The Hunt

By Andrew Fukuda

'Brilliant and addictive . . . Think of The Hunger Games with vampires' Richelle Mead, author of the bestselling Vampire Academy series

Against all odds, 17-year-old Gene has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. 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.

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 as suspicions about his true nature grow.

His need to survive is stronger than ever - but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

'Chilling and inventive'  Becca Fitzpatrick, author of the NYT bestselling series Hush, Hush
'Razor-sharp prose, a genius plot, and a searing pace' Alyson Noë?l, author of the NYT bestselling series The Immortals
'Grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go... terrifying and sublime' Andrea Cremer, author of The Inventor's Secret series

Also by Andrew Fukuda:
The Prey
The Trap

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: May 10, 2012
• ISBN: 9780857075437

Andrew Fukuda

Born in Manhattan and raised in Hong Kong, ANDREW FUKUDA currently resides on Long Island, New York. After earning a bachelor's degree in history from Cornell University, Fukuda went on to work as a criminal prosecutor in New York City. He now writes full time. He is the author of The Hunt, The Prey, and The Trap.

[vombatiformes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Andrew Fukuda has managed to create a monster story that, conceptually at least, outpaces some of the best stuff that has been published in recent years. The monsters (which seem to be comparable to vampires but are quite unlike the vampires of modern or historical myth or fiction in many significant ways) are legitimately horrifying. There is no chance here for conciliation. The main character, a teen boy, must put all of his effort into survival. As the only human he knows of in a world run by these blood-thirsty creatures, he spends every waking hour trying to erase any of his human habits and compulsions and adopt the disturbing behaviors of his beastly classmates. These monsters are hopelessly attracted to the smell of human and the idea of eating one, especially since it is believed that humans are truly extinct, is so alluring that if they were ever to catch onto the protagonist, he would be devoured within minutes. So he must be careful never to sweat, to deodorize thoroughly, to shave every hair on his body, to tamp down any blush, any sneeze. He must be perfectly emotionless like them, and if he were to ever accidentally sustain an injury he would have only seconds to regret it.Somehow his world becomes even more terrifying when a hunt is announced -- the last purportedly remaining humans on the planet, kept a secret by the mysterious Heper Institute, will be released and a handful of citizens picked by lottery to hunt them down and bask in the glory of relentlessly pursuing and then consuming them. The last thing he expects is for his number to actually be pulled.What follows is actually a very harrowing and stressful story, carefully written and executed, and it succeeds in basically every way it needs to. The main character is relateable, even if his anxieties are not, and the tension that builds throughout the story makes it difficult to read in places. There is a love story in here, but it is not trite. The protagonist's love interest is every bit as compelling and strong as he is and manages to have some secrets of her own. The pace and excitement slackens off quite a bit in the last quarter of the book, and some of the characterization gets very sloppy as more characters are added to the mix. Some of the final characters, though they are central to the plot, are easy to confuse and seem one-dimensional compared to some of the other characters we have grown accustomed to earlier in the story. Still, this book is legitimately well-written, the story itself is strong and exciting and original, and there are no major flaws or continuity errors, which I found impressive for a book that takes place in a universe so different from ours. It is a YA book but it is definitely a YA book that could be enjoyed by adults as well. I recommend it to any horror fan.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a very interesting post-apocalyptic/dystopia which takes place in a world where vampires rule and humans have been hunted nearly to extinction because the vampires think of them as delicacies. Our main character is a young human has been passing as a vampire for years. This boy is very conflicted. He hates the vampires but he also hates his humanity because it keeps him from blending in. Every day is test for him to see if he can continue to fool those around him. Failure means instant painful death. Success means he has to do it all the next day.The Ruler has determined that it is time for another heper hunt and that the hunters will be drawn by lot from among the general population. The Ruler wants to bolster his fading popularity. Of course, our hero is chosen as is the vampire girl that he has been forcing himself not to like for years. He calls her Ashley June. Part of the reason that I keep calling him "our hero" is that the vampires don't have personal names. They have various designations based on where they sit in a class or what job they hold but the designations change. Our hero's time at the institute is a trying one for him. He has to survive without the soaps and deodorants that mask his heper body odor, he doesn't have the whitener he uses on his fangs, he doesn't have access to the water, fruits and vegetables he needs to survive. He also has to figure out how he will survive the hunt when the vampires are all faster and stronger than he is. It isn't until our hero meets the hepers who are going to be hunted and learns that they are not unthinking animals that he recalls that his family used to call him Gene. He is even more conflicted when he discovers that his fellow hunter - Ashley June - is also a human passing as a vampire. They decide to team up so that both can somehow survive. But things quickly go wrong and lead to some very exciting scenes as Gene tries to escape from the vampires who now know that he is a heper. Fans of post-apocalyptic survival stories will be a good audience for this story. They will be clamoring, like me, for sequels to know how everything works out for these characters.

[pwlifter300-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one strange vampire-ish book. I'm not against them vampires, since being introduced to Edward Cullen many moons ago, but writing about night owls, bats, or vampires and the likes (zombies, too!), would require more creative brain work. Those people who can manipulate readers to believe an alternative world where vampires or zombies rule the day (or night!) have my respect, indeed..The Hunt is one of those survival story not unlike Hunger Games at heart, but with a boy as the lead (so refreshing!) and some adult supervision, albeit in the form of non-human creatures. In Gene's world, vampire-like creatures do rule the night. There's a hint that it wasn't used to be like that, but after his dad got 'bitten' (which wasn't explained too clearly, so I'm still not sure whatever happened to his dad) and had to leave their house, Gene has to fend for himself in this somewhat post-apocalyptic world. A lot of precautions and rituals have to be taken in order to avoid his 'heper' status being known, or else his high school classmates would devour him in seconds.I agree with a lot of the reviews that there are too many holes in the story, but somehow you kinda sweep them under the rug because the thrill of the hunt. The idea of a human forced to disguise himself as another creature and being handpicked to play in a hunting game (just like Hunger Games all over gain) where these creatures have to hunt for human, is fascinating. I don't want to list common-sense deviation that Gene has to overcome and the book easily neglect to explain, it's like believing someone as handsome as Edward Cullen can be 127 and marry a 20-y.o. maiden. That's the power of a story. If the author can convince me to read his or her book without stopping for a bag of Doritos, then the book is good enough for me..

[Deborah Oldham · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are lots of interesting twists and turns, and even though you see several of them coming there's plenty to keep you guessing through the whole series.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

teen fiction; adventure/suspense. "I am Legend" meets "Warm Bodies" meets (of course) "The Hunger Games." A terrific ride of a book set in a skillfully-constructed world where vampires are the normal people and the few surviving humans are thought of as loathsome "hepers." Now I need to read the rest of the series.

[mhanover10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one in the trilogy to see what happens. It's an interesting concept and I had a hard time putting it down, it sucked me in from the first page. The night people that are called "people" or who we would call vampires, are the normal people, they work, go to school but at night. The humans are the "nepers" and are a very rare breed because if the people find one they immediately eat them until there is nothing left. Gene is a human living amongst the people. He goes to school like them but he has adapted to act like them even with fake fangs. Then the hunt happens where a select few will go on a hunt for a few "farmed" nepers and Gene is selected. The stuff he has to go through to hide his humanness from the people is really hard since he has no access to water or his shaver. The people have such sharp smell senses.

Andrew does a great job with description and sucking you into the story. You don't know how far in the future this is since the nepers don't really remember much about their ancestors so this has been going on for a while. This is a very good read and you won't want to put it down. I was actually at work thinking about the story trying to will the hours to go faster so I could get home and read the rest of the story.

[staciesnape-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was going to write this really long detailed review and nothing came to mind, all I wanted to do was try explain why the book was both thrilling and annoying. This book started of so good, I thought the idea behind it was such a unique one and I was hooked, I couldn't put it down. But even though it had been hook line and sinker from the start, I also started noticing little things wrong with the book.

The first, and maybe the most significant out of them all, is that even though Anfrew Fukuda goes through great effort to not only make this a unique vampire story and to build a world up around you, he left out one main fact. How the world actually came to being over ridden with vampires in the first place. Now I'm not talking like The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa, over ridden. I'm talking about there not being hardly any humans at all, to the stage that even the vampires are having to substitute they meals. Not once was it explained and it really let what was a good book down because I was left thinking 'well, why?'

Secondly, and as important but not as much I guess, Gene went through all the trouble up masking his body odour and trying to looking like the vampires, stripping his face of emotion, but no matter how good a poker face you have your body does still react to things. Your heart beats faster for one and aren't vampire's suppose to have super hearing? so despite how well he covered up they would hear his heart beat, even if it wasn't beating fast. This has to be one of my other biggest issues with the book, my only theory is that because its been so long since they had 'a proper meal' some of their senses are some what less enhanced. Because its the only thing that would make sense. The vampires themselves were different though ,they scratch their wrists instead of laughing, have drool constantly dripping from their mouths when thinking about blood and flesh and maybe the weirdest of all armpit/elbow sex. So maybe the lack of super hearing was just added to the list. They also seem to be more in touch with their natural instincts than some vampires you read about these days, which is a bonus. Not every vampire can sparkle.

As far as the characters and everything else goes, I think it was rather good, a little on the predictable side, but it really did have me at the edge of my seat in anticipation. Gene wasn't always a likeable character though and he made such silly choices, some which I've read don't set them self right in the next book so I'm not looking forward to that.

I'm disappointed because this book could have been so much better. If it just explained things a little bit more and Gene was a tougher character. I wouldn't tell anyone not to read it, because like I said it still had it's good moments and despite everything it's worth a read. Maybe everything I disliked about the book will straighten itself out in the next two books, but I highly doubt that. Reading the summary for the The Prey doesn't fill me with the excitement I normally get from reading what's coming next, I was just left disappointed all over again

[thepageturners · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed the series very much. Gene is a human trying to live undetected in a world of vampires. Action packed all the way.

[lexiechan-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Contains some unmarked spoilers.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I just finished this book and all I could do was sigh deeply. I feel like there's something heavy in my chest. >_<

You know, Andrew Fukuda didn't say what this 'people' - for the lack of better or right word - are called. They are not exactly vampires as one might think because of the blood sucking or whatnot. And they are certainly not zombies just because they eat flesh. So what to call them? Predators? Yeah, maybe. Okay, I'll just use that word.

This book made my mouth opened a lot of times. Whether in awe or in disgust. I actually wanted to heave when the descriptions became too... descriptive for my own good. Heper or humans were treated as a cattle, categorized as a thing, they were called 'it'. And since these predators are flesh eating people, it's too gross when you imagine they were eating raw meat with blood dripping down their chins. Or they are drinking blood like water. Seriously, how could Gene stomach that? Well, I guess, if you really want to survive, you'll do everything even if it means you're eating raw things with blood. *yuck.*

I keep expecting Gene - you'll know he's name after reading 50% of the book, I know, too damn long for a name to arrive but that's necessary - to be eaten *shudders* by the predators lots of time. I mean, he's trying to blend in, okay, so he really blended in the pack of predators. He did what his father said to him.

His father told him lots of things on how to survive this world. How to blend in good and so that he'll not be detected. He needed to act, show his poker face, not do unnecessary things. Don't fall in love with one of them. Keep to yourself. And Never Forget Who You Are.

When he got chosen in The Heper Lottery - btw, Heper means human - I somehow doubt it's by pure luck. I actually thought that whatever was in the box (is it a box? Can't remember. :D) was Gene's assigned number. That's what my mind told me when they were drawing the numbers. I know they are specifically chosen. And somehow, I have a feeling the Ashley June is also a human.

I was frustrated when Gene didn't went to the Dome immediately, where the hepers are located, when he was already smelly the first day. I mean, didn't he thought of that as soon as he started to smell? The other hunters would be sleeping cause the sun was up and he'll be the only one who's awake and the dome would be down. There's a lake or river in there and he could use that to take a bath and drink water. But he went after 2 nights smelling like a heper as he is.

I'll jump right to the ending. What a cliffhanger! I thought there's more so I keep on turning the page but what I read after is Acknowledgement. :( Seriously, I wonder what would happen to Ashley June? Maybe in book 2, Gene would try to go back and save her? Since she could last for a month in that cage. And I had my mouth wide-opened again when Fukuda reveals that the Scientist whose helping Sissy, Epap, David, Jacob and Ben - the hepers who live in the Dome - was Gene's father! He saw it in Epap's sketchbook, where the latter drew the scientist portrait. There are a lot of things Gene's father hadn't told him. There is this thing about the Ruler too. And it makes me wonder what the paparazzi said about Ashley June to Gene, the night of Gala. She's not what she's supposed to be or something? She's still keeping something. But I think her affection to Gene is genuine... OR... maybe not... It's really hard to speculate since there's a lot of things you could end up to.

I want the Book Two. NOW. Sadly, we all have to wait until January 29th, 2013 for the second book. A long wait!

[tinasbookreviews · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There's something not right with the folks in Gene's community. While like other people, they go to school, do their homework and goof around, they also have this irksome habit of scratching their wrists, popping their necks, mating with their elbows and of course a little thing that involves eating humans.

Vampires make up the vast majority of the living..er nonliving society in The Hunt. Almost all the humans have become extinct and the vampires live off animal blood and raw meat, forever squelching the blood thirst that with even the mention of a human makes them frenzy with desire. Most carry on just like normal humans would, they attend school, eat three meals a day, have jobs and go home to sleep...upside down hanging from the ceiling during the daylight hours. Needless to say, these vampires are scary, their evil and have no shred of human emotion. Not one of them would save you, date you or even care if you were a child....the objective is to eat humans and its a violent bloody death, granted while most of the humans have been eaten, one is always on the look out for a survivor.

Gene, a human living among the vampires was trained by his father and knows how to blend in. His mind has been so trained to think, feel and pretend vampire actions, that he flies easily under the radar. Obviously there are some dangerous and scary close calls, but our smart, loner protagonist fools them all night in, night out. Things become a challenge however when the government decides to announce they are holding captive humans awaiting a much overdo game called The Hunt, where a special selected group of teens from the school will get to participate in hunting down the released humans and having a glorious feast. Gene along with a few others get their numbers pulled and its off to training and heper hunting. What the vampires don't know is that the vampire game masters have upped the ante and have trained the humans with weapons, good nutrition and survival skills. They don't just want a feeding frenzy, they want sport, fun and gruesome murders.

Once the group gets to the training center, things really start looking bleak for our hero Gene. There is no source of water and dehydration and body odor kick in faster than he could imagine. Other vampires even though they see the Dome and know humans, aka the hepers are in it, cant stop picking up the smell of a fresh human. Crazy with lust and the frenzy that begs to take over them, they don't realize the smell is coming from their own classmate and each day that Gene doesn't find a source to clean himself brings him that much closer to discovery. The Hunt may start sooner then they all realize and how can one boy stand up to them all?

This hunt, this world of the truly grotesque, the lost in all its evilness of fleshy desires, was truly a terrifying, suspenseful ride. I cringed at the disgusting parts, I got nervous at the intense parts, I was sad in the lonely parts, I was swoony during the romantic parts {minis elbow closet} and I was shocked at the ending. The pace kept me alert and while I thought I had everything figured out, things were still a surprise once surfaced.

Fukuda's writing was a thrilling, nonstop ride that I couldn't set down. Compared to his debut Crossing, this author proves again that he has beautiful talent to make you love an outsider. From the suspenseful plot to the killer cliffhanger, The Hunt for sure is my favorite vampire novel this year.

[skstiles612 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you like vampire stories then sit back and enjoy this one. This is not your “Dracula” or “Twilight” vampire story. No this one is full of descriptive gore. Imagine living in a society where you are human and must pretend that you are a vampire just to survive. That is exactly what Gene does. He’s been trained well to blend in. He must shave his body every day and make sure he has absolutely no human odor. He polish his fake fangs. The problem I saw was that Gene has lived among them for so long that when they talk of humans, called hepers, he has trouble understanding a heper’s point of view, even though he is one. Ashley June is a girl at his school. She is quick thinking and definitely has a thing for Gene. He feels the same way but was always taught to show no emotion.
Ten years have passed since “The Ruler” has had a heper hunt. He has just announced they have enough humans for a heper hunt and that seven people will be chosen by lottery to participate. Gene is one of those unlucky ones. Now he is to be locked up with the other winners to train for this hunt, along with Ashley June. He keeps referring to the humans as hepers and the vampires as the people.
One of my favorite parts of the training was when the Director was giving a lecture about hepers . She droned on about things like the reason hepers sing is because they had a mistaken belief that it helped their food grow. It showed a weakness on the part of the vampires. Gene chalks it up to the fact that hepers have become almost extinct so the only thing the vampires can do is speculate. He makes a comparison to vampires becoming extinct and humans making assumptions such as vampires sleeping in coffins instead of hanging from ceilings in footholds, they would have no reflections, and even made a comment about heper-people romances. The author’s allusion to “The Twilight Series” and “Dracula” stories made me laugh.
But Gene has another problem. He is a heper, he has met the hepers in the dome and he knows what is to become of them. Should he share that knowledge or should he continue to play the role of a vampire to save himself? Lots of twists and turns in this book. There are a couple of surprises as well. This was probably one of the best vampire books I’ve read and I can’t wait to read the sequel “The Prey”. Move over “Hunger Games”. For those who love dystopian fiction, and vampires, this is the best of both worlds.

[irishdancer2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Triumphant Return of the Vampire. That is what Fukuda has managed here. These are not the vampires of Twilight, Vampire Diaries, or even True Blood. There will be no coexisting with humans here, much less any ill-conceived, interspecies romances. These are vampires in all of their original glory—bloodthirsty, brutal, intelligent, powerful, dominant. They have no qualms about what they are, no angst over their nature. These are vampires that will tear apart a human child and enjoy themselves doing it. And it is magnificent. In a teen market saturated with watered down supernatural beings that like to talk about their feelings, Fukuda’s creatures are a breath of fresh air.

That’s not to say the book is without its flaws. Some of the random revelations about vampire nature seemed tedious and pointless—scratching the wrist when amused, the weird sensual armpit thing, etc. Gene, at times, seemed painfully slow in realizing things that occurred to me 50 pages ago. Most importantly, I think Fukuda’s whole premise is a stretch. It’s hard to imagine a human male surviving unnoticed among the hypersensitive, keen-nosed vampires for so long. It’s darn near impossible to believe that human females could do the same past a certain age, for obvious biological reasons.

Because of this problematic premise, the book could have easily been over before it started. Thankfully, Fukuda saved it with the details. Gene is an engaging narrator, easy to like and refreshingly free of angsty teenage emotions. The world is interesting and original enough to keep me turning pages. I did get shades of Hunger Games as I got farther into the book—the training period before the violence, the similar cast of competitors, etc.—but not so much that it was off-putting. I’m hoping the books that follow will take advantage of a bigger setting, because there is unexplored territory I’m very interested in.

The ending… I have to admit, I did not see that coming. Not at all. Due to the main storyline and an unresolved minor one, I was already mildly excited about the sequel. After that final sentence, I’m hooked.

All in all, I had a hard time putting this down once I started it. I will be looking for the sequel.

[juniperjungle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A dystopian YA read featuring vampires, some interesting ideas but it never quite grabbed me.

[kewpie83 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

'The Hunt' is a quick read with a slightly similar storyline to the Hunger Games. The idea behind the 'human hunt' is that the human population be controlled through means of a battle royale (of sorts) between the thriving alien species and the remaining human population.

As far as covers go, I like the cover design on 'The Hunt'. It's an engaging cover with some fun elements. I love the ripped cut out showing the two lead characters.

In all honesty, it's not my favorite dystopian read. The pacing was off through the entire novel. The beginning felt slow and the ending felt rushed. I wasn't surprised at the big reveal 200 pages in, either. I had it pegged very early on.

The world was crafted well enough and, unlike some dystopian worlds, I had no problem figuring it out. The world has some unique bits that separate it from other dystopian titles, but also suffers from having too much backstory.

The long and short of it? While the idea was an interesting one, for me, 'The Hunt' just didn't hold up. 'The Hunt' wasn't my cup of tea

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The people in this book are not actually vampires, but, of all the paranormal creatures, that's the best available description. They cannot be in sunlight, they have fangs and long nails, and they do suck blood. However, these creatures also eat flesh, so they're not quite vampires. They have no hair on their bodies, except their heads, which seems odd. Another big difference is that they age.

He works really hard not to attract notice, following tons of strict rules, like shaving every single day to fit in with these weird vampire creatures that apparently run the world, or at least his part of it. Even with all of his preparation, it seems odd that no one's noticed him yet. Wouldn't they be able to smell him?

I really have to comment on the oddness of some of the rituals the people (aka vampire-like beings have). When they think something's funny, they scratch their wrists. At the prospect of drinking from a heper (human), they drool copiously. Gross! Weirder still, apparently rubbing an elbow into an armpit is equivalent to an intense makeout session. What the what?

The writing really impressed me. The story is told in first person by Gene. The narration is inconsistent, with Gene sometimes referring to himself as one of the people and sometimes identifying himself as a heper in his own thoughts. Rather than coming off as poor editing, this strengthens the tale. Gene has been living among them so long that he hardly knows what he is any more. At times, behaving like a person seems to come instinctively.

The Hunt calls to mind most strongly The Hunger Games, even thought the plot is quite different. The similarities between them are the lottery, although, here, winning the lottery is a lucky thing, and the battle to be number one. The Hunt, too, is a very fast read, full of action and excitement. I will definitely be looking forward to the next action-packed installment.

Also, I have to give Fukuda some serious props for his hilarious judgmental commentary of the romantic vampire novels. He's clearly laying into Twilight. Love it!

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure if this is dystopian or just fantasy, because I'm not sure if the world was always more vampires than humans or what. I mean, they still use horses as transportation, so that really didn't make sense...whatever it is, it's definitely this: The Hunger Games meets vampires. In the world of The Hunt, vampires are people and humans are practically extinct. Interesting concept, no?

There are a lot of things that didn't really make sense...how did this happen? What kind of vampires are these that can't smell heper (aka human) simply because they bathed really well? How did vampires come to take over the world?

I'm sure a lot of these questions will be answered later and I enjoyed the jabs the author made about current vampire trends. I'm definitely intrigued by where this series might go, but no rush.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 and I looked forward to reading the sequel, The Prey.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It has been a long time since I read a book in one night, but Fukuda's "The Hunt" kept me reading into the early hours of the morning, and I didn't resent a single second.
In post-apocalyptic America there are very few humans left and Gene is one of them. He hides openly among the vampires who rule the planet, and with the early help of his father has developed an incredible regime to avoid detection. His routine and survival is threatened however, when he unluckily wins a lottery that places him in a once-in-a-lifetime coveted position as one of the "hunters" of the last remaining hepers (humans). His plan to break his leg just before the hunt doesn't work, and he is forced to train with a bloodthirsty crowd who are growing increasingly suspicious of him.
Readers will love:
The vampires whose characteristics are fresh and intriguing
The fast non-stop action of the story; I repeatedly found myself holding my breath for Gene
The twists (and there are a couple)
The (dare I say it?) Hunger Games-like feel when Gene is being pursued and the romance, which I'm not going to tell you about.

Yes, there are a few questions that a critical reader might ask, and a few places where the ability to just believe gets stretched a little thin, but overall, I think this is going to be a real winner with my middle school readers. My gut instinct says it will only take one or two signouts before this book is a smoking hot commodity in my library. :-) It's been a while since I felt so certain about a book, and the really surprising thing is that I really, REALLY thought I could not possibly read another book with a vampire in it EVER! I was wrong ... so wrong. Sadly, this is book one but happily, book two is supposed to be out very soon. I'll be in that line-up for sure.

[aimless22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gene's father drilled into him all of the ways that he must fit into the society they live in. Never sweat. Never cough. Never laugh.
The society they live in is full of vampires.
These vampires are creative - they scratch their wrists when something is funny. They crack their necks when excited. They eat bloody raw meet. They dream of hepers (hiumans).

[b00kah0lic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The plotline fascinated me. The Hunt was a surpringly slow read for me. It is packed with action and twists to keep you hooked in, but it took me a lot longer to read it than I expected. Once I got a feel for the book, I was able to predict the general outcomes. I think it is probably the most interesting and unique vampire book I've read in a long time.

[nocturnewytche · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good read. Nothing stood out for me as a greatly amazing story. I skimmed most of it and should probably try reading it again when I have more time. I feel I didn't get the whole feel of this one.

[kimmydavis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this book from the Library Thing Early Reviewer's group. Despite my best efforts, I was never able to feel connected to these characters. It's an excellent premise, and I plan to try again and again with this book; it fits exactly within my favorite genre! My distraction comes when I begin to believe I'll "know what's happening." I read past that point several times, and was wrong each time, but I never finished the book. 3.5 stars out of 5

[yearningtoread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda (#1)
Pages: 304
Release Date: May 8th, 2012
Date Read: 2012, May 13th-17th
Received: ARC via NetGalley
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Recommended to: 15+


SUMMARY -
Don't sweat, his father said. Don't let them smell you. Don't let them see the hair on your chin. Don't laugh. Don't cry. Don't widen your eyes.
Gene has followed these rules for years. Long after his father died. Long after he was forced to live alone. He has lived among the vampires, one of them, in the dark, his life in danger at every moment. If they realize what he is - a heper, a human they will devour him that very second. When Gene is chosen to participate in the Heper Hunt, the first in 10 years, concealing his true identity may be harder than anything he's every done. Especially when he may be so much closer to his own kind than he thinks.

MY THOUGHTS -
The Hunt. Oh goodness - where to begin? I really enjoyed it, in a cringing, "Oh my GOSH that's disgusting!" kind of way. Is that even possible?! It just tripped me out. I don't do vampires, and the only other vampire-related book I ever read was about vampire bats and I hated nearly every second of that book. So I was surprised I liked this as much as I did. But still. Gross. :/

CHARACTER NOTES -
Gene pretty much made The Hunt for me. That and the writing, which was stellar. Gene is the kind of guy you wan to be buddies with. Maybe you even want to be his girlfriend. Underneath all this "hide from the vampires" stuff, he's such a cool guy. His discovery of romance and love just made him all the more appealing.

Now, Ashley June. Ashley June. She is one tripped out character. And I loved her. I won't (can't) say too much about her, but I seriously loved her strength and poise. And that's about all I can say. (If you must know, I guessed everything about her the moment she was introduced at school...just sayin'.)

Now, there are some NASTY vampires here. Ashley June may be tame, but that's not normal. Ha! The others are just...EW. That's all I can think to say, because really, they all team up to suck the blood from humans. And it's described. And I have not gotten over that scene. I need a barf bag Every. Single. Time.

STORY NOTES -
The first 100 pages or so were good, but they lacked intensity for me. It had some scary, disturbing things, but...not enough to wow me - just enough to keep me going. Then, BAM! Wowza! The rest of the story jumped at me. So much happens, so much mystery is involved, and the climax! GASP! It was like, 75 freaking pages of OHMYFREAKINGGOSH WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE! Ahem. Composure obtained...

Now, this story is gross, because vampires are not glorified and the Director is scary as hell and Gene could be devoured at any second. There are scenes, quite a few of them, that involved eating raw meet with blood running and - yuck. Still squeamish. Hence, the lower rating.

But I will be continuing this series. Andrew Fukuda is highly trained in the art of torture by a few small words. And by small words I mean Lauren Oliver style - like the last words of the book. Where everything blows up in your face and you can't breathe.

SO. Obviously, I have to know.

And while I can't say much about either of these things, I loved:
1. The romance. It was flipping amazing!
2. Gene's work with the Hepers. Wow! Such a neat dynamic!

So bravo to Andrew Fukuda, even though I'm still recovering. I say well done! (That's how I like my meat, ya'll. Not fresh. But, you know, no hatin'.)

SUMMING IT UP -
Scary and yucky but totally flipping cool! If you're not totally disgusted, you'll most likely enjoy it! (Oh, but what was with the armpit sex? That was bordering on Twilight-glittery-vampire-funny!)

For the Parents -
You heard me. Armpit sex. Spin the bottle, Ashley June and Gene are forced into a closet, they have to, erm, do that. It's just so weird. But it's not explicit, not really. Just that it's a source of pleasure for vampires. Besides this and the nasty violence, nothing. Ages 15+

[shellypya · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gene is a heper, or human, who's been masquerading as a vampire his entire life. Vampires are the norm and humans are rare. When Gene is chosen via lottery to participate in a heper hunt, things become tricky. Trying to keep up appearances surrounded so closely by vampires is hard, but he does his best. Worse yet, a female vampire classmate was also chosen for the hunt, and Gene's always had a secret crush on her. Secrets are revealed as Gene learns more about his classmate and the hepers he's supposed to hunt.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick and Dirty: A boy tries to survive living with a society of vampires. Dark. Mysterious. Deep. This book has lots of questions surrounding what it means to be human.

Opening Sentence: There used to be more of us.

The Review:

This book absolutely floored me. I was not expecting the plot, the characters, or the world. Phew. Very tiring book. But great world-building. Scratch that. Amazingly-awesome world building! This is a world where vampires rule. A world where humans are almost extinct, yet some can hide right under their noses. Gene (if you didn’t read the synopsis, you wouldn’t know his name until the middle of the book because nobody has names. Only designations depending on where you sit in school) is a human that hides by getting rid of anything that makes him human. All emotions, twitches, coughing, sneezing, BO, and body hair are gone. Down the drain. If someone so much as squints, they’re goners. And try resisting when you’re awake and active during the night. Vampires are the normal. Sleeping upside down is normal. So when Gene wins a raffle to be in the next Heper (human) Hunt, his life gets a million times harder. Leaving school without his supplies to keep him looking and smelling human, he’s taken to the Heper Institute that supposedly researches humans. But besides his own body, he has to worry about the girl from his school that also won — Ashley June. A girl that he’s always liked, but it would be impossible to love.

World building. I cannot get over how detail-oriented Fukuda is. He picks apart everything it means to be human. Smell, looks, personality. Then he puts a human in the middle of a vampire society and this is The Hunt. It’s about a human trying not to be human. No, wishing. A human wishing he wasn’t human. But throughout the entire book, he learns that being human isn’t despicable like everyone in the society says. He has to “remember who you are,” a rule his father reminded him of once every now and then.

Need to learn how to have a poker face? Gene has it down to an art. He’s been taught from the very beginning the rules of being a human in a vampire world. It’s the only thing he knows. The only thing that matters to him. He’s a pretty gutsy character. And strong. He must be if, really, his life has no purpose except survive. Survive and live another day. Pretty brutal, if you ask me.

So I was pretty leery about the romance in this book. Guy’s perspective and all that. But as you get to know Ashley June, she has more than just the popular girl layer. She has some backbone and isn’t afraid to show it.

Fukuda is such a witty writer! This could be part of being detail-oriented, but the descriptions were amusing and clever. The first person took some getting used to, especially if you’re used to girl perspectives. In fact, when I started reading it the first word that popped into my head was weird. But once you get used to that, the whole book was pretty good.

Notable Scene:

“Get out.”

“You’ll answer to–”

“The Director? Sorry, but I’ve already heard this speech. Now get out.” I see the smallest and youngest of them, a girl no older than me, clutching her makeup bag. She’s afraid, and for an instant I feel a stab of sorrow for her. “Look, don’t worry. Leave a makeup kit and a mirror here; we can put it on ourselves. Now get out.”

They offer little resistance after that.

“That was close,” Ashley June says after the front doors close. A look of horror suddenly crosses her face. “Get out!”

“What?”

“Get out!”

I spin around, expecting to see one of the staffers still lurking.

“No, you! Close your eyes. Close them, I said! Now get out!”

“What’s going on?”

“You’re not supposed to see me yet. Not until I’m completely ready. Go, already!”

I blink. Ashley June: such a romantic at heart. Even in the moments after imminent death, apparently.

The Hunt Series:

1. The Hunt

2. The Prey (January 22, 2013)

FTC Advisory: St. Martin’s Griffin/Macmillan provided me with a copy of The Hunt. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[bookishbrunette · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A boy living in a world full of vampires that think human's are nearly extinct. Uuuum... EPIC WIN.

Gene has co-existed (incognito... 007 style) with the vamps his entire life. He goes to school with them, has taken on their mannerisms... He pretends to be one of them in order to survive. The rules are simple. Do not draw attention to yourself. Do NOT get caught. SURVIVE, no matter what.

And then the day comes, when no matter how adamantly he follows each and every rule... nothing can save him. The Ruler, who no one has seen or heard from in decades decided there is to be a Heper Hunt. They round up HUMANS (what they call hepers) set them loose and let a team of specially chosen vamps have at it. I KNOW right?! And GUESS who is one of the chosen to aid in The Hunt? Yep... GENE.
"I don't have any friends... Mostly, though , it's the prospect of being eaten alive by your so-called friend that kills any possibilty of shared intimacy. Call me picky, but imminent death at the hands (or teeth) of a friend who would suckle blood out of you at the drop of a hat... That throws a monkey wrench into the friendship building."

I didn't even realize until page 150 that I didn't even know the main character's NAME. He wasn't even aware of it until he breaks into the heper village and forces his mind to recall it!

Then there's Ashley June... Is she a human among the vamps also??? Surely not! Maaaaaybe... She is! No... She isn't... Yes... No... Ah-ha!!!!!

I'm telling you, this is the inner turmoil I was putting myself through while reading The Hunt!

Andrew Fukuda's attention to detail was simply excellent! I was completely overwhelmed by the life in which Gene led. The loneliness and self-loathing he experienced while wishing he was one of the very creatures he despised so much in order to LIVE a normal existence!

Remarkably witty and humorous, The Hunt is compulsively readable.

[liezkl_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In a world run by vampires, where humans (or hepers as they are known) are virtually extinct, Gene lives by rules ingrained in him by his father to ensure his survival.

The government anounces a heper hunt, and Gene 'wins' a spot to participate. So much for the rule about not drawing attention to yourself. Among the participants is Ashley June, one of his schoolmates, on whom he has a crush and who always seems to stare at him.

Surviving has just become more complicated. How will he hide his human traits, especially from Ashley June. In his desperation he comes into contact with the 'hepers' who even though they were raised in captivity, have held on to their humanity a lot better than he has.

Gene's dad raised him with one goal in mind, survival. He doesn't even realise that he's not really living The fear of discovery and ultimately death is what drives his actions, almost to the exclusion of everything else.

I enjoyed this book even though at the beginning it looked like another 'Hunger Games'. As the story progressed I realised how wrong I was. There are some concepts in the story which are questionable, but the pace of the story keeps you interested despite these and there are some interesting twists in the tale.

[stephsstacks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Our hero, Gene, is living a double life. By night, he has to remember to control his emotions and his sweat glands. No more laughing or crying, fast swimming or slow running. By day, he either sleeps of roams the world while others sleep. Gene is the worst thing he can be in this world, human. He is surrounded by vampire-like beings and his very survival depends on his ability to blend in and not call attention to himself in any way.

Well, you know he's not going to get away with it, friend. (How fun would that be?) Apparently, these new vampire-like beings are a big bunch of gluttons with little to zero self-control because they are almost out of humans to eat. Enter the Heper Hunt. The president has been breeding humans for the sole purpose of allowing them to be hunted by a select group who have been chosen by lottery. Gene is chosen the be a hunter (his secret is safe for now) and the real hunt is on. He now finds himself thrust into a world of hunters and humans while desperately trying to maintain his cover.

Gene meets a girl or two, natch, and although there is a little smidge of a love story (most notably strange elbow to armpit relations), it is not the central focus of the plot. Mainly, it's all about the constant tension and pressure Gene is trying to live through. You try not to sweat right beside him as every turn and twist brings him closer to being outed and eaten.

The Hunt is the kind of book that grabs you by the collar and never lets go. The fast pace kept me turning the pages and I couldn't wait to see how this was all going to turn out for our hero. Some of the choices were odd, but not enough to keep me from highly recommending The Hunt. Fukuda has created a bloody, unique and terrifying world where the humans have lost the war and their future is on the line.

[theepicrat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh, holy butter, THE HUNT is such a smooth and unputdownable read that I hardly know where to begin with this review. If our world was set in THE HUNT, Andrew Fukuda is like the master of all vampires, and I would gladly crack my neck with excitement because I am absolutely salivating for the next installment! I had said earlier this year that DRINK, SLAY, LOVE was absolute love-at-first-sight, and comparitively THE HUNT rises up to the challenge and proves to be true-love-at-first-bite. Vampires, your comeback is nigh – and I totally LOVE what these authors have done with them!

THE HUNT will immediately suck readers into a world where vampires come out on top in regards to survival of the fittest, and Gene may be the last free-roaming human left - although he cannot exactly announce that to the world. The vampires may love humans, but their love is not strictly in the platonic sense. I cannot imagine how hard it is for Gene to hide his humanity and train himself to be unnoticeable among his predators. Gene is quite the intelligent young man, but he realizes that any misstep means certain and unpleasant death. As a person who tends to wear her emotions on her sleeve, I would probably fail epicly in maintaining a cool façade. I do wonder what exactly Gene expects for his life since it seems that he may have a lonely future ahead of him with no particular desire to stir any trouble. Until he gets selected to join the Hunt and comes into contact with the human captives.

What Andrew Fukuda brings to the table is a strong and cohesive world where night becomes the new day, and all the characters definitely help to create such an interesting dilemma where readers constantly wonder if there are others like Gene who have lived under the radar and also if higher powers DO know about Gene but choose to keep it quiet. Who exactly is the man behind the curtain? Who is vampire, and who is human? Who can be trusted, and who will stake you in the back? THE HUNT deftly buildS up the suspense into a satisfying yet game-changing conclusion that will leave readers anxious to find out where the series will go in Book 2 – and who will prove fit enough to survive.

Deliciously innovative, wholly addictive, and solidly dystopic, fans of LEGEND, The Hunger Games, and DIVERGENT are sure to devour THE HUNT in one sitting, drool to the point of embarrassment, and immediately demand seconds. NOW. Andrew Fukuda has delivered an impressive debut that brings all the tricks to the table, and something tells me that the next installment will be just as well-crafted to perfection.

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The blurb piqued my interest when I first read it, and I looked forward to reading it. However, before I got my copy, I had read a few reviews that made me doubt that I would enjoy it. I am pleased to say that I liked The Hunt, and am very glad I gave it a chance. Yes there are some really weird things in the book (e.g. elbow-armpit sex), but the story is interesting and keeps readers engaged, and all the quirks kept me entertained. This is a book where you have to suspend reality and just read it and go with the flow, otherwise those quirks will impede your ability to enjoy it.

The protagonist, Gene, is very different character to those I usually read. I admire him for being able to survive as a human in the vampire world, forgoing all human traits and hiding what he is for so long. I also sympathise with him - he hates the idea of BEING human, and wishes he was a vampire just so he could fit in for once. He hates all the traits that make him human, and I wondered throughout the book how so much of humanity has been lost in the world.

I have some issues with the world building, which I hope will be addressed in the sequel. There is no real history to this world - it is unclear whether Fukuda set his story in our world, but in a future where vampires have taken over due to some disease, or in an alternate world where vampires evolved naturally and dominated over humans from early on. The story is enjoyable, even without the context of the world history, but I feel I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if I wasn’t always wondering how the hell things ended up this way.

The Hunt surprised me, I enjoyed it more than I would have imagined. I think readers might be surprised when they read it, but I urge them to go into it with an open mind. There are some great qualities about this book, and I hope the sequel will answer all my burning questions.

You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.