Holy "Silence of the Lambs", Batman!
I did NOT expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! I was looking for a good mystery to change up my current reading options and instead I got this beautiful YA mash-up of "Silence of the Lambs" and "Criminal Minds". It was GREAT!
If you enjoyed "The Naturals" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, then this book needs to go on your TBR list ASAP.
This YA thriller is told from multiple perspectives but the two main characters are teens whose lives have been drastically altered by serial killer.
Emma Lewis- a teenage survivor of a serial killer's murder spree. Emma fought back against her attacker, fled to freedom, and led police to the serial killer's hideout, ending the string of murders in Ohio. She now studies pediatric psychology so she can help other kids who have dealt with trauma.
Travis Bell - the son of a law enforcement officer who was killed during the arrest of a prolific serial killer. Travis has followed in his father's footsteps, and wants to work to catch killers like the monster who killed his father.
The story is set in the 1980's and begins with Special Agent Cooper of the FBI approaches Emma and Travis with a unique proposition. He wants to create special team that will interview incarcerated juvenile serial killers to gain insight into their motivations, their thoughts processes, their methods, etc all in the hopes that the information they gain will help the FBI stop future serial killers; and he believes that Travis and Emma are exactly what he needs. With their backgrounds in law enforcement and psychology, their personal history with serial killers, and with both Travis and Emma being close in age to the offenders, Cooper believes that Travis and Emma will be able to get the juvenile serial killers to share details that other investigators haven't been able to get.
Emma, reluctant at first, hopes that by joining this team she can help sooth the wounds on her soul left behind by her own harrowing experience. Travis agrees more readily as it is a way to make his father proud and stop other families from feeling the pain his family felt.
However, while Emma and Travis are only supposed to be working with cold cases, their interviews put them on the trail of an active serial killer known as The Butcher. And to catch this serial killer, they are going to need some help.
The FBI sends Emma to interview Simon Gutmunsson, a notorious teenager serial killer known by the media as "The Artist". The FBI believes that Simon may have information or insights that could lead to the capture of The Butcher, and they believe he will talk with Emma.
This is where the book really takes on a "Silence of the Lambs" feeling with Simon playing the role of a much younger Hannibal Lector and Emma portraying the somewhat innocent Clarice. The interactions between Simon and Clarice (oh, I mean Emma) were some of my favorite parts of the story. Looking for the clues hidden in the conversations between these characters kept me reading into the small hours of the night.
The support system between Travis and Emma, while not romantic in this book, was a great aspect of the story. Usually, halfway into a book, I am rooting hard for characters to get together, but I didn't feel like I needed that for Emma and Travis. There is definitely a deeper connection between these characters than just work partners, but it has a slow build feel that I am looking forward to in the next book.
The climax of the story was amazing! I could NOT put this book down. I can't say much more than that without giving away too many important details, but I am already pre-ordering book two, "Some Shall Break", for it's release in June 2023.
This was not your typical "who-dun-it" mystery, but an more in depth examination of human kind and what it really means to be a monster.
Don't miss this one. Get a copy from your local library!
