Book Review: Killer Instinct by S.E. Green

Book #1 of the Killer Instinct Series
Genre: YA Mystery Thriller
Publication: May 2014 by Simon Pulse
Acquisition: pulseit.com

Synopsis:

She’s not evil, but she has certain... urges.

Lane is a typical teenager. Loving family. Good grades. Afterschool job at the local animal hospital. Martial arts enthusiast. But her secret obsession is studying serial killers. She understands them, knows what makes them tick.

Why?

Because she might be one herself.

Lane channels her dark impulses by hunting criminals—delivering justice when the law fails. The vigilantism stops shy of murder. But with each visceral rush the line of self-control blurs.

And then a young preschool teacher goes missing. Only to return... in parts.

When Lane excitedly gets involved in the hunt for “the Decapitator,” the vicious serial murderer that has come to her hometown, she gets dangerously caught up in a web of lies about her birth dad and her own dark past. And once the Decapitator contacts Lane directly, Lane knows she is no longer invisible or safe. Now she needs to use her unique talents to find the true killer’s identity before she—or someone she loves—becomes the next victim...

(from Goodreads)

5 / 5 Stars

Lane is a PG-13 version of Dexter.

She's also creepy as hell.

And she's awesome.

I couldn't put this one down. It was fantastic. It was dark. (Maybe too dark for some but I was like, gimme gimme gimme!)
It was fantastic (said that already). It was creepy. It was a really good story. It was fantastic (see what I'm getting at here?).

What really made this a 5 star read for me was the ending. I didn't see it coming AT ALL.

And it didn't end happily ever after!

It was messy.

And the story is STILL messy. And I love it.

Lane is unlike any YA character I've encountered. She's got a dark side. And she does horrible things and you find yourself sympathizing with her. And it's not like she's trying to justify what she does. She doesn't make excuses for what she is. But you can understand what she does because she couldn't be any other way. Her nature dictates her actions and all the pieces fit together really well.

I pretty much loved every page.

If you're looking for a darker YA read, if you like realistic romance, if you enjoy a good mystery - this is the book for you.

And, if dark YA isn't your cup of tea? I say, go out of your comfort zone for this one and I don't think you'll be disappointed.