My Thoughts On: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda + GIVEAWAY!

Posted May 7, 2012 by Asheley in Uncategorized / 54 Comments


The Hunt (The Hunt #1)
by Andrew Fukuda
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin
Publish Date: May 8, 2012
293 Pages
Source:  ARC from publisher/NetGalley

Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  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—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity? –(summary from Goodreads)

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

My Thoughts: What an interesting book! The Hunt is a vampire book, but these vampires are certainly different than the vampires I’ve read about before. Andrew Fukuda did a great job of starting out this series with a twist on a mythology that has been done a million times, and I think I like it.

Let’s talk about The Hunt:


1. Gene. In a world full of vampires (in which they call themselves people) Gene is basically alone. He’s a heper – a human – who tries his best to blend in at the risk of exposing himself and being ripped to shreds. The rules are simple and must be adhered to. So Gene spends every second of every day acting like a vampire. He has adapted to their culture, learned to eat their food (bloody as it may be), and faces a lifetime of being a lone human in a world that would eat him if they knew what he really was.

Gene is a good male protagonist. At first, he seems a bit shaky and unsure of himself, because he is – I would be too if I lived in fear every second of every day. By the end of the book, Gene has developed and become much stronger out of necessity. I like him and am interested in seeing what his character will do as this series progresses.

There are a ton of other characters in the book, most of whom are less important as Gene. They have great roles and are fun to read, but the only other I care to mention at this point is a girl, a classmate, that Gene affectionately calls Ashley June. She’s a bit of a mystery to him, this girl. Why does this incredibly beautiful, incredibly popular vampire girl spend her time staring at Gene?…particularly when he tries SO HARD to stay out of the spotlight, not draw attention to himself, and blend in? Ashley June and Gene have a few things in common and they actually form a bond over the upcoming hunt. I think this may be obvious to the reader but is not obvious to Gene, and I had fun reading about this duo and the development of their relationship. She is another character that I am interested in reading more about in the next book.

2. The Mythology. Okay, this is where it is most interesting to me! These vampires have some of the classic mythology that I love: no sunlight, drinking blood, they’re super fast, etc. But they are WEIRD, you guys. For example, they don’t laugh – when they think something is funny, they scratch their wrists. That is bizarre but makes for such an interesting and fun read! It takes a few pages to get used to this unique twist on vampires, but I love it so much when an author takes a classic and tweaks it a little to make it his/her own. These vampires are total oddballs. They never ceased to make me think WHAT IN THE WORLD? and I really liked it.

3. The Problem. Every few years, hepers (humans) are released into the wild and hunted by vampires for sport. The hunters are chosen by lottery and as chance would have it, Gene is chosen. The problem in this is that Gene himself is a heper. Still another problem is this: Gene, while living alone, is able to keep himself hidden among the vampires, acting as one of them and following these rules: 

  • He shaves at home because they don’t have beards. 
  • He bathes at home because they can detect body odor. 
  • He drinks water at home because their bodies don’t require it. 

The second Gene is chosen to be a hunter, he is whisked away to “The Institute” where he is given a whirlwind five days’ worth of training. The leaders and trainers have no reason to believe Gene is not a vampire, and he has no razor, soap, deodorant, or water. It becomes harder and harder for Gene to blend in among the vampires as he starts to grow facial hair, smell bad, and become dehydrated


4. World-building. This author did a nice job of creating his world in The Hunt. It is just as unique as his vampire lore. It was super easy for me to envision this book in my head as I was reading, and I can only imagine that this world will expand when the next book is released.  

5. The Ending. For the last quarter of the book, it was like speed-reading. Honestly. Because it was that action-packed and I was dying to know what was going to happen. There were THINGS THAT I WANTED TO HAPPEN, so I kept turning those pages as fast as I could. Then I got to the last page and it was an absolute abrupt HALT! I literally felt like, WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?

In truth, there were certain parts of the book that I felt like I could see coming, and I am okay with that, because I loved the heck out of this book. And the crazy ending? Well, it’s okay too, because I know another book is coming. It isn’t a HOW-CAN-YOU-DO-THIS-TO-ME cliffhanger or anything like that…it was just something I wasn’t expecting, which can be fun.

Overall, The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda is a book that I really enjoyed. I found the different take on vampire mythology to be fun and refreshing, and I always enjoy when someone has a unique idea on a classic. I am intrigued by the world created by this author, and I will definitely be reading the next book as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Seriously, though, these vampires are weird. And I mean that in a fun way.


The Hunt will appeal to fans of:

Vampires
Paranormal/Post-Apocalyptic Genre
Action-Packed Stories
Male Protagonist (YAY)

The Hunt
by Andrew Fukuda
is available for purchase on May 8, 2012.

**I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion and review. I received no compensation for my thoughts. Thank you St. Martin’s & NetGalley!

**********************************************

Because of the generosity of St. Martin’s Griffin
I am able to GIVEAWAY one ARC of THE HUNT 
to ONE LUCKY WINNER! 

Giveaway Information 
  • You must be at least 13 years old to enter. 
  • Deadline for entry is midnight May 16, 2012.
  • This contest is open to Everyone! 
  • Following this blog is not required, but appreciated!
  • After the contest is over and the winner is contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen via Rafflecopter. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck! 


Asheley

About Asheley

Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.

You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.

Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!

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54 responses to “My Thoughts On: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda + GIVEAWAY!

  1. Ileana A.

    I have a couple of favorite Vampire books: #1 Twilight, cliché I know, but because of them is that I love books now, a couple of years ago I did like to read, NADA at all, so from this series I like the first books! Other series is Evernight by Claudia Gray, my God, the first two books were excellent! Thanks for the giveaway!

  2. Oh my gosh! This kind of reminds of The Immortal Rules, only backwards. Instead of a vamp being the midst of humans, it's a human in the midst of vamps. I am definitely intrigued by this one. Great review, Asheley. As always.

    Hmm. Favorite vamp book/series? I would have to say Interview with a Vampire.

  3. I happened to get a review copy of this one as well, and I've been trying to decide whether I should pick up this one or Struck by Jennifer Bosworth next. I have to admit that I've read a lot of mixed reviews of The Hunt, but I'm still intrigued by the premise. That, and you seemed to enjoy it a lot! Either way, I'll be reading it in the near future!

    • Oh Natalie, I don't know how you manage to get the reviewing and the schoolwork done! You're kinda awesome.

      It's a fun book. Definitely an interesting spin on regular vampire lore. I laughed at all of the stuff the author pulled out of left field to mix with classic mythology. I thought it was great. I'll be reading book two when it comes out. I just love books that are fun.

  4. I have been reading some great reviews of this book, your's being no exception! I appreciate vampire books where the vampires are the bad guys, you know? Lately there just doesn't seem to be enough of that.

    So, my favorite vampire book(s: Sunshine by Robin McKinley (though it's more of a alternate world fantasy than a paranormal, kinda like The Hunt in a way?) and I have to go with my first vampire love: The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. There will never be another Louis or Lestat:)

    • I'm going to read Sunshine when I get a chance BECAUSE OF YOU. If it is one of your favorites, I trust that I will probably like it to because I trust your opinion wholeheartedly. And like I said a little earlier, I cannot believe I haven't read any of Anne Rice's books before. I'm a little bit ashamed of this, but one of these days I'll plow through them. I will, I swear it.

    • Capillya, I kept reading about the wrist-scratching and thinking it was so bizarre but really funny. And then I would find that my wrists would itch too. I loved it. It was the craziest thing to add to a book – I would NEVER think to add that to a story – and those are the types of twists that this author added to the regular vampire stuff that made this book fun.

      WRIST-SCRATCHING! Seriously! Loved it.

  5. The only vampire character that I like is Simon Lewis from The Mortal Instruments.
    I would say Twilight but I really dislike the vampires in those books Lol
    Thanks a lot for the giveaway! This book sounds amazing. It's already on my wishlist 🙂

  6. Na

    The Secret Circle (witches) series and The Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith. I read these books when they were first published in the 90s and I remember they were one of my earliest paranormal reads. They definitely help hooked me onto the genre 🙂

  7. Of course I have to say Twilight because that is almost expected anymore. However, being a traditionalist, I like the original Bela Lugosi vampire best. It was my introduction into that genre.

  8. Love the twist to this story. Always looking for something new. Will be reading this!
    I would say Bram Stoker's Dracula is my favorite vamp story. It is amazing and began my love of vampires.

  9. When they think something is funny they scratch their wrists? My poor wrists would be insanely raw then because I love to laugh:) I love a book that's a little strange and a little weird – it definitely makes it stand out. I'm really looking forward to this one, thanks so much for the chance to win!

    And I have so many favorite vampire stories, but I would say overall it would have to be the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward. Love those Brothers:)

  10. I would have to say that my favorite vampire book would have to be the Vampire Academy or The Mortal Instruments. I have heard that the Immortal Rules are awesome but I haven't had a chance to read it yet!!! I have heard so many great things about The Hunt I would love to read it as well!!!

  11. Hm… There are many vampire tales out there. But I really love the Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. It explores the depth of humanity left in a human-turned-vampire and it has such a sweet romance.

    • The Immortal Rules was unbelievably incredible. I just cannot wait to read the rest of the books when they come out. Julie Kagawa is absolutely one of my favorites and I KNOW this series will be stellar.

  12. Woohoo for a male protagonist! And oddball vampires? YES! I love picking out the differences between traditional lore and what makes these vampires the author's own. The only problem I have with reading from a male POV is liking the female love interest. They tend to feel so distant in comparison. I'm just really looking forward to the WEIRD VAMPINESS.

    And fave vampire series? Gosh, there are so many. Recently, though, one of my faves is The Immortal Rules. But long-time favorite would have to be The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey. 😀

    • ASHER!!!! What's up??!

      Immortal Rules, YES. But I've never read The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey! In fact, I've never read anything by this author. I'm thinking I should remedy this because I've been peepin on your reads and we read alike!

  13. Okay, so I had this one on my TBR then I learned it was about vampires and took it off. THEN I read your review and put it BACK on. See, I normally don't do vamps(though I did enjoy Drink, Slay, Love) but you write a rather convincing review, dear Asheley ;]

  14. Ems

    No question: my favorite vampire book is A Discovery of Witches. Definitely not YA (but not *that* kind of adult either :P) and SOOOOOOO good. I can't wait for the 2nd book!

    Thanks for the giveaway on this…I've heard so many good things about it, and I can't wait to read it!

  15. this one was not even on my radar.. it sure is now. I love different twists on things, and who can resist weird vampires. lol.

    My husband will be happy to see that these vampires don't sparkle. He's still bitter about me making him watch the twilight movie.. the hardcore horror fan he is.. <– can you believe I almost typed whorer. lol. It's definitely a monday. ha.

    I'm going to add this to my to read now.

  16. Favorite vampire series…. hhhhhmmmmm….
    I'd say even though some people thinks Twilight sucks (well, for me the 4th book), it's still my favorite

    • It's perfectly legit to still like the Twilight books. I have to admit, though, that I liked books one and four the best! I thought the middle books were the more boring of the series, but I'm not much of a fan of the wolves. 🙂

  17. I love different vampire books and I can't wait to read this one! My favorite vampire books would be Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey and it's sequel! I also love the Shadow World series by Dianne Sylvan but my favorite of that series is the first one, Queen of Shadows!

  18. Thanks for the great review! I have to say that I am a fan of the more traditional vampire mythology, such as Anne Rice. I really hate when people write about vamps being able to go out in the sun– they are creatures of the night for a reason!

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