If there is anything good coming from the newer crops of dystopian fiction these days it’s one thing: Evil, ravenous vampires are back. With books like The Immortal Rules and now The Hunt, YA thriller fans are sure to be pleased by this turn of events. I know I am. Unfortunately, The Hunt failed to WOW me on that factor alone.
In a nutshell, The Hunt is like an inverted Immortal Rules with a Hunger Games-esque twist. Instead of our young, male protagonist, Gene, being the only vampire among humans, he is one of the only humans living in the lion’s den. In order to pull this off he must shave off all his body hair, clip his nails, polish his fake fangs, and bathe rigorously every single day. In addition to the intense grooming, he must suppress his basic human mannerisms such as laughing, sweating, singing, flinching, clearing his throat, ect. when in contact with “people.” All of this is done because Gene lives in a world where he is considered a “heper,” barely a step above a farm animal. In order to survive he has to hide who he truly is or risk being eaten. So when he is chosen for the Heper Hunt (think Hunger Games arena), you can only imagine his uneasiness. “Awkward” is an understatement.
The Hunt has a lot of potential because regardless of how I feel about it I can’t deny that it’s creative. It features an entirely different spin on vampires that both intrigued me and weirded me out. It’s also very readable and easily holds a reader’s attention. I also felt myself enjoying Fukuda’s prose as well, especially when Gene thought of his past memories of his family. That’s the main reason why I ended up giving the book two stars instead of one. But like I said earlier, that alone won’t win anyone points with me.
World Building:
*sigh* I feel like a broken record saying this, but if we are going to write a dystopian novel, please supply some background info. I don’t need to know everything under the sun, but I’d at least like to know how your world ended up in its current cesspit state. Is that too much to ask? How did the vampires come to take over the world (literally)? Where did they come from? They managed to eat almost ALL the humans? Why did Gene even bother to try to blend in with vampire society? Why not run away? Have vampires taken over the entire world or did only the U.S. go to hell? Again. Is the rest of the world still partying like it’s 1999? Why does Gene know so little about his world? Did the humans – excuse me, hepers – not pass any knowledge of their histories down to their children? So many question, with too few no answers.
Characters:
I think I hated almost all the characters in The Hunt, but Gene? He takes the number one spot on this here shit list. My biggest issue of the book resides with him because he was an idiot. A very selfish idiot. At the Heper Institute (where the hunters stayed and “trained” for the Heper Hunt) he begins to go thirsty since vampires don’t need water, but there was a lake right in front of him the entire time. He talks about it and never thinks to go drink from it when the vampires are sleeping during the day. *facepalm* The plot twist – if you can even call it that – was so easy to guess, but guess who was incredibly shocked? Ding, ding, ding! Gene. And no, this was not a case in dramatic irony because everything that was revealed to the reader, Gene already knew. Hell, he’s the one who narrates the story!
But that’s not even the half of that. I could deal with a slow main character, but what I couldn’t deal with was his “I’m better than these dirty hepers!” attitude. When Gene first arrives to the Heper institute and finds out the heper can talk, read, write, comprehend things, he is blown away. Shocked! This does not compute. I just wanted to yell at him, “YOU ARE A HEPER! If you can bloody do it, uh duh, so can they, genius.” But it gets worse. Gene knows the hepers will be hunted, but they don’t. Does he tell them? Attempt to help his people? NO. He just goes on business as usual, thinking that once the hepers are sent out to their deaths he can sneak away. That made me so angry. These are your people – perhaps the last humans alive – and you are going to sit and let them be eaten without doing anything about it? No, instead, you drink their water, eat their food and work their deaths into your escape plan. Even by the end when Sissy (“Head Heper in Charge”) tells him, “We don’t abandon our own” all he is thinking about is Ashley June. Not one single shred of remorse for his original plan to lead them to their deaths. Unbelievable. Cast him out of the human race. He is not one of us.
I mean, what did he expect he would do after the Heper Hunt? Go on living in his fake life where he could die at any moment? Who would want that kind of life? That makes not sense. If the world happens to end with vampires devouring humans and I’m left with an idiot like Gene, I’m tripping him as I run from the vamps. And don’t get me started on Ashley June. She was just as bad as Gene and can die in a fire for all I care.
Believability:
The Hunt reminds me a lot of another book I’ve read called Glimmerglass. Not because they are similar in plot or anything, but because the reader must abandon a certain amount of logic and “just go with it.” If anyone is familiar with me, they will know that it takes a lot for a book to convince me to “just go with it.”
A list of things Fukuda expected me to buy:
-Vampires only eat bloody meat and can’t stomach other foods except for ice cream. Wait, what?
-Gene never got sick from eating raw bloody meat.
-Gene has learned to suppress basic human instincts like smiling, laughing, coughing, squinting, flinching? How the hell is that possible? So what happens when Gene gets sick? He stays home? And what would be his excuse for not being in school? The vampires don’t appear to fall ill in this world.
-Sex by armpits? I’m sorry, that one, while creative, was a little too hard to swallow. Or were they making out?
Before she could regain her footing, I shoved my elbow into the socket of her armpit. The way I had read about in books, seen in movies. I had her. Her body tensed in anticipation as my elbow locked into her armpit. And just like that, her body lost all tension and softened. I swiveled my elbow in long, luxurious circles, and her body moved in rhythm. Salivary wetness slivered between and around her snarling teeth. I concentrated hard after that, keeping up with appearances, making sure that the snarls came out in the right fevered pitch, that my body oscillated with enough passion and frenzy.
I’ll say!
–Gene had no idea that Ashley June was a human. It was so obvious.
-Vampires couldn’t tell Gene was a heper just because he shaved all his body hair off. Really? He still had hair on his head. Does that somehow smell different from facial, leg and arm hair? If they could smell the hepers in the dome even when they weren’t sweaty, then they should have been able to always smell Gene is school.
The Ending:
It left me dangling of the edge of a cliff with three words.
*tries to repress a very human sigh* *doesn’t work* *LE SIGH*
I’m sure there are a lot of people who will love The Hunt. It’s different, interesting, creative and action packed. And while it didn’t really work out for me here, I’m tempted to check out book two to see where the story goes. But as I say in the rest of my two star reviews, the next book can hang out on my “You’re on Probation” shelf.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!
elena
ahahaha the ice cream bit got to me. Wow, I don’t think I will be reading this book anytime soon because I got frustrated just READING your review. Gene sounds like the worst kind of the protagonist. Sorry to hear this book wasn’t good. at least it has an interesting premise!
Stephanie Sinclair
@elena:
Gene was a very frustrating character. I just wish he had a bit more common sense. Maybe he will grow more in the next book.
Pocketful of Books
Ice cream and armpit sex? How could you NOT like this book!? Lol no it sounds pretty bad which is a shame because it sounded like it had a lot of potential x
Stephanie Sinclair
@Pocketful of Books:
It did have a lot of potential. It still does. If the main character gets his act together and the world building is tightened up, it could be great!
Jana
This book is starting to fascinate me–I read it, loved it and reviewed it a few weeks ago. Since then for as many reviews from people that love it I also see reviews from people who hate it. Books that have strong opinions both way always interest me!
Stephanie Sinclair
@Jana:
You’re right, it does seem to be a love it or hate it book. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Katie @ Blook Girl
OMG. Armpit sex! Are you SURE you weren’t reading Fifty Shades of Grey??? 😉 That snippet made me laugh and cringe at the same time. What kind of crack was the author smoking when he came up with that? LOL.
I’ve read a couple other reviews where it was expressed that it was simply not believable that the MC could entirely avoid sweating, laughing, coughing, etc. There’s a limit to how far your imagination and logic can be stretched while reading.
At any rate, I am immensely curious about this book and may read it for its comedic value at the very least 😉 Great review, Steph!
Stephanie Sinclair
@Katie @ Blook Girl:
Lol! Well, the armpit scene was a WTF moment, but it’s got nothing on Fifty’s tampon scene! I hope you enjoy it more than I did!
Amanda
THANK YOU! I’ve seen so many good reviews of this, but I just didn’t care for it at all. Plus, I can never look at pizza the same way again. And I work at Pizza Hut. Great review. 🙂
Stephanie Sinclair
@Amanda:
Thanks! I just wish I could have loved it as much as others have.
Lisa @ Fic Talk
I’m not sure I understand the logistics of Armpit secks.
Legit sitting here and pondering that one.
Stephanie Sinclair
@Lisa @ Fic Talk:
I don’t think anyone understand the logistics. Lol.
roro @roro is reading[rogier]
bummr it was meh at parts
i loved it
a awesome boy book and i loved it being a male reader
gr8 review
Stephanie Sinclair
@roro @roro is reading[rogier]:
I agree with you about Gene sounding like a legit boy. I was really happy to see that because it doesn’t happen enough in YA.
Chantaal
I’d heard all about the armpit sex, but haven’t had a chance to see an excerpt yet. That is something special, man.
Stephanie Sinclair
@Chantaal:
It’s definitely different. I haven’t read anything like that before.
Beatriz
Brilliant review. I laughed out loud with the “ice cream” bit. Armpit sex, what the hell was that? Talk about something creative o.O
I have this on my TBR pile, but now I’m not so sure if I’ll buy it o.o
Stephanie Sinclair
@Beatriz:
Thank you! The vamps eating ice cream made no sense to me. Think they also ate cake too. Bizarre. I would suggest a trip to the library for this one because it seems to be a hit or miss.
Carly
I know this is really shallow but I also love the cover to this book!
Stephanie Sinclair
@Carly:
Not shallow at all. I really like the cover as well. It’s a nice change from the usual.
Lexie B.
Okay. First off.
MULAN!
Second off: Armpit sex.
I just couldn’t get over that.
I’m sorry, I realize Fukuda was trying his very bestest to be awesome and creative, but . . . armpit sex. I’m sorry, but I will never be able to look at someone’s arm and think, Damn, that is one sexy arm. I would fuck that. Even if Gene and Ashley June weren’t assholes, that still would’ve made it a bit hard to really get invested in their relationship.
annerooo
This book seems so weird. It doesn’t sound believable at all.
Cyna
Hahaha, I was pretty pissed for like the entire first half of the book, too. The intentionally off-putting vampire tics, the plotholes that never get expanded on. I can buy Gene not knowing the entire history of the fall of the human race, but what I can’t buy is not getting concrete facts on what is happening here and now. The vampire biology was a top thing, I mean, do they pee or not? Cuz one minute the bathrooms have nothing but purell, the next there’s a line of urinals, so I DUNNO. That short of stuff drove me up the wall!
Re: I could deal with a slow main character, but what I couldn’t deal with was his “I’m better than these dirty hepers!” attitude.
I kind of bought that. I mean, this is a guy who’s been culturally conditioned to think of hepers as little more than cattle, who hates the parts of him that are “human”, so in a way, I think his disdain for them is also a reflection of his disdain for himself and the life he has to lead. Does it make him an awesome person? No. And his decision not to tell the hepers about the hunt was pretty bizarre. But I think in the end his arc is about coming to feel more empathy for the hepers, and he does, so it evens out 🙂
Also, I really liked Ashley June xD Not crazy bout the name, though.
Yeah so somehow I wound up being pretty in to this and looking forward to where the story goes. Hopefully the next one will be better.
Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth | Cuddlebuggery Book Blog
[…] boxes and ask a person to choose one over the others? This is the same problem I had with The Hunt. In both novels the author tries to pitch an idea of human behavior completely different […]
Ameesha
CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED WITH ASHLEY JUNE? DID SHE DIE OR WHAT?