The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda: Book Review

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

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 Crossing, his debut novel that was selected by ALA Booklist as an Editor’s Choice, Top Ten First Novel, and Top Ten Crime Novel in 2010. His second novel, The Hunt, the first in a new series, was bought at auction by St. Martin’s Press and will be published in May 2012. Before becoming a full time writer, Fukuda was a criminal prosecutor for seven years. He currently resides on Long Island, New York, with his family.