paperbackd's review
4.0
It’s The Hunger Games with vampires. Deliciously creepy bat-like vampires, whose superior strength and single-minded bloodlust have led to humans (hepers) becoming pretty much extinct. Think zombie/alien apocalypse but with intelligent, super-fast and super-strong vampires instead. Humans didn’t stand a chance.
Our protagonist, Gene, has perfected the art of survival by impersonating the people around him. Every day he washes the heper odour from his skin, shaves off every noticeable hair on his body and does his best to control the facial tics and expressions that could give him away at any moment. But when he is chosen as one of the lucky few to participate in the Heper Hunt, he is taken from his home and forced into the spotlight, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before he is discovered – and eaten alive.
The Hunt is an addictive, fast-paced read that had me holding onto the corners of the book for dear life at some points. Fukuda is a superb writer, particularly of horror, action and gore. There’s a lot of gory scenes in The Hunt and Fukuda doesn’t hold back with his descriptions. Unfortunately, the story was slightly let down by huge, gaping plot holes. Like, how on earth Gene managed to survive for days – and the years before those days – without discovery. Why go to all the effort of hiding among them? The Heper Hunt itself is also very bizarre and the reasoning given for the Hunt seems contrived. Once the story gets going though, these questions are quickly forgotten.
Fukuda’s vampires are brilliant, one of my favourite new takes on vampire lore, bringing vampires back from sexy to scary. There’s also some pretty big plot holes concerning their bodily functions that are never resolved, but like I said, with storytelling like this, it’s easy to let the plot holes slide.
The characters aren’t likable or trustworthy, which only makes them that much more compelling to read about. Fukuda plays on the readers’ expectations, delivering shocking twists that I definitely didn’t see coming. It was certainly a bizarre experience to find myself siding with the fleeing hepers, against Fukuda’s protagonist. And it was fascinating to see the world through the eyes of Gene, a human who has spent so many years pretending not to be human that he has begun to lose himself and his humanity, and views himself as a creature apart from his fellow humans.
All in all, The Hunt was a great read. And after that shocker ending, I’m definitely looking forward to reading the sequel!
Our protagonist, Gene, has perfected the art of survival by impersonating the people around him. Every day he washes the heper odour from his skin, shaves off every noticeable hair on his body and does his best to control the facial tics and expressions that could give him away at any moment. But when he is chosen as one of the lucky few to participate in the Heper Hunt, he is taken from his home and forced into the spotlight, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before he is discovered – and eaten alive.
The Hunt is an addictive, fast-paced read that had me holding onto the corners of the book for dear life at some points. Fukuda is a superb writer, particularly of horror, action and gore. There’s a lot of gory scenes in The Hunt and Fukuda doesn’t hold back with his descriptions. Unfortunately, the story was slightly let down by huge, gaping plot holes. Like, how on earth Gene managed to survive for days – and the years before those days – without discovery. Why go to all the effort of hiding among them? The Heper Hunt itself is also very bizarre and the reasoning given for the Hunt seems contrived. Once the story gets going though, these questions are quickly forgotten.
Fukuda’s vampires are brilliant, one of my favourite new takes on vampire lore, bringing vampires back from sexy to scary. There’s also some pretty big plot holes concerning their bodily functions that are never resolved, but like I said, with storytelling like this, it’s easy to let the plot holes slide.
The characters aren’t likable or trustworthy, which only makes them that much more compelling to read about. Fukuda plays on the readers’ expectations, delivering shocking twists that I definitely didn’t see coming. It was certainly a bizarre experience to find myself siding with the fleeing hepers, against Fukuda’s protagonist. And it was fascinating to see the world through the eyes of Gene, a human who has spent so many years pretending not to be human that he has begun to lose himself and his humanity, and views himself as a creature apart from his fellow humans.
All in all, The Hunt was a great read. And after that shocker ending, I’m definitely looking forward to reading the sequel!
tam_bam26's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars-I really wanted to be give this book four stars but 3.5 is more accurate.
My thoughts (because I'm too lazy to write a real review lol...)
-I really would like to know how the majority of the population became vampires. Its kinda implied that it may have been some evolutionary thing but it'd be kinda nice if the author actually informed the reader...
-Why are there no cars? They use horses for transport but there other types of technology used...
-
-Vicious vampires!!
-NO LOVE TRIANGLE!! YESS!!
-That ending??? I MUST read [b:The Prey|14740456|The Prey (The Hunt, #2)|Andrew Fukuda|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1345047431s/14740456.jpg|20386810]!!
Recommended despite the lack of world-building :)
My thoughts (because I'm too lazy to write a real review lol...)
-I really would like to know how the majority of the population became vampires. Its kinda implied that it may have been some evolutionary thing but it'd be kinda nice if the author actually informed the reader...
-Why are there no cars? They use horses for transport but there other types of technology used...
-
Spoiler
Why did that reporter guy say Ashley June wasn't what she seemed? she never does anything to support that claim?-Vicious vampires!!
-NO LOVE TRIANGLE!! YESS!!
-That ending??? I MUST read [b:The Prey|14740456|The Prey (The Hunt, #2)|Andrew Fukuda|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1345047431s/14740456.jpg|20386810]!!
Recommended despite the lack of world-building :)
emilymahar's review against another edition
4.0
Not as awesome as I was hoping, but I still liked it.
I was really excited to finally read this book. Every since I first heard about it I knew that it would be something that I would be interested in. But, it seemed to fall just a tad bit short.
The idea of only a few humans living in a world of vampires was intriguing. Normally in the YA genre it is the other way around. Also, being that this is a dystopian book, I was interested in seeing how the author meshed the two together. Again, I really liked the ideas, but some of it was a little unrealistic. Having to act like a vampire for 18 years (or however old Gene was, I forgot), would be impossible. I know, I know, this is fiction and everything about this book is really unrealistic, but if Gene really were a human he wouldn't be able to go the day without showing emotions in reaction to something. Also, I wanted to learn more about the world that they were living in. I also wanted to learn more government secrets (book 2?)! Those are just some minor things. I don't want it to seem like those two problems made me hate the book.
I felt like this book was focused a lot on the characters, all of which I liked for different reasons. Gene was a good main character, and I liked the male perspective. I didn't like Ashley June very much until the very end of the book (people that have read this will know why). The hepers were a great group to read about. I liked their stories and learning a little about their background. I really liked how Sissy, was the leader of all of the male hepers. Girl power! :) The other hunters did remind me of the different characters from the Quarter Quell in the Hunger Games, but I didn't mind the similarities between them. Another Hunger Games similarity was the whole "Hunt" itself, but I still liked searching for the differences between them.
Overall, I found it entertaining and I really liked reading it. The writing got better and better up to the end. And well, that ending! I can't wait to read The Prey!
I was really excited to finally read this book. Every since I first heard about it I knew that it would be something that I would be interested in. But, it seemed to fall just a tad bit short.
The idea of only a few humans living in a world of vampires was intriguing. Normally in the YA genre it is the other way around. Also, being that this is a dystopian book, I was interested in seeing how the author meshed the two together. Again, I really liked the ideas, but some of it was a little unrealistic. Having to act like a vampire for 18 years (or however old Gene was, I forgot), would be impossible. I know, I know, this is fiction and everything about this book is really unrealistic, but if Gene really were a human he wouldn't be able to go the day without showing emotions in reaction to something. Also, I wanted to learn more about the world that they were living in. I also wanted to learn more government secrets (book 2?)! Those are just some minor things. I don't want it to seem like those two problems made me hate the book.
I felt like this book was focused a lot on the characters, all of which I liked for different reasons. Gene was a good main character, and I liked the male perspective. I didn't like Ashley June very much until the very end of the book (people that have read this will know why). The hepers were a great group to read about. I liked their stories and learning a little about their background. I really liked how Sissy, was the leader of all of the male hepers. Girl power! :) The other hunters did remind me of the different characters from the Quarter Quell in the Hunger Games, but I didn't mind the similarities between them. Another Hunger Games similarity was the whole "Hunt" itself, but I still liked searching for the differences between them.
Overall, I found it entertaining and I really liked reading it. The writing got better and better up to the end. And well, that ending! I can't wait to read The Prey!
gemmaduds's review
2.0
A lightly entertaining read with no real substance to it. I found the book predictable, and it had so many coincidences laced into it that I was disttracted and couldn't enjoy it. The characters are pretty flat, and I didn't really feel for any of them. The conclusion to the book was a wash out. Very disappointing.
Having said all of this, I found the book to be pretty much non-stop action and so the pages turned really quickly. I did have to read this through to the end, and so it wasn't all bad!
Having said all of this, I found the book to be pretty much non-stop action and so the pages turned really quickly. I did have to read this through to the end, and so it wasn't all bad!
meganreadsandwrites's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting idea for a book, but it dragged until the end. Felt a bit like the hunger games in the middle and a lot could have been cut out.
aly_bu's review against another edition
4.0
This book could be either amazing, or awful. On the one side, we have a main character who has no emotions. He doesn't care for a thing in the world and gives the reader, who has to live through his mind, about 0 details. On the other side, that's how it's *supposed* to be. Plausible, I guess.
I don't feel like writing a long-winded review because I'm tired and grouchy, but all in all, not too awful of a book. Good plot. I'll read the sequel.
I don't feel like writing a long-winded review because I'm tired and grouchy, but all in all, not too awful of a book. Good plot. I'll read the sequel.
shelleyrae's review
4.0
In Andrew Fukuda's fast paced, exciting young adult novel, The Hunt, humans (also known as hepers) have been driven to edge of extinction by creatures that appear to be a hybrid of human,vampire and zombie.
Seventeen year old Gene has lived amongst the 'people' his entire life, carefully disguising his human scent, adopting their mannerisms, being like them, all to avoid a bloody, violent death. He lives alone, keeps to himself, remains unobtrusive at school... until his number is chosen. Gene is to join The Hunt, a government sanctioned extravaganza that happens only every decade, a chance to hunt and feed on a handful of hepers released into the desert. Sequestered to the Institute for Heper Research with his fellow competitors, Gene is desperate to maintain his subterfuge, or risk becoming the hunted.
I very quickly got caught up in this fast paced story upon being introduced to Gene, a heper hiding among creatures that would devour him in seconds should they learn what he is. I enjoyed reading a male perspective for a change in this genre and Gene proves to be a likeable protagonist. I liked that Gene was a little conflicted by his human status wishing, on occasion, he could be like everyone else and even that Gene's first extinct is self preservation, despite learning the truth about the captive hepers. It's such an interesting internal conflict and one that Fukuda doesn't shy away from.
The behaviours of the people are unusual but satisfyingly visual and different. The creatures scratch their wrist to express amusement, affection expressed by grinding armpits with elbows and they drool copiously. Yet they go to school, they hold down jobs, they live an ordinary life, albeit one where the eat raw meat, sleep hanging from the ceiling and disintegrate in sunlight.
I'm not sure how I felt about Gene's fragile relationship with Ashley June, she is fairly inscrutable and remains so through out the story. I am looking forward to getting to know the Heper's better in the next installment and predict that Sissy will replace Ashley June as the love interest.
I have no problem suspending belief in fantasy but there has to be an internal logic that makes sense in context. There are some flaws with the world-building in The Hunt, elements that don't quite make sense or contradict each other. It's a shame because these issues could have been easily resolved and done a lot to enhance the credibility of the author's world vision.
The Hunt offers something a little different to the current field of young adult dystopia fiction, though it also embraces familiar elements, with similarities to The Hunger Games. Despite it's problems, I loved the action and the constant tension which carried me through the story quickly. I look forward to reading the sequel, [b:The Prey|16851514|The Prey (The Hunt, #2)|Andrew Fukuda|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355571015s/16851514.jpg|20386810]
heatherlr's review against another edition
2.0
The concept of the book was quite interesting, living is a world where vampires are the dominate species but it wasn't for me. I found as I was reading it I had lots of questions such as why is he on the swim team or didn't he have PE where he would get all smelly and stinky. There was a number of other questions that came to mind about his avoidance techniques that took away from the book.