I Am Not A Serial Killer
Ratings70
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings70
Average rating3.7
John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it. He's spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential. He's obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn't want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he's written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation. Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don't demand or expect the empathy he's unable to offer. Perhaps that's what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there's something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means. Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can't control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could. Dan Wells's debut novel, I Am Not a Serial Killer, is the first volume of a trilogy that will keep you awake and then haunt your dreams.
Featured Series
6 primary booksJohn Cleaver is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 2009 with contributions by Dan Wells.
Featured Prompt
2,708 booksWhen you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...
Reviews with the most likes.
It started promising and interesting but, about 85 to 90 pages in, it took a turn and became something I didn't expect but didn't want. The boy became a lot more juvenile and it became a supernatural detective story when I was more interested in an actual serial killer.
BLUF: YA is not my thing. (Reader beware: This book includes supernatural elements.)
John Wayne Cleaver is a 15-year-old destined to be a serial killer, but he's trying to stall his fate. Well, sort of. John Wayne has rules for himself, similar to Dexter, but he's willing to break them in order to take care of the serial killer who is treading on his home turf. Will John Wayne be able to manage his temptations in order to allow the police to capture the serial killer, or will he take the case into his own hands?
I chose this book because of its' title and cover. I didn't realize it was a YA novel until about halfway through the book (Yes, I am THAT slow at putting things together).
I found John Wayne to be interesting concept, but the teenager had insight far past his age. He acted in ways that I wouldn't imagine a teen to act in - even a sociopathic one. For example, at one point John Wayne tells off a bully in a way that is so wordy and reflective for a boy his age (or even an adult) that it's difficult to find his character as realistic. On top of this, John Wayne's mother seems pretty immature, which causes John Wayne to seem even more unrealistic.
That said, I can't push too hard against the realism of the story – it has supernatural elements. This is another aspect that caught me by surprise. It's not necessarily a bad turn, but if you are looking for something more realistic, you may want to steer clear.
The idea of ‘Dexter in a X-file episode' really appealed to me. Sadly, it fell short of its potential.
This could have been a great book if only it had been written with a more mature audience in mind. Young teenagers will probably love it, though...
