John Wayne Cleaver is a teenage sociopath trying desperately to keep his dangerous thoughts in check. But when a serial killer comes to town, John's sickness comes bubbling to the surface. Can John use his killers instinct to determine the murderers next move and stop him from claiming another victim? Or will his own dark urges turn him into the monster behind the boy?
This book is the first of a trilogy but fear not, it doesn't end on a cliffhanger. In fact, after reading I Am Not A Serial Killer, I really have no idea what Mr. Monster (the sequel) could be about. We find out the serial killer's identity and the reasons he kills in this book. So I would guess that Mr. Monster will be more about John's psychotic tendencies. Which sounds interesting but lets review Serial Killer first, shall we?
I actually found John to be a fairly likable protagonist. You know, for a sociopath. That's probably because, like him, I find mortuaries and cemeteries and autopsies and dead bodies and the minds of serial killers fascinating. Not really sure what that says about me. But with all the CSI shows that are on the air, I feel quite certain that John and I aren't the only kooky ones out there. So that's good to know.
Anyhoo, John's mother and aunt prep bodies for funerals and I thought that Dan Wells did a good job describing the process as well as John's compulsion to be a part of it. I also liked that his descriptions of the mutilated bodies were gory but not blatantly and grotesquely so.
I will admit that when I started this book I thought it was gonna be your run of the mill thriller whodunit but actually about 100 pages in it turns supernatural. I wasn't expecting that at all. It makes me wonder though if the paranormal theme will be picked up in the next two books or if it was just a one time deal. If it's only a one time deal then I think that's kinda stupid. I think that would be kind of jarring to have these supernatural elements & then suddenly it's just back to high school as usual. Like I said though, I don't know what Mr. Monster is about so I'll try to stop letting it butt in on this review.
I did like this book. It was a pretty quick read, only 271 pages. I thought the pacing was good, fast but not rushed. I liked Dr. Neblin, John's therapist. I liked that he seemed genuinely interested in John and wasn't just some lame-o Dr. Phil know it all type. I liked Brooke too. I'd like to see what kind of relationship will develop between her and John. And I wanna see what's next for John himself.
I found this book to be a horrific thriller. In the best way possible, of course.
The Scale of Judgment says...... 3 and a half.
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