Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Date: March 6, 2012
Goodreads Description:
A 3,000 word short-story prequel to [I Hunt Killers entitled] Career Day!
When your dad is a serial killer, things like Career Day don't go over so well. While classmates might be looking forward to joining the family business, Jazz knows he needs to find a new path in this original short story by Barry Lyga.
Review:
I am having a hard time deciding if I would recommend reading "Career Day" before or after I Hunt Killers; no matter what, though, I would recommend reading it. Chronologically speaking, it comes first. However, I think knowing the characters before seeing this glimpse of them could greatly add to the appreciation. (I read I Hunt Killers first.)
In 3,000 words Lyga manages to create characters that are better actualized than are often found in full length novels. In fact, I think "Career Day" fleshed the character of Howie out quite a bit--he just didn't have that much time to be so relaxed and charming in I Hunt Killers.
Also, "Career Day" answers quite a few of the little questions I had--or would have had if I had really though about it--about Jazz, Connie, and Howie. How Jasper got his nickname. How he and Connie started dating. Things like that. "Career Day" also showed a very poignant vulnerable moment for Jazz. We get flashes of that in I Hunt Killers as well, but in "Career Day" it seemed more pronounced because he had no purpose to fall back on as he did in I Hunt Killers.
Rating:
5 of 5 stars
This review also appears on Goodreads; I purchased my copy from Barnes & Noble for Nook.
