Vampire Pick: The Hunt

The Hunt
by Andrew Fukuda
St. Martin's Griffin
2012
304 pages

Check out the book trailer here

Remarkably tense, tripwire taut, and teasingly terrifying, The Hunt is the real deal. This is THE vampire book readers have been waiting for. These vamps are not sparkly and golden . They are fierce, feral, dangerous and not-in-the-least sense seductive or sexy.

The world has changed. Vampires rule and humans are extinct. Gene was taught the rules by his father. Never sweat, never smile, never show emotion. Shave all body hair, never cry, don't make friends, don't get too close to anyone because when you're human, you are the delicacy. Gene remembers and follows all the rules; his father left seven years ago when he realized that he might be infected by a vampire bite and he was worried that he would harm Gene .

For the first time in ten years the Ruler has declared that there will be a Heper Hunt (hepers are the vamps' term for humans). The students at Gene's school are stirred into a wild bloodlust frenzy just thinking about human flesh. Everyone hopes their numbers will be called and that they will get the chance to run down and devour one of the last tasty humans.

Two students from Gene's school are chosen to be hunters: Gene and Ashley June. There are taken to the Heper Institution to be trained before the big hunt. Gene is given a vacant library as his housing. He is only too happy to be away from the others. He can let his guard down a bit when he's alone. Soon, he's worried that his human smell will give him away. He has no way to bathe and there are no razors or soap.

After the first few mind-numbingly boring days of lectures and useless tours, Gene realizes that he will be found out unless he can find water. Not only does he need it to bathe, he hasn't had any water to drink since he came to the Institute. He feels his mind and body shutting down. The vampires can't go outside in the daylight, and this gives Gene the chance to sneak over to the heper village. The humans are afraid of him and begin to attack. Gene yells at them that all he wants is water, and they realize he can't be a vampire because the sun would have killed him...he's human, like them.

Sissy, the oldest girl, is in charge of their little family. Gene learns that the man who used to live in the library was their friend and a human, like them. He left over the mountains and promised to come back and save them. Gene does not tell the hepers that their days are numbered.

Gene knows he doesn't stand a chance in the hunt. He plans to "accidentally" break his leg before the hunt so he won't be discovered but a plot twist changes his plans and alters everything.

Fiercely crafted prose and a well-thought out plot with unexpected and chilling plot twists will have readers racing to finish The Hunt. I was speechless at the end of The Hunt. No! Don't turn to the last page! Don't read the last page! It will ruin all your fun. This is a vampire novel that will stay with you long after you devour it (pun intended).

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up and for all paranormal fans. No language. Some gore, they are bloodthirsty vampires, after all.

Pick up Book Two: The Prey--also available now. I will review The Prey soon!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.