Netgalley Review: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Synopsis:
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?

Publication Date: May 8, 2012
Genre: Vampire, Paranormal, Dystopian, Young Adult
Source: Thanks so much to St. Martin's Griffin for making this title available on Netgalley!

Review:

The Hunt got off to a semi-slow start for me, and I was worried I just wouldn't like it. I do have to write some of that off to what I call 'book transitioning' which can make the first 20 or so pages difficult to get into. And from about that 20-ish page point in the story I was hooked. The story starts with Gene explaining how he has managed to stay alive as a 'heper' or human in a world filled with vampires. His whole life he was trained and he's pretty darned good at it...obviously,...moreThe Hunt got off to a semi-slow start for me, and I was worried I just wouldn't like it. I do have to write some of that off to what I call 'book transitioning' which can make the first 20 or so pages difficult to get into. And from about that 20-ish page point in the story I was hooked. The story starts with Gene explaining how he has managed to stay alive as a 'heper' or human in a world filled with vampires. His whole life he was trained and he's pretty darned good at it...obviously, or he'd be dead :) It builds a very cool image in your mind about how the world works and what it feels like to hide within it, danger at every turn. This is our world conquered and dominated by some ferocious vampires. On the flip side, Gene has lived side by side with them his whole life, going to school and doing other 'normal' things. It's a very cool mixture of danger and normalcy. The real tension begins once Gene is picked to participate in The Heper Hunt (oh, the irony!) and he is sent to The Institue to prepare. That was when I just flew through the pages, needing to find out how everything would play out. The imagery is fantastic and I'd love to see this as a movie at some point :D Also, I must say that when Gene was practically dying of thirst and couldn't find water I had to walk my butt to the kitchen and get a glass for myself! I was really impressed by this new take on vampires. I am very wary of vampire stories, not because I don't like them (I do!) but because they are widely written about and sometimes it just gets stale. This one is fresh and exciting. And the author's abilit to tell the story shouldn't be overlooked either. The tension is felt throughout and makes it hard to find a stopping point until you've finished.