that comic books were garbage and would rot his brain, but he had the last laugh. Raised on a steady diet of comics, he worked in the comic book industry for ten years, but now writes full-time because, well, wouldn't you?
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl is his first novel. Unsoul'd is his latest. There are a whole bunch in between, featuring everything from the aftermath of child abuse to pre-teens with superpowers to serial killers. He clearly does not know how to stick to one subject.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
September 2, 2018
In my ongoing binge of Barry Lyga’s ‘I Hunt Killers’ series, I am turning my attention to the prequel short stories so that I can better understand the characters who will grace the pages of the full-length novels. Having a little background on Billy Dent in the first piece and a better understanding of Lobo’s Nod, the setting of the series that is explored in the second story, it is time to explore Jasper, the protagonist for the larger series. Jasper is a struggling teen with both parents away from home, his mother having left years ago and with a father incarcerated for murder. It is no wonder that Jasper is living life with little semblance of direction, though he is trying his best. His friend, Howie, tries to guide him, but Jasper needs to find himself so that he can forge his own pathway. Jasper finds himself drawn to the new girl in town, Connie Hall, perhaps the only person who has no real knowledge of the Dent situation and therefore will not turn her back on him. As Jasper makes his way through a day of school, he is forced to attend a presentation on Career Day, looking to help high school students decide what they want to do with their lives. With all this emotional baggage, it’s no wonder that Jasper is confused, but the assignment before him cannot go unfinished. So, grinning and peering down at the paper before him, Jasper must decide where he sees himself in the future and if he wants to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Lyga does well to provide the reader with a great understanding of the struggling Jasper while also keeping a number of questions on the table for the full-length novels to come. Recommended for series fans and those who want to enjoy a brief respite from their daily lives.
I am pleased to have heeded the recommendation of my friend, who asked that I give this collection my attention. This was less a piece that sought to dazzle with its dramatic narrative, but more to tell Jasper’s story from the teen’s perspective. Jasper is a teenager who has little guidance, forced to make his own way. While his parents have instilled some key characteristics in the young man, they are gone. Jasper fends for himself, but seems not to have blocked himself away from the world, which is admirable. The reader can see some of his thoughts in this short piece, but there is so much more to come. He will surely struggle under the pall of his father’s arrest and the mother who abandoned him, but will not allow himself to be defined in that matter, at least that is the perspective I get from Lyga. The story is less one of true development and more a character snapshot, hinting at things to come. I enjoyed it and felt I have a grip on who Jasper Dent has become, which will surely make my diving into full novels with him at the centre a great deal easier. I cannot wait to see what Lyga has in store for those who are ready for the journey.
Kudos, Mr. Lyga, on a nice background piece. I find myself getting more excited for the novels as I sift through these short stories you have penned after the fact.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I am pleased to have heeded the recommendation of my friend, who asked that I give this collection my attention. This was less a piece that sought to dazzle with its dramatic narrative, but more to tell Jasper’s story from the teen’s perspective. Jasper is a teenager who has little guidance, forced to make his own way. While his parents have instilled some key characteristics in the young man, they are gone. Jasper fends for himself, but seems not to have blocked himself away from the world, which is admirable. The reader can see some of his thoughts in this short piece, but there is so much more to come. He will surely struggle under the pall of his father’s arrest and the mother who abandoned him, but will not allow himself to be defined in that matter, at least that is the perspective I get from Lyga. The story is less one of true development and more a character snapshot, hinting at things to come. I enjoyed it and felt I have a grip on who Jasper Dent has become, which will surely make my diving into full novels with him at the centre a great deal easier. I cannot wait to see what Lyga has in store for those who are ready for the journey.
Kudos, Mr. Lyga, on a nice background piece. I find myself getting more excited for the novels as I sift through these short stories you have penned after the fact.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
July 22, 2016
Jasper had grown up with a killer in the house. A killer for a father. Combine the murderous impulse with the paternal impulse and you got...
Perfect intro to the series. You can read Career Day before reading book 1 (which is probably a great idea), or after, like I did. This gives you just the right amount of character insight to leave you curious for more.
It's just a few pages, so the risk factor is low. You can find the story on wattpad for free HERE.
Well, you got Billy Dent. A guy who raised his son to understand the human body in a very special way. A guy who taught Jasper how to hit an inside fastball and how to separate an arm at the shoulder joint.
I'm probably the most happy that Career Day managed to make up for the disappointment that was Serial Killer Groupies.
May 16, 2022
No aporta demasiado a la historia, sin embargo, nos ayuda a comprender un poco mas la dificil vida de Jazz al tener a Billy como padre.
2.5 Estrellas!
March 6, 2022
Howie is the best friend we all want.
April 18, 2017
Jasper had grown up with a killer in the house. A killer for a father. Combine the murderous impulse with the paternal impulse and you got...
Well, you got Billy Dent. A guy who raised his son to understand the human body in a very special way. A guy who taught Jasper how to hit an inside fastball and how to separate an arm at the shoulder joint.
This is a very short prequel to Jasper Dent trilogy ( there are 4 prequels as far as I know ).
It shed the light more on Jasper’s as teenage..Especially in Career day. He supposed to write an essay about what do he want to be when he grow up?
Struggling with Belly Dent’s voice in his head and his own will eventually he only wanted to be SAFE
You can read it before you start the first book ( I hunt killers ) or you can read them anytime you want if you want more backstory for your beloved characters.
March 28, 2013
Holy whoa, people! This short story packs a considerable wallop. The ending. THE ENDING. It nearly made me tear up. For all his bravado and the game face he puts on for the world, Jazz is just a sad, sweet, messed up kid underneath. It absolutely kills me how badly he wants to be normal and how much his dad screwed him up.
This is a fantastic look at Jazz and his friends before the events in book 1. Between gangly, irrepressible Howie (his flirting is AWESOME, btw) and cool as a cucumber Connie (I like this girl. I really like her), Jazz is building up defenses against what his dad taught him. Because "People matter" and Howie and Connie are there to remind him of that.
I seriously love this series. Jazz is messed up and his thought process can be downright scary at times but he gets in your head and under your skin. In a good way. Although I have no doubt he could do that in a bad way, too. Thanks, dad, for that.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
This is a fantastic look at Jazz and his friends before the events in book 1. Between gangly, irrepressible Howie (his flirting is AWESOME, btw) and cool as a cucumber Connie (I like this girl. I really like her), Jazz is building up defenses against what his dad taught him. Because "People matter" and Howie and Connie are there to remind him of that.
I seriously love this series. Jazz is messed up and his thought process can be downright scary at times but he gets in your head and under your skin. In a good way. Although I have no doubt he could do that in a bad way, too. Thanks, dad, for that.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
August 30, 2014
A sad little prequel to 'I Hunt Killers'. Gives a bit more backstory into the characters before the main storyline.
I really enjoyed this. Lyga's writing style is simple yet he still manages to pack a punch. He can switch from comedy to downright chilling instantly. The end of this made me tear up a little. I will be reading I Hunt Killers soon.
(Oh, and can I just say how awesome it is that there's an interracial couple in this? XD )
I really enjoyed this. Lyga's writing style is simple yet he still manages to pack a punch. He can switch from comedy to downright chilling instantly. The end of this made me tear up a little. I will be reading I Hunt Killers soon.
(Oh, and can I just say how awesome it is that there's an interracial couple in this? XD )
November 1, 2020
I thought this was a great prequel to the I Hunt Killers series. Career Day was a lot better than what I was expecting because I think based off the title and blurb it had the potential to be really cheesy and bad. However, this was thankfully not the case. Career Day was highly enjoyable for me and it was cute to see that Jasper's best friend gave him the nickname Jazz. I also thought it was cool to learn how Jazz and Connie met.
The I Hunt Killers series has a lot of novellas in it and I hope the rest are half as good as this one. This was my first Barry Lyga novella and I hope I will get the chance to read all the others.
The I Hunt Killers series has a lot of novellas in it and I hope the rest are half as good as this one. This was my first Barry Lyga novella and I hope I will get the chance to read all the others.
April 20, 2021
Re cortito pero extrañaba a Jazz. :')
Pronto leeré los demás de la saga. 🖤
Pronto leeré los demás de la saga. 🖤
February 1, 2013
Career Day is a free 17 page prequel to I Hunt Killers. I didn't even know that there was a prequel to I Hunt Killers so I am very happy that I found it before I started reading the main book. The very second Howie was bought into the story I just sat there grinning like a moron and thinking oh yeah here we go this is going to be awesome, can you say instalove! Getting back to the serious side though, this short prequel was fantastic it hooked me right in and when it ended I was left feeling lost. I need to read more of this and now.
Jasper has a rather depressing life, and a very disturbing one. Jasper was bought up learning how to kill people and how to clean crime scenes so that there is no evidence left behind. He now lives with his gramma who is losing the plot and is quite crazy. Jasper takes pretty good care of her though and wouldn't dare tell anyone that he looks after her more than she looks after him. His father the person who taught him all about killing is locked away in prison, one of the worst serial killer's in the world. That doesn't stop Jasper from hearing his dad's voice in his head though, he hears it all the time and it is urging him to kill and to take over where his dad left off. Luckily it isn't all doom and gloom for Jasper because he has a fantastic, crazy friend called Howie and this girl that he has just started casually dating, Connie.
Check out my blog: http://www.chopettescorner.blogspot.c...
Jasper has a rather depressing life, and a very disturbing one. Jasper was bought up learning how to kill people and how to clean crime scenes so that there is no evidence left behind. He now lives with his gramma who is losing the plot and is quite crazy. Jasper takes pretty good care of her though and wouldn't dare tell anyone that he looks after her more than she looks after him. His father the person who taught him all about killing is locked away in prison, one of the worst serial killer's in the world. That doesn't stop Jasper from hearing his dad's voice in his head though, he hears it all the time and it is urging him to kill and to take over where his dad left off. Luckily it isn't all doom and gloom for Jasper because he has a fantastic, crazy friend called Howie and this girl that he has just started casually dating, Connie.
Check out my blog: http://www.chopettescorner.blogspot.c...
November 4, 2015
Though this novella is much shorter than Lucky Day, it doesn't pack any less of a punch.
What do you want to be when you grow up? This question sticks with Jasper as he struggles with a homework assignment after Career Day that focuses on his life. Chilled by his father's legacy, Jasper realizes he doesn't exactly know what he wants - he just wants to be safe.
There is a bit of humor in this, brought up by naturally Howie, who gives the dark short story moments of hilarity. And Jasper's first encounters - and first kiss - with Connie are recollected to give a nice introduction to her character. Not to mention his nickname "Jazz" is invented in this.
Fun, short read with great story telling.
What do you want to be when you grow up? This question sticks with Jasper as he struggles with a homework assignment after Career Day that focuses on his life. Chilled by his father's legacy, Jasper realizes he doesn't exactly know what he wants - he just wants to be safe.
There is a bit of humor in this, brought up by naturally Howie, who gives the dark short story moments of hilarity. And Jasper's first encounters - and first kiss - with Connie are recollected to give a nice introduction to her character. Not to mention his nickname "Jazz" is invented in this.
Fun, short read with great story telling.
December 5, 2015
Kat Mandu says...
Though this novella is much shorter than Lucky Day, it doesn’t pack any less of a punch.
What do you want to be when you grow up? This question sticks with Jasper as he struggles with a homework assignment after Career Day that focuses on his life. Chilled by his father’s legacy, Jasper realizes he doesn’t exactly know what he wants – he just wants to be safe.
There is a bit of humor in this, brought up by naturally Howie, who gives the dark short story moments of hilarity. And Jasper’s first encounters – and first kiss – with Connie are recollected to give a nice introduction to her character. Not to mention his nickname “Jazz” is invented in this.
Fun, short read with great story telling.
Though this novella is much shorter than Lucky Day, it doesn’t pack any less of a punch.
What do you want to be when you grow up? This question sticks with Jasper as he struggles with a homework assignment after Career Day that focuses on his life. Chilled by his father’s legacy, Jasper realizes he doesn’t exactly know what he wants – he just wants to be safe.
There is a bit of humor in this, brought up by naturally Howie, who gives the dark short story moments of hilarity. And Jasper’s first encounters – and first kiss – with Connie are recollected to give a nice introduction to her character. Not to mention his nickname “Jazz” is invented in this.
Fun, short read with great story telling.
August 2, 2013
Career Day is a special short story/bonus scene that accompanies the I Hunt Killers series. Since it's so short, this review will also be pretty short.
Basically, there's a day where all the parents come in to talk about what they do. Jazz's father, obviously, couldn't be there are is not the best role model to look up too, so Jazz has to wing it.
It was nice to read about how he and Connie met and how he got the nickname Jazz.
I love this series with a passion. Barry Lyga's writing style is hilarious and serious at the same time. And if Jasper, Howie and Connie ever came to life and wanted to solve a mystery with me, I would totally, unequivocally say yes!!!
Basically, there's a day where all the parents come in to talk about what they do. Jazz's father, obviously, couldn't be there are is not the best role model to look up too, so Jazz has to wing it.
It was nice to read about how he and Connie met and how he got the nickname Jazz.
I love this series with a passion. Barry Lyga's writing style is hilarious and serious at the same time. And if Jasper, Howie and Connie ever came to life and wanted to solve a mystery with me, I would totally, unequivocally say yes!!!
July 9, 2016
This was so short but ahhh I love Jazz so much.
November 27, 2017
Even though this was 16 pages it’s nice to see how Connie and Jasper met and how he got his nickname. It also got him thinking what does he want to be when he grows up. I had a $5 gift card to amazon or I wouldn’t have bought it for $1.99. Just because it’s so short
August 7, 2018
Short story
It was short and to the point. The ending, though. Jasper's need to not end up like his dad, to prove people wrong is a strong one. Can't wait to get started on the series!
It was short and to the point. The ending, though. Jasper's need to not end up like his dad, to prove people wrong is a strong one. Can't wait to get started on the series!
April 4, 2022
I am sad this wasn't on audio, and also that it was so short!
It was okay, but not super memorable. Fun getting to see the characters again - it has been quite awhile since I had listened to the series.
It was okay, but not super memorable. Fun getting to see the characters again - it has been quite awhile since I had listened to the series.
July 16, 2017
I really enjoy the Jasper Dent series. What is a high school senior to do, not to be a serial killer like his father.
September 27, 2017
Top notch
Great little back story into the characters of the I hunt killers series. Howie is the best character ever written!!!
Great little back story into the characters of the I hunt killers series. Howie is the best character ever written!!!
December 22, 2017
I get the point of the backstory and everything but really this one just seemed kinda boring.
May 2, 2018
I always love reading about backstories, and how they shaped the characters.
May 11, 2018
I enjoyed seeing Howie and Jazz together in this short story that shows more of what happened before the Impressionist came to town.
June 7, 2019
Damn - I didn't know a 16 page short story could have an impact on me, but it hit right in the guts.
Read
October 30, 2019I enjoyed this, but man, Howie is annoying.
November 9, 2019
A short story in the I Hunt Killers series by Barry Lyga. The events in this book take place before Book 1. This story is told from Jasper's POV. It's time for career day at school, and Jasper has to think about what he wants for his future. An entertaining addition to the series. Quick and fun.
September 10, 2020
I'm truly sucked into this series !
This was a nice take on how jazz got his nickname and how he met Connie !
This was a nice take on how jazz got his nickname and how he met Connie !
September 29, 2020
Cute little back story of how Jasper first meets Connie.
January 11, 2023
Prequel 3
I think these prequels will help me understand the backstory for where the books pick up. So far they’re interesting & easy reads. On to #4
I think these prequels will help me understand the backstory for where the books pick up. So far they’re interesting & easy reads. On to #4
April 23, 2023
howie is so funny 😭😭 def lightened the mood
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews