I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Jazz's father is the most notorious serial killer to date, and he spent his life training Jazz to be his successor.  It's a job that Jazz doesn't want, but he isn't sure he can refuse. His father's voice is constantly in his head, even after he has been in jail for 4 years.  Now, a new problem has popped up for Jazz, a local murderer that Jazz is convinced is a serial killer.  Determined not to become what his Dear Old Dad trained him to be, he begins to hunt the killer instead.

Gruesome. The entire premise of the book should clue the reader in from the beginning, this is NOT a comfortable read.  The murders are ugly, and the "teachings" forced on Jazz from the time he was little are disturbing.  But, Jazz is genuine, real.  His struggles and his talents are believable. 

As a murder-mystery fan, I enjoyed I Hunt Killers.  As a teacher-librarian, I can see that many young adults will identify with Jazz's hatred of his father and his fight to not be like him.  The first of a trilogy, Lyga's novel definately disturbs.

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick

David and Charlie live in a technology driven community.  They are complete opposites, except for the fact that neither seem able to connect with other people.  Enter girlbot, Rose, as David's companion. 

Girl Parts was disturbing on many levels. I get the irony of trying to teach boys to be more connected with other humans by using a life-like robot. Unfortunately, the contradictions in this book left me really bugged!

Rose, the robot, becomes more human than the humans because the author plays to the stereotypes of jerk, jock David; awkward, smart, loner, Charlie and even the only other girl, Rebecca, as the screwed up, over emotional, theatre girl. I don't think the characters progressed. They had experiences that made them feel and think, but in the end they are the same; they don't change significantly.

Finally, for a book that was supposed to be about human connection in a highly technological world, it treated sex in a very juvenile manner. Sex solved the lack of connection each character had, and the fact that the robot feels complete and whole with her girls parts seemed lame, as if the author was pandering to what he thinks all boys "want," yet another pitiful stereotype.

True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa by Michael Finkel

Christian Longo was the father of three.  He had a beautiful, devoted wife.  He appeared successful. Then, his family was murdered, discovered one by one in a river.  Longo sets off for Mexico, where he assumes the name of a New York Times journalist, Michael Finkel.  What he doesn't know is that while he is in Mexico, Finkel is facing the wrath of the press for an unethical story he wrote and submitted for publication.  Finkel goes into hiding, only emerging when a police officer contacts him about his identity being stolen by a murderer.

Disturbing, True Crime left me questioning our ability to tell and to recognize truth.  Longo and Finkel are both adept liars.  One faces the truth about himself, and the other continues to lie. Finkel was likeable even if he was not admirable, and to Finkle, Longo was charming, an evil that was neccessary to  his pursuit to of the truth about Longo and himself. 

Difficult to put down, True Crime made me keep reading.  The style is clear and crisp.  It felt something like driving by a horrible wreck and seeing bodies being removed, wishing you didn't look, but knowing you have to. Propelled through the novel, in the end I am still wondering what to believe about these men. 

Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

Most girls are fascinated by fairy tales, well the Disney version, where everything turns out beautifully. If you really think about it though, most fairy tales are dark, full of evil and wicked people. Murder is common as is death, in general, and that says nothing about all of the nasty "mothers" that inhabit most of the stories.

So it is with Bennett's modern retelling of the Rapunzel story. Rapunzel is locked in a tower for her own safety. She has an imune deficiency that has kept her in her apartment like room for seventeen years. Thankfully, her mother who is technologically illiterate herself, gets Rapunzel a computer. One Facebook post later, Fane has entered her life awakening her curiousity about the world beyond her room.

While the concept should be a strech, unfortunately, it is not in a real world where children are kidnapped and held against their will for decades. Bennett successfully captures the horror of the situation while still infusing the story with hope. Rapunzel has been naive and continues to be innocent throughout the novel, but she grows. She faces her fears and discovers a better world.

I seriously liked this retelling. Do NOT skip the author's note, it will help with the suspension of disbelief that the story requires.

The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva

     Gabriel Allon, top notch art restorer and part time Israeli Intelligence operative, has been drawn into the hunt for a Palestinian terrorist.  But, the real question is who will cause more damage to Allon: the terrorist, the beautiful agent he must work with or the Israeli Intelligence community itself?
     As a character study, The Kill Artist, is fascinating.  Allon is intriquing, as a spy should be, and his cool, calculating exterior hides a more intricate man.  On the other hand, the plot lacked suspense and action, especially for a spy novel, but the overall effect was intriguing, and Gabriel Allon is a character worth further study.
     Definately an adult book with adult language and situations, Silva's first novel in the Allon series was a New York Time Bestseller.

Confessions: The Paris Mysteries by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

     Reloacted to Paris, Tandy is now facing threats from Royal Rampling immediately upon her reunion with his son, James, her first love, but the real threat is coming from somewhere else and has something to do with her sister, Katherine's sudden death six years ago. 
     I was seriously disappointed in this novel that read like a bridge to something much more exciting to come.  I really liked Tandy in the first two mysteries.  She was complex and quirky and interesting.  The cases she was solving were twisted and thrilling.  This time around she was a whiny teenager, and I knew how it was all going to work out almost from the very start.  Occaisonally, there was a bit of true suspence, but for the most part the story was predictable.  I doubt that I will give up on the series yet; I am accutally interested to see if the first Tandy returns.

The Four Doors by Richard Paul Evans

I've come to truly appreciate Richard Paul Evans succinct, crisp writing.  That's it.  The concepts behind the four doors aren't new, but the presentation makes them not only accessible but also tangible.  I felt like I had something concrete to work on, a specific way to improve my thinking and my actions.  So, essentially, he accomplished his purpose, and that is worth five stars.