KILLER INSTINCT
By S. E. Green
- Publisher: Simon Pulse
- Released: May 6, 2014
- Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Suspense
Lane is a typical teenager. Loving family. Good grades. After-school 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 and delivering justice when the law fails. The vigilantism stops shy of murder, but with each visceral rush, the line of self-control blurs. And when a young preschool teacher goes missing—and returns in pieces—Lane gets a little too excited about tracking down “the Decapitator,” the vicious serial murderer who has come to her hometown.
As she gets dangerously caught up in a web of lies about her own past, Lane realizes she is no longer invisible or safe. Especially after the Decapitator contacts her directly. 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…
A TACO REVIEW
Hello my cinnamony churritos! Today I bring Killer Instinct by S.E Green. I got this book because I honest to Chuck thought it was a YA comedy. How in the dickens did I come up with that notion? I thought the barbie hand wrapped in plastic was candy. I know, I know. I can feel you judging me and I don’t blame you.
Our main character is Lane, she goes by Slim because she’s skinny. I’m not kidding. She loves serial killers because what 17 year old doesn’t?! Amirite?? She’s the eldest of three, a younger half sister whom she hates and a younger half brother whom she adores. Her mom is an FBI agent, which is hella cool, and her step-dad is -actually I don’t remember what he does but his job is not important. I want to say she has a complicated relationship with her siblings and parents but she doesn’t. It’s what I expect of an average family.
The only reason why I even brought up the siblings is because I didn’t appreciate Slim slut-shaming her sister for having sex. Was this the author’s way of being passive aggressive about the “slutiness” of teen sex? Did she have a bad experience in high school and now she’s taking it out her characters? I don’t know but what I do know is that I did not like it. Maybe if Slim was chiding her sister in the dangers of having unprotected sex then it would make sense. I could have even overlooked it if Slim’s warning about promiscuous sex was a character development thing, her just looking out of her younger sister. She legitimately hates her sister so it just irked me. Then Slim has sex with a kid she kind of has a thing for and it seems she only does it to get it over with. Because as a teenager that’s what you’re supposed to do. Which, lame but whatever. I think she might fall in the ace (asexual) spectrum. Or she could be a sociopath. The signs are there.
Slim is very “I’m not like other girls because I don’t gush about boys and I enjoy serial killers,” which made me roll my eyes a little but not enough for me to completely dislike the story. I actually quite enjoyed it. Let me tell you about the twist at the end! I did not see it coming. I like to guess who the killer is before the author reveals it, and I only guessed half of it. In hindsight the clues were all there, if you squint and turn your head sideways a smidge.
I give this four Tacos in the Taco Scale of Awesome. I had fun reading this book, pretty much reading it in one sitting. The characters aren’t amazing but the story is makes it worth reading it. Slim isn’t a Mary Sue but she’s not terribly interesting either. She’s an MTV version of Dexter: just enough violence to make it to the 9 o’clock slot but not enough to make you squirm. There is a sequel called Killer Within, that I will eventually pick up. And surprise, the cover has a candy-looking heart in a bag but at least this time I’ll know it’s not a romcom.
I recommend this book if you want a fast paced story about a would-be serial killer teenager vigilante.
Until next time.
This is Mon, over and out.
Nerd & Lace 