THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda Book Review
Series: The Hunt, #1
Publication Date: May 8th 2012 by St. Martin’s Griffin
Rating: 
– Exceeds Expectations | 
Book Summary: Warning! This summary is really spoilery! Geez, publisher. In a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction, seventeen-year-old Gene has only managed to survive by painstakingly concealing his true species. If the bloodthirsty creatures surrounding him knew what he really was–a human–he would be devoured swiftly and terribly. When Gene is chosen to participate in the government-sponsored hunt for the last remaining humans, it thrusts him into the fight of his life–and into the path of a human girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible. Now, he must learn the art of the hunt and elude his fellow hunters whose suspicions about his true human nature are growing. But most importantly, Gene and the girl he loves must find a way to forge a life together in a brutal world that’s bent on their destruction.
The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda Book Review Overview:
- World-building like you’ve never read before. Finally, a book about a human who realizes he’s vampire-prey
- Relatable hero; who doesn’t want a human to win?
- This is something that I don’t say lightly: If you’re a fan of The Hunger Games, chances are you’ll like THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, too.
In this backwards world, humans are going extinct. In THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, the main character must hide in plain sight by living among the vampires and pretending that he is one of them. But then he is chosen to participated in a government-sponsored hunt to track down the few remaining humans and eat them. Things just got a little more complicated…
As a reader who never quite fell into the whole vampire craze, I was so happy to hear that there was a finally a vampire book that appealed to me. In THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, vampires are the bad guys, not the love interests. The world-building is quite awesome because it steers away from the stereotypical vampire love that has saturated the young adult market. Humans have always been prey. But what makes THE HUNT so original and fresh is the fact that his characters know that a date with a vampire means he’ll be dead before dessert and not a happily ever after. But it makes me wonder: why have I never picked up a book like this before?
What’s funny is that I never noticed that the author never uses the main character’s name – or should I say, “designation” – until 2/3 of THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda. I think it’s a bit unfair that I start using it now when I got so comfortable just reading from his perspective without ever knowing it. I also think it’s unfair that the summary gives it away. And speaking of the summary: Dude, the summary gives away like the biggest secret in the book. There are a ton of surprises along the way for the main character, and some of them you see coming way before the big reveal. While I usually don’t like predictability, I was hooked into THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda because of the great execution. You can’t help but think: Hey, I might know what happens later on, but right now, I just want to cheer for the hero. Humans rule. Vampires suck.
It’s so easy to relate to the hero of THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda because as a human, you cannot help but put yourself in the hero’s shoes. There is nothing that makes the hero particularly special; it’s the fact that blood runs in his veins that makes him a target. Against all odds, he’s survived on his own surrounded by vampires and it would really suck for him to just get eaten up.
And I guess I should explain why this would definitely appeal to The Hunger Games fans. The set up of the actual hunt is quite similar to The Hunger Games. Each of the participants of the hunt were selected through a random lottery. Upon their selection, they were sent to the research facility to train for the upcoming hunt. Beyond the set up of the hunt, there are few other similarities that would remind readers of The Hunger Games.
Furthermore, Fukuda set up a great pacing in THE HUNT. The last few chapters of the book were complete nail-biters. Andrew Fukuda really drew out the tension and built it up until the very end when the Hunt began. THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda is an impressive first installment of a new series that I will definitely keep up with. And after the massive, jaw-dropping cliffhanger, let’s just say that I’m eagerly awaiting the next book.
Finally, I think this is the paranormal / vampire book that can appeal to boys. The romance is minimal at most and the gore is at its best. There’s no sparkly vampires in THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda.
Other Book Reviews:
Diary of a Book Addict
WinterHaven Books
About the Author
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Find the Author
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Born in Manhattan and raised in Hong Kong, Andrew Fukuda is half-Chinese, half-Japanese. After earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University, Fukuda worked in Manhattan’s Chinatown with the immigrant teen community. That experience led to the writing of 
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Book Review, Four Stars - Action Packed, Audience: Young Adult, Author: Andrew Fukuda, Book: The Hunt, Genre: Action, Genre: Paranormal, Masterful World-Building, Must Buy, Publisher: St Martin's Griffin, Series: The Hunt | 
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WONDER by RJ Palacio Book Review
Publication Date: February 14th 2012 by Random House Children’s Books
Rating: – Exceeds Expectations | 
Book Summary: I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.
August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?
R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.
Wonder by RJ Palacio Book Review Overview:
- Mostly told through Auggie’s perspective but also switches to the perspective of other characters
- Inspiring and touching story; Auggie is such a delightful character to read about
- Makes you think twice about how you act towards someone with a disability
There is always some hesitation in my part when picking up middle grade novels, because there’s always the chance where the novel is not as accessible to older readers. I didn’t have a problem with WONDER by R.J. Palacio in that aspect. I think that Palacio does a wonderful job of making her writing appeal to readers of all ages.
What surprised me the most about WONDER by R.J. Palacio is the impact it had on me in terms of my thinking of how I act towards someone with a disability or a handicap. Auggie is such an inspiring character to read about. His life is hard – there’s no doubt about that. And it made me sad to read about him. But Auggie is such a fighter and he tries so hard no matter how many obstacles get in his way. Auggie made me put my problems into perspective. My problems seemed so petty in comparison to the life that he lives. Furthermore, WONDER by RJ Palacio made me think about how I conduct myself in public. WONDER will make me think twice next time I see someone with a disability or a handicap.
At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the switching perspectives throughout the novel. For the most part, the novel is told from Auggie’s point of view, but randomly switches to other characters such as his friends. My dislike for the multiple perspectives was short-lived; I fell in love with Palacio’s writing style and I loved seeing Auggie from other people’s eyes. My love for him as a character grew even more.
The ending of WONDER by RJ Palacio gave me such a warm and fuzzy feeling. As a reader, I felt like I grew so much with Auggie on this emotional roller coaster. His character was developed so well throughout the book and I wanted to give him a massive congratulatory hug at the end.
WONDER by RJ Palacio is the kind of middle grade novel that should be read by all. It’s not just a “children’s” book.
Other Book Reviews:
Poetry to Prose
The Reading Date
About the Author
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Find the Author
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RJ Palacio lives in New York City with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. For many years, Palacio was an art director and book jacket designer, designing covers for countless well-known and not so well-known writers in every genre of fiction and nonfiction. She always wanted to write, though. So Palacio decided to just go for it. Wonder is her first novel. And no, she didn’t design the cover, but she sure does love it.
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Book Review, Four Stars - Audience: Middle Grade, Author: RJ Palacio, Book: Wonder, Borrow It, Genre: Contemporary, Heartwarmer, Makes You Think, Publisher: Random House | 1022 words
SCARY SCHOOL by Derek the Ghost Book Review
Series: Scary School, #1
Publication Date: June 21st 2011 by HarperCollins
Rating: – Acceptable |
Book Summary: You think your school’s scary?
Get a load of these teachers:
“Ms. Fang,” an 850-year-old vampire
“Dr. Dragonbreath,” who just might eat you before recess
“Mr. Snakeskin”–science class is so much more fun when it’s taught by someone who’s half zombie
“Mrs. T”–break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry “Tyrannosaurus rex”Plus
Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein’s monster on the loose
The world’s most frighteningly delicious school lunchAnd
The narrator’s an eleven-year-old ghost
Join Charles “New Kid” Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends–including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf–and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky
Scary School by Derek the Ghost Book Review Overview:
- A fun (and totally not too scary) book for young early chapter book readers
- Loved seeing the various characters illustrated in each chapter
- Reminded me of Louis Sachar’s Wayside School series
SCARY SCHOOL by Derek the Ghost is not my typical read. I usually don’t read this young, but I decided to give it a shot because his email pitch was so convincing and his website is so awesome. I have a younger sibling and a bunch of younger cousins so I wanted to give this book a shot and see if it was something that they might end up liking.
SCARY SCHOOL by Derek the Ghost had me feeling a little nostalgic. It reminded me of Louis Sachar’s Sideway Stories from Wayside School series – which i had read while growing up. Scary School is not your ordinary school. There’s a giant T-rex on the school faculty and a one-fanged teacher who teaches monster math… Dying is a daily occurrence – but don’t worry, you’ll probably end up coming back as a ghost. Each chapter focuses on a different character and by the end of the book, readers will have met a colorful (and frightening) variety of students, teachers, and faculty monsters – I mean, members.
I was afraid that I would be a little too old to get the jokes and the silly antics in the book, but I admit that I did end up laughing out loud a few times. I can only imagine just how funny this book would be to a younger audience. The playful illustrations only added to the fun. It was great seeing the different whacky characters illustrated in each chapter.
Overall, SCARY SCHOOL is a fun refreshing first in a chapter book series by Derek the Ghost. If Hogwarts and the Wayside School were somehow able to make a baby, Scary School is what you’ll get.
About the Author
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Find the Author
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Derek is an eleven-year-old ghost who haunts the classrooms and hallways of Scary School, writing down all the spine-tingling often hilarious things that go on there. Despite his ghostly state, Derek still enjoys reading comic books and hopes to one day become a master ninja. If that doesn’t work out, he will continue to share the fun of this very special, very secret school, so all kids can experience the scariest school on earth. Derek the Ghost communicates through the first-time ghost whisperer Derek Taylor Kent, who is a writer and performer in Los Angeles, California.
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Book Review, Three Stars - Audience: Middle Grade, Author: Derek the Ghost, Book: Scary School, Borrow It, Genre: Humor, Publisher: HarperCollins | 877 words
- Hahaha Funny
- Keeps You Guessing
- Page-Turner
- Poetic Prose
- Romantic Read
- Tear-Jerker
