Review: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Title: The Hunt
Author: Andrew Fukuda
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date: May 8th 2012
Publishers: Simon & Schuster
Available from: Amazon
The Book Depository
The Nile
Source: Simon & Schuster


Against all odds, 17-year-old Gene has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. The only remaining humans, or hepers as they are known, are housed in domes on the savannah and studied at the nearby Heper Institute. Every decade there is a government sponsored hunt. When Gene is selected to be one of the combatants he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow competitors whose suspicions about his true nature are growing.

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Andrew Fukuda has created a chilling, violent world in The Hunt, where vampire like creatures are the norm and humans are on the verge of extinction. I really enjoyed The Hunt. The protagonist Gene is a human male living alongside these creatures and pretending to be one of them. He is constantly on his guard because if he slips he'll die. He has lived the last few years alone after his fathers death. He is so immersed in this persona he puts on that he almost doesn't seem human. He often refers to himself as a part of the whole, but then when something happens that he finds abhorrent he is separated from them. It's almost like he compartmentalises his personality. Gene is a likable character. I know if I lived like him I would have been eaten long ago. He is incredibly intelligent and a survivor. The Hunt is an event their leader puts on for a few randomly selected citizens to keep them happy. Gene is one of the one's chosen to take part in the hunt of hepers, the word the creatures use for humans. Most of the book is spent at the Heper Institute where the hunters learn everything they need to know about the hunt. It's here that we learn our protagonists name is Gene, when he meets with the hepers, and where Gene's life becomes more complicated than he ever thought possible. There are several times when you think he's going to be discovered and it puts you on the edge of your seat waiting to read how he's going to get out of each situation. I found a few things a little weird, like the wrist scratching instead of laughing and elbow-to-armpit make out's. I was a little o.O with them.The last 80 pages or so are when the book kicks into a higher gear and your left breathless by the end. If you're looking for a completely unique read then you have to pick up a copy of The Hunt. It's creepy, compelling and electrifying.

4/5.