Review: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

4 frosted sugar cookies.

Cover Love:  Yes.  I like how it is designed and the use of colors.  But it's a little more optimistic than the book actually was...

Why I Wanted to Read This:

The synopsis really interested me.  It sounds like such an interesting take on vampires and dystopian.  Here it is from GoodReads:

Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

I Kept Reading Because:

This one was hard to put down. I kept thinking about it when I wasn't reading it!

Romance?:  Yes.  The start of one anyway.

What I Liked (& Didn't):

First off, I just love this new world Mr. Fukuda created.  You got a sense of the setting, but what really got me was the population.  I realize that Gene was trained to not react, to blend in, but I am still flinching at the thought of the viciousness of these vampire-like creatures!  What I would really love is a prequel that lets us see how the world got this way.

I really liked how since Gene was totally raised to blend into this society, when he encountered very "human" things he was repulsed.  I just cannot imagine having to stifle almost every instinct you have.  I also liked that although the vampires didn't laugh or smile, they did have strong emotions, particularly anger.

Everything that happened leading up to the ending broke my heart a little.  And I just do not see that there is anyway it can be fixed.  I will be very interested to see how the author writes this one out.

I also liked how it was referred to several times that Gene was very good looking, but he couldn't act like he was.  In this world his beauty attracted the wrong sort to him so he had to make sure he didn't stand out.  It just added a little more to the character I felt.

The creatures were well written.  They had so many little tics and rituals.  And they were violent! 

I think that the next book will be very interesting because now that Gene is with who he is with, he will be learning so much more about himself and who he comes from.  Not to mention that was a doozy of a last line

To Sum Up:  I am buying this one for my library.  I think it will attract both male and female young adult readers. 

eGalley requested and received from St,. Martin's Press and NetGalley.  Thanks!