The Prey

The Hunt #2

by Andrew Fukuda

For Gene and the remaining humans—or hepers—death is just a heartbeat away. On the run and hunted by society, they must find a way to survive in The Vast... and avoid the hungry predators tracking them in the dark. But they’re not the only things following Gene. He’s haunted by the girl he left behind and his burgeoning feelings for Sissy, the human girl at his side.

When they discover a refuge of exiled humans living high in the mountains, Gene and his friends think they’re finally safe. Led by a group of intensely secretive elders, the civilisation begins to raise more questions than answers. A strict code of behaviour is the rule, harsh punishments are meted out, young men are nowhere to be found—and Gene begins to wonder if the world they’ve entered is just as evil as the one they left behind. As life at the refuge grows more perilous, he and Sissy only grow closer. In an increasingly violent world, all they have is each other... if they can only stay alive.

Genres: Young Adult, Vampires, Dystopia, Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Science Fiction

326 pages, Hardcover

First published January 29, 2013

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.

From the author's website.

Reviews

[Eleni Ouzouni (Life is Art) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Την κριτική θα την βρείτε και στο Life is Art

To θήραμα είναι το δεύτερο βιβλίο της τριλογίας του Αντριου Φουκούντα και ξεκινάει ακριβώς εκεί που μας άφησε με τους Gene, Sissy, ben και όλοι την ομάδα να έχουν αποδράσει από τον θόλο και να βρίσκονται έξω στην άγρια φύση όπου προσπαθούν να ακολουθήσουν τις ασαφείς οδηγίες που τους έχει δώσει ο επιστήμονας. Κάθε μέρα όμως οι κυνηγοί φτάνουν όλο και πιο κοντά τους και οι πιθανότητες να τους σκοτώσουν είναι μεγάλες. Τότε κρυμμένο μέσα σε καταρράχτες και βουνά βρίσκουν ένα χωριό ανθρώπων όπου φαίνεται να ζουν ειρηνικά και με άφθονα υλικά αγαθά. Όσο όμως ζουν και συναναστρέφονται μαζί τους, τόσο καταλαβαίνουν ότι κάτι δεν πάει καλά με την κοινωνία αυτήν.

Το πρώτο βιβλίο της τριλογίας το είχα βρει πολύ ενδιαφέρον προς την ιδέα αλλά χωρίς να έχει καταφέρει ο συγγραφέας να την αποδώσει τόσο σωστά. Με μεγάλη μου έκπληξη βρήκα το θήραμα πάρα πολύ βελτιωμένο, ο συγγραφέας έχοντας καταλάβει προφανώς τα λάθει του, έχει προσπαθήσει να τα βελτιώσει στο μέγιστο! Σε αντίθεση με το πρώτο βιβλίο η δράση είναι καταιγιστική από το πρώτο κεφάλαιο ως το τελευταίο, ενώ η απεικόνιση των βρικολάκων σε αντίθεση με άλλα βιβλία του είδους είναι πραγματικά τρομαχτική! Τέλος ανακαλύπτουμε νέες πληροφορίες για τον κόσμο και πως φτάσαμε σε αυτήν την κατάσταση, που εξυπηρετούν πολύ καλά την συνέχεια της πλοκής της ιστορίας μας.

Ο Gene μου αρέσει πολύ ως χαρακτήρας. Είναι ίσως λίγο παραπάνω σοβαρός και κρύος αλλά αυτό καταφέρνει να δώσει μια ισορροπία με τους άλλους χαρακτήρες αλλά και να μην γίνεται υπερβολικά δραματική η ιστορία. Η αλήθεια είναι πως τον συμπόνεσα πολύ με τις τύψεις που ένιωθε έχοντας αφήσει πίσω την Ashley γιατί ήταν κάτι που θα ένιωθα και εγώ η ίδια. Μετά έχουμε την Sissy που ήδη από το πρώτο βιβλίο μου είχε κεντρίσει το ενδιαφέρον αλλά εδώ έγινε η αγαπημένη μου. Είναι πιο δυναμική και παρορμητική από τον Gene και έτσι μαζί κάνουν ένα πολύ δυνατό δίδυμο. Επίσης μου άρεσε που ο συγγραφέας δεν προσπάθησε με το ζόρι να κάνει ένα ρομάτζο αλλά το έχει αφήσει να κυλήσει τόσο φυσικά και όμορφα μεταξύ τους. Τα υπόλοιπα παιδιά της ομάδας υπήρχαν στιγμές που με νευρίαζαν αλλά ταυτόχρονα ήταν πολύ αληθοφανής οι αντιδράσεις τους, εκτός του ότι είναι μικροί ηλικιακά σε σχέση με τους δυο πρωταγωνιστές μας, έχουν ζήσει μια ζωή κλεισμένοι μέσα στο θόλο χωρίς επαφές με άλλους ανθρώπους και με την φύση.

Το The Prey είναι ένα πολύ άξιο sequel και αν θέλετε να διαβάσετε μια πιο ιδιαίτερη ιστορία με στοιχεία paranormal και dystopian που δεν βλέπουμε συχνά, η τριλογία του Andrew Fukuda που κυκλοφορεί στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις μεταίχμιο και μπορείτε να τα βρείτε και σε πολύ προσιτές τιμές είναι μια πολύ καλή λύση!

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit part of the reason why I liked The Hunt so much was because it was bizarre different (I know, I'm weird like that). The hepers were the minority living among the duskers, and the bizarreness - like the sticking their elbows into each others' armpits or the wrist scratching - made it unique, and I'm a bit disappointed there wasn't any weirdness in this book.

Taking those things out of the book made The Prey much a like any other dystopian - one that follows the general storyline of a world that exists a certain way, and the inhabitants learned that they have been lied to al their lives. However, much of the world-building took place in the first book, so this one was able to take off from the start. It was full of action and excitement, and even though it was predictable, it was more than enough to suck me in - particularly with the puzzles that the Scientist left behind.

I was left with questions however, mostly from something that was explained in the first book. Sissy and her "family" were raised in the Dome and were said to be the last hepers in the world. However, it was also rumored that there was a heper farm underneath the Palace, although this was never proven. Does that farm provide for the heper in the Dome (because Sissy had said they had parents but they left one day and never came back), or are there other Domes, raising the future population for future hunts. Since the 18th Ruler had declared hepers extinct, but the last hunt was 10 years ago involving hepers the Palace admitted they had secretly habored, it's hard to believe there are more Domes out there, which makes me wonder why there was the Dome separate from the farm in the first place. I guess either way, it may be explained in the next book as they reach their destination.

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much, though for different reasons than the rest. I'm looking forward to see how Fukuda plans to explain what's really going on with the heper population.

[Vaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second installment was more fast paced and with more action. There were a lot of twists in the plot that kept me hooked. Can't wait to see how this is going to end...

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read along with BBP, March 2013.

I'm afraid a lot of people will read and think it is just too weird, resulting in them not giving this one a chance. This Second book was much more story-oriented, a lot of the oddities sort of take a back seat (they are still there, but maybe just not as much of a major player). I very much so enjoyed this one.
There were a few predictable moments, but for the most part I was constantly being suprised. This was fast-paced and action packed, a real adventure book!

......................Spoilers from this point on.....................

So, the first part of this book sort of stressed me out. I was afraid they were going to be on the run for the whole book. Serious heart palpatations going on. So, even though the village wasn't exactly a perfect stop, I was glad for just that.... a stop. I sort of figured out about it being a baby-producing-farm right off, since there was pretty much no young guys and a ton of pregnant girls running around. The whole small feet thing was so strange, but I guess conformity happens in lots of ways....

I figured Ashley June would either die or get turned, but that ending with her...Hmmmmmm. I am curious, because she did show some humanity toward Gene. I wonder how that will play out. Are we going to have to deal with a love triangle between Gene, Ashley June and Sissy?!?!?!? Will Ashley June get cured?

I am a little worried about Gene's Father, the scientist. Is he going to live up to all his promises? Is he even going to be alive at all??(He better be) What exactly is it about Gene and Sissy that is the cure?

The new addition of Clair makes me have another hmmmmm? moment. Is she to be trusted?

As you see, I have lots of unanswered questions and I'm an super excited to see where the next book will take us!!!!


AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! 4 stars!

Fukuda strikes again!

Sidenote: These names drove me crazy (and I know I'm not alone on this), so for them to wind up being such a critical part of the story is Crazy! Fukuda might just be an evil genius!

[Rani Simpson]

Um...I'm want to see ashley June get rescued! How can he fall for another girl when Ashley June risked her life for him in a huge way, and is left rotting in a hole!! Idk, I want to read this sequel, but the first book was quit a bit laborious in the middle!! I more than likely will read it, but I will be highly upset of he just let's Ashley June die or something.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

2014 F.A.B. Bookclub pick # I.❤️. F.A.B.

I couldn't put it down. Full of mystery and suspense! I'm so glad I don't have to wait to read the third one... Here I go!

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Prey is everything I expected from the sequel to The Hunt. I know that sounds like a positive reaction and I could talk about how all my expectations were met, but that's just my problem - I anticipated everything. Thinking back, I really liked The Hunt because it's a survival story centered around a guy in a tough situation where one wrong move meant instant death at the fangs of the vampires around him, I wasn't so concerned with the dystopian backstory, and that's why I'm mildly disappointed by this sequel - The Prey isn't so much about Gene's struggle to survive as much as it's an exploration of how the vampire society came about.

One of my favorite parts of the first book is the vampires being so different from humans and the lengths Gene goes to survive. I know it's not realistic, but sleeping on ceilings, eating raw meats, shoving elbows into armpits, craving for Hepers, the stuff Gene has to do to escape detection and the constant threat of being discovered and devoured added a layer of suspense to The Hunt that The Prey really couldn't replicate. There are a few flashback scenes, including one of Gene losing his tooth and living in fear of the tooth being discovered by the vampires, but it's just not the same when I know Gene's alive, so I never got the same feeling of imminent doom that really carried the first half of The Hunt. Instead, Gene, Sissy, and the boys' escape from the Heper Institute and their search for the promised land of milk and honey is really like another other journey slash escape where the heroes are chased by monsters, it's not boring, there are certainly plenty of action scenes and moments when all of them could die in an instant, but it just lacks that extra psychological element that made The Hunt so truly compelling.

Once Gene arrives at the Mission, the refuge for humans, the story degenerated into a typical dystopian plot for me. There are hints of some bigger conspiracy at work with the treatment of the girls, the excessive resource use of the village, and the stuff with Gene's father, all written with Fukuda's at this point trademark weirdness (foot binding like it's written by a foot fetishist!!), but the story isn't any different than any other dystopian where the protagonist knows something is wrong with the society he encounters, loudly barges around trying to get to the bottom of things, and ultimately gets nowhere. Gene can openly air his suspicions with Sissy, yell at the people in charge, and rant all he wants about not getting anywhere, but it doesn't change the fact that all Fukuda is doing is concealing a backstory and reveals that are entirely predictable based on the information from The Hunt. Everything Gene learns, I could've told him based on his cursory observations of how things worked and what I learned from the previous book, so the intentional concealing of the obvious just left me extremely frustrated as Gene hits brick wall after brick wall after brick wall even though the answers are right there as even Gene knows in his gut.

Only a few things keep The Prey from falling into the completely predictable category for me. I took what happened to Gene's father in The Hunt at face value, which in retrospect was a mistake on my part, because I did not expect Gene's father to play as large of a role here as he did. Didn’t expect to see Ashley June again either, although her appearance makes me wonder why she wasn’t just eaten outright. Although most of my predictions about how the vampire society came about are pretty much confirmed by this book, I have to say Gene's role in humanity's future, while I easily saw it coming from what I figured out about how vampires took over the world, is actually pretty good for setting up the third book. I'm not sure if I like how Fukuda pretty much reveals exactly what I expected the Mission's true purpose to be and then at the very end says something to the effect of 'it might not be as you think!' because adding another layer of doubt much earlier would've really helped to tap down the predictability, but now I really don't know what to think about what will happen next.

So I made a few predictions after reading The Hunt, and I'm disappointed that The Prey pretty much confirms all of them without being as character driven as the first book was - Gene as the tough survivor in particular is sorely missed. Sure, I enjoyed the ravenous vampire attacks as usual, but I wanted to see more, although the hints towards the end make me think the third book will surprise me.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I always hope that, where I've enjoyed the first book in a series, the rest will prove to be at least as good. Andrew Fukuda's debut novel, The Hunt, while not a favorite was an enjoyable action read, a nice change of pace from my more contemplative reads. In reading The Prey, I really hoped to find more of the same, but instead it alternated between wtfery and completely predictable plot twists.

Since I like to give credit where credit is due, there are two things that I did like about The Prey. First, Fukuda writes well, doing a much better job with his syntax and diction than is typical in more action-based stories. Second, he does give the world an origin story in this installment. Where The Hunt suffered from a lack of world building, Fukuda attempts to explain how the creatures came to rule the earth. While I'm not exactly sold on the reasoning and it could have been better done than in a villain's infodumping speech, I appreciate that Fukuda did put thought into this, and I'd like to see more dystopian/post-apocalytpic novels that tackle this aspect.

As I mentioned previously, the most solid aspect of The Hunt, what kept me flipping pages despite the nonsensical world building, was the non-stop action. The Prey starts off slowly and continues to chug along at that slow pace most of the novel. The hepers (aka humans) have escaped down the river on a boat, searching for the promised land, The Land of Milk and Honey. (Insert eyeroll here.) There's a brief interlude of excitement with an attack by the creatures, duskers as they're called in this book, but otherwise the first half is to set up some new romantic tension, which I will get back to later.

Mostly, this slow portion gave me time to really focus on the little details, like the character names. These poor characters have some of the very worst names I have ever encountered. To be fair, there is a reason behind the names, though some of it is unfortunate and Epap (the most nonsensical name) never is explained. What really bothers me is that both female love interests, easily the strongest characters in the series, have been saddled with the most absurdly weak sounding names: Ashley June and Sissy. Why couldn't she just be Ashley or June? Why Ashley June, a name which makes her sound like a country western singer or a girl getting ready for her Super Sweet Sixteen? Of course, if she does start some sort of country western show, Sissy and the Hepers can open for her.

After sailing down the river, crashing down a waterfall, and climbing up a cave, they find a village of humans. Le shock! They're not the only ones still alive! (Insert my incredibly-surprised face right here.) They're immediately served up a feast of delicious food by beautiful girls, albeit ones with funny walks. Clearly this is is The Land of Milk and Honey! But, oh no! It turns out that all is not well in Creepytown! (Insert gasp here.)

Let's just talk about this town, shall we? This town consists of nubile young women, many of them pregnant, and middle-aged, obese men who call themselves elders. That's about it. The fact that it takes the characters any amount of time to determine that something's amiss boggles my mind. Anyway, not only is this town evil, because, hey, that's how things roll in dystopian novels, but it's freaking crazypants. For example, these young women all have such tiny, fucked up feet that they walk in a really weird gait. Yup, this town practices footbinding. Why, you might ask? Well, here are some quotes from the townspeople on women's feet:
"'See, that's the thing with girls with big man-sized feet,' Krugman says from behind us, his voice a slithering coo. 'When their feet haven't been beautified, when the foot glands haven't been broken. Left undestroyed, these glands secrete male hormones into a girl. Turn her from a princess into an opinionated ox. One who fails to understand her place in society, who mistakenly things she can walk like a male, talk like a male, have opinions like a male. Say no to a male. "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a girl with big feet."'" (165)
"'They made me a gopher. I'd go down two times a week with medicine, supplies. That's why they didn't bind my feet but let them grow into man feet—so I'd be able to walk the many miles, climb the cabled ladder. I hated it, in the beginning, mostly because of how my feet got so big and ugly. The other girls were merciless with their taunts. Man feet, man feet, man feet,' she grimaces from the memory." (224)
In case you're wondering, yes, that did just really happen. What really bothers me about this is that it seems to solely be a device to make the book more dramatic and terrifying. Having the women around as breeders for disgusting old fat men isn't enough? They have to have their feet bound too? REALLY?

It gets better, though. Not only do they get their feet bound and be impregnated by these men, but they also are issued either merits or rewards based on how obedient they are. A merit can be earned by doing good things, like birthing a baby. A demerit is earned any time a woman steps out of line, like by doing something alone. Each time a woman earns one or the other, the skin of her arm is marked: a branded X for a demerit and a smiley face tattoo for good behavior. I really, really wish I were joking. Apparently this society was created by a demented child.

Running through this absurd landscape of offensive horrors is a cast of flat characters. Gene has all the girls wanting him, and all of the guys jealous of him. The good guys are all obviously good, and the bad guys obviously bad. Women, with the exception of Sissy and Ashley June, are weak. Gene is the most important person, intended to be saved from harm, even at the loss of everyone else's life, which turns out to be incredibly laughable and illogical after you learn the final plot twist.

The romance, though thankfully kept to the backburner, is saccharine and unconvincing, perhaps because of the entire lack of development in the characters. Days after leaving Ashley June to a certain horrible fate with the duskers, Gene and Sissy are having special moments of staring, complete with added tension due to Epap's jealousy. Gene and Sissy have not a bit of sexual tension, nor do they have any sort of real bond. They're good at helping each other survive, so hanging together and hooking up is cool (not that they do), but that does not excuse all the syrupy language used for their every interaction.

The two of them pretty much made me want to throw up whenever they looked at one another, especially when he nearly drowns, she gives him mouth to mouth, and he thinks this: "Then velvet lips on mine, dewy and sweet. Soft on soft, the lips alive and encompassing. Then becoming fiercer, the grip ironclad" (249). Ugh, dude, this is not the freaking Sandlot. You have no oxygen in your lungs; you are dying. Now is not the time to rhapsodize about the softness of her lips. Now, I haven't ever experienced mouth to mouth resuscitation, but I'm pretty sure that the only thing I would be thinking about would be BREATHING. If you're feeling horny while your lungs are full of water, you really should sort out your damn priorities.

This book is nothing like The Hunger Games, though the first one had some elements thereof, so please do not get sucked into that marketing. What it comes down to is, if you're curious or think those things won't bother you, then read it. Other people have read The Prey and enjoyed it. All I can say is that I really, really did not, and that I will not be reading any more of this series.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Στο δεύτερο μέρος της τριλογίας κλιμακώνεται η αγωνία και η δράση! Ένα βιβλίο που σε "γραπώνει" και δε σε αφήνει να ηρεμήσεις μέχρι να φτάσεις στο τέλος!

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t crazy about The Hunt, but as I brought the entire trilogy whilst on offer I decided to dive into The Prey with crossed fingers. My big issue with The Hunt was that it never quite reached the full potential, with things constantly remaining just out of reach, and I was hoping the continuation of the story would finally push us towards the good stuff.

If I’m being completely honest, I had a bit of a debate as to whether I would round this rating up or down. As it was a stronger read than the first book, I decided to round it up. It wasn’t the mind blowing second book it could have been, but it certainly packed more of a punch than the first book.

With The Prey, the world really started to open up. We were introduced to a number of new elements, we got to see beyond the small snippet of the world we were given, and it was this insight into something bigger than had me rounding my rating up. A lot of what came to light was predictable, there were moments where I wanted to shake the main characters for remaining oblivious to what was before them, but as a whole I enjoyed watching the way things developed in this second book.

It does, however, leave you eager to see how things come together in the final book. There is plenty of action towards the end of the book, with there being countless questions you need answers to. Although I would not label The Hunt as one of my favourite series, it certainly leaves you curious to see how things come together.

If nothing else, The Prey leaves you questioning how The Trap will bring everything together.

[Sultanah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's the thing—once i finished reading the first book in the series i felt no compelling need to write a review, and the moment i finished its sequel, i knew why.

With this series, you dont realize how much is off about the first book until you read the second. And that in itself is a flaw, especially with dystopian series.
The kind of information you'd want to know being introduced to a new world is only given, in this case, in the SECOND book of the series rather than the first. I'd hate to spoil it for you, but anyone reading this series would know exactly what i mean. But that's the problem, no one would bother continuing it if their primary questions weren't answered to begin with..

All that aside, Andrew Fukuda's way with words is remarkable; every single word charmed me, never once failing to lure me into the pits of the spine-chilling world described in the series. Barely any character description is given, but when it is, it's like poetry amidst chaos, heaven in hell. I relished it.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this a lot more than the first! I don't know if it's because I listened on Audiobook instead of reading it this time, or maybe it simply was better.

I knew there was something weird going on with 'The Mission' but was still horrified to know the truth in the end. As with the first, this was so fast-paced! The first part of the book is the survivors journey to the promised land, even though it was a lot of traveling it was still exciting.

I liked how we got more background about Gene's dad and the "Duskers". This was a big step up from the first book. I have high hopes for the last one, I want everything to be tied up in a nice bow in the end.

[Chicca Palmentieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stelle e mezzo

[Bonnie McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sequel to The Hunt, which I read a few months ago. The Prey definitely improved on its predecessor; in fact, it is one of the best books I have read so far this year.

The previous book introduced a dark, bloody, dystopian world, where humans are seemingly all but extinct, subsumed by a new breed: a superstrong, superfast cannibalistic "people" who will literally tear you limb from limb, eating your flesh and drinking your blood. The hero, Gene, survives by the use of a brazenly clever "Purloined Human" (or "Heper," what humans are called in this book) technique: he hides in the midst of the monsters, pretending to be one of them (helped along by excessive showering, use of deodorant, and razors, to hide the body hair the monsters apparently do not grow). He has thought like one of them, as a matter of survival, for so long that it is very hard for him to remember that he is, in fact, human, which was one of the first book's major plot points.

This book ups the stakes exponentially, and answers a great many questions. The "duskers," as we learn they are called, are actually genetically engineered supersoldiers gone wrong. They were bred to fight humanity's wars centuries ago and ended up turning on their creators. There is supposedly a cure for this called the "Origin," which the group from the first book spends a great deal of time searching for (and finds in the Very. Last. Sentence. of this book--seriously, I've never seen cliffhangers like Andrew Fukuda writes). Gene and his pals, still being pursued by the duskers, stumble upon a hidden city of humans that is not quite right, to say the least. Either they're watching the desert city where the duskers, still five million strong, are confined, or they're humanity's last stand, products of a devil's bargain with the duskers. That point is not resolved; I trust it will be addressed in the last book of the trilogy.

The hallmarks of the first book remain: the almost unbearable tension and the gripping action scenes that all but explode off the page. If this story ever makes it to the movie screen, it would take a trilogy of films, a la The Hunger Games, to do it justice.

(Edited to add 9/11/13: After thinking about it, I changed my rating to five stars. It was silly to give the first book in the series five and this one only four [the original rating]. I want to be stingy with five-star reviews, but this book definitely deserves it.)

[Esther Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not appreciate this book very much. There was an immense plot and a couple shocking plot twists that I liked, but I just didn't relate. Even though the story line was good, the writing was not something I would want to read again. I was very disappointed since I really enjoyed the first book of this series. I would not recommend unless you otherwise see fit. Anyhow, I think you should read the first book of the series, The Hunt, it was very good. Even though I did not particularly enjoy this book, I am still planning on reading the third and final book.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know! I am so weird. Cause I like the book. It really is a bit fascinating reading a different kind of vampires. Where they are not sparkly and totally ran out of humanity. Incapable of love and reason.

What I don't like was that it was not based on the first book The Hunt. Where they are in a Dome and all that crap. Well of course, from the last page of first book we know that Gene managed to escape the Heper Institute. But one might think it'll be lead back in that Institute. That's what I keep thinking. That he'll come back for Ashley June.

The second book revolves on how and what happened to Gene and the rest of the Dome people (Sissy, Epap, David, Jacob, Ben) try to survive. And finally some bit of the truth. The history. Finally. But still got some questions going on.

Remember the Amazing Spiderman movie last year? Where this evil guy who experimented on himself? It reminds me of the story someone told in this book. LOL. :P

Regardless of that, I am looking forward for the last book of this series and excited to know what is the real deal. I wonder how it will all be explained to us by Fukuda. It is a good read. Although... the ending is like "how many months do I have to wait for the last book?" thing. It's not the violent reaction though. :p

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a worthy sequel!!! It was phenomenal, full of action and fast paced!
This book take a new direction than the first book which makes it so much more awesome than I had dared to hope for!
There are a lot of secrets which need to be solved and the story takes a few amazing twists and turns!
Loved Gene who is slowly getting a strong boy who deserves to be called a hero'

Loved Sissy and all the kids who survived and run away with them!

The ending again left me speechless and the cliffhanger left me with my mouth hanging wide open!!!

[At least I read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm saving my review until the girls finish because I don't want to give anything away. I will however say I liked it more than the first book. Again though I am left feeling like I don't have any answers and it is frustrating as all heck!

[Zuzana Malá · Rating 4 out of 5]

přes půl roku rozečtené
měla jsem to dočíst dřív
konec byl boží
už aby přišel poslední díl :D

http://malousesvetknih.blogspot.cz/20...

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

MY THOUGHTS
This book takes place right where The Hunt left off. Gene is escaping on the boat with the other humans, still reeling about the fact that The Scientists and his father are one and the same. They're on the hunt for the paradise that The Scientist mentioned and when they come across a village of humans, they think that they must have found paradise, but is it? Gene and Sissy have far too many questions about this society, like where are all the young boys and why are there no adult women in this society? And where did Gene's father go? But this village does not like Gene and Sissy asking questions...

So, I liked this one better than The Hunt. My main issue with The Hunt was that there were just far too many plot holes in the worldbuilding. There are still plot holes, but The Prey actually tries to address some of the questions I had before. I wondered at some points whether Fukuda was just making stuff up as he goes because some things just did not connect, but I must admit that he actually did think through some details. They just don't correlate because no one has the real answer and people seem to be making their own history. In this book, it is really starting to be a hunt (haha) for answers rather than just for survival, which I thought was interesting. Again, there are still holes in the story, but it did not bother me as much in this book.

This book focuses more on the humans rather than the vampires, so if you want to see vampires, this may be disappointing. This did make the book seem more akin to the run-of-the-mill dystopian at points, they literary run into a totalitarian (and misogynistic) society. There are still some unique details though and there are plenty of twists throughout the story, so it is not as predictable as the first book. Although, some points are still predictable.

As for Gene, I sometimes have difficulty with his character because he makes stupid decisions. I did not particularly like him in the first book because he thought himself better than other humans. I chalked it up to how he was raised, but I'm not sure whether he has changed. There is a point where he actually mentions that he does not care whether the girls in the village die "because they brought it on themselves". They did not. They were innocents. I think he still doesn't care about humans, mostly just himself. He extends his care-meter to Sissy, but that's it. By the way, Ashley June is hardly ever mentioned in this book. There is a point in this book that he is given the opportunity to abandon everyone, yet again, and he almost took it. I got so angry for a little bit because it was seeming like he was being selfish again and there was no character growth. But...he did come through.

As for the other characters, we do see a lot more of the Dome humans, mainly Sissy. Sissy is a very prominent character in this book. The others are off having fun in the village. Did I care about them? Yes. Did I feel like I knew them? No. We still aren't really given a chance to know them and I kept getting the boys mixed up. Again, Sissy is a prominent character and I like her character, a lot more than Gene's. There is a hint of a romance, just a small hint, which I'm glad for because I don't like romance overpowering a book. In fact, I don't really want a romance between Gene and Sissy because I think they are strong as a team.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did like this better than the first book. There was more worldbuilding and a lot of twists. I still have some qualms, but I plan on reading the last book in the series.

[Ollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

CW:cult and related to it: forced pregnancy, old men raping young women/girls - sexual slavery, confinement, mutilation, sexist hierarchy, killings of the born children for meat; general violence, death and gore, drugging

Another book down. A little bit better than the first book if you overlook the plotholes and general messiness of the story. Gene is still annoying with his fascination for Sisy who swiftly substituted the gal from the first book. Still unnecessary description of how smooth her skin is and whatever. The neverending descriptions and weird comparisons are still present, I mean: "I know it by the proximity of the wet walls, my presence like a thick dry tongue inside a tiny mouth." or "She looks like a wood elf with her pixie-cut bleach-white hair and waifish figure. A black scarf is cinched around her neck, dark like the shell of a black scorpion."

Ignoring all that, the story is disturbing as hell. This might be YA but for the 17+ group. Cultish at its worse: forced pregnancies by old men onto young women/girls - so rape also, confinement, sexist hierarchy, killings of the born children for meat and shit like that so gross as hell. I have to say though that the pacing was pretty fast and while I didn't enjoy my time that much, it flew by. Again as in the first book, the action scenes were quite confusing at times and I didn't know who is where and what is happening because of how it was written.

It's messy and I, one: cannot wait to finish this trilogy to get it over with, and two: want to see how in the world is the author going to wrap this mess up.

[Carina Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read The Prey ever since I finished The Hunt this May. And now I finally got the chance to do so; and I must say that it was worth the wait :) I remember loving the first book a whole lot. The writing, the plot, the characters. And I still did that. Only, I do think that the first book was better. But even so. I enjoyed this book a whole lot, and I never wanted to stop reading it, and I cannot wait for the third and final one. It will be a long wait. Because this book ends kind of bad. Big cliffhanger. Something awful is about to happen. And it really is the best ending as well. Cruel and perfect ;p

The Prey starts right where The Hunt ended. Which I will be spoiling a lot about right now. So you probably should not read more if you have not yet read The Hunt. You have been warned. Anyway. Book one ended with Gene, Sissy and the four boys leaving on a boat on the river. Gene had to leave Ashley June behind. Sniffs. It starts the day after, while they are still on the river. I must admit that it took me a little time to get used to the writing. I blame it on me having gotten so picky with things I read these past months :p But I did end up loving it, so I don't mind much.

The book is still from the point of view of Gene. And I loved that. Because I find Gene to be an amazing character. He's a bit broken, though. Which I loved even more. There were a few things about him that annoyed me, but yeah, I did love him. He's kind and smart. He doesn't like to open up at first, but he does. I did love that as well. Just wish it had been written even longer (A) Hih. We also learn more about his father. And the Scientist. I must admit that I did not like his father much.

I mean, he isn't in the book. Not really. But we read a lot about him, and at first Gene seems to have some hate for him. And I loved that very much. But then he changes his mind, and starts loving him again. I did not approve of that. I mean, yes, I do understand him. But yeah. I still think his father is an asshole, to be honest. I mean, he left his son alone, when he was still just a kid, with a whole bunch of evil vampires. And no friends, family, or other humans. Yeah. I did not like his dad. At all.

There are vampires in this book. At least, I think they are. The people in this book don't call them that. They call them Duskers. Which is a fitting name. But yeah. Pretty sure they are vampires :) They are a lot different than others that I have read about, and I loved that a lot. They are interesting. And exciting. And scary and creepy. Also kind of perfect. I did enjoy reading about them a lot. Mentioned them more in my review of The Hunt, so I won't do that now :) Anyway. They are an amazing plot twist.

Most of this book is about Gene and Sissy. And there is some romance between them as well. And I did like that. I wanted them together. Kind of. I also liked Ashley June a lot, though. But she wasn't there. Most likely dead. We do get to know for sure, though. Good thing: Gene feels guilty for feeling things for Sissy. I'm glad for that. But I am upset that I didn't feel that much of the romance. Just didn't feel it :\ But I still loved it, and I did want for more. So yeah. I am super excited for the last book ;)

One thing I didn't like were the four boys with Sissy. Well, okay, yes, I did like Jacob and Ben and David. But mostly because they were kids. And they were adorable. I did not like Epap, though. He was about the age of Gene and Sissy. And he was kind of in love with Sissy. Which made him a total asshole, to be honest. Didn't like him much. Might have approved of him at the ending, but still ;) The five of them, the ones who had lived in the Dome, they were a bit stupid in the beginning. At least to me. But they got better. A lot better. And I did like reading about them all. Sigh. I just wanted more and more.

We get to see a new place in this book. The Mission. This little place of paradise where a few hundred humans live. It is kind of amazing. For Gene and them, the first days. But then they see how it really is there. And my god. It gave me shivers. This place is awful. Goddamn awful. And I loved reading about it so much. I do love these awful places. It's a "town" run by a bunch of old men, The Elders. There are just young girls there. No boys or men. Or older woman. It is awful. And so good.

I won't say what happens at this place. But yeah. It's amazing to read about. And I kind of wanted another 100 pages about it. But then a lot more gruesome things would have to happen. Would not have wanted that. A lot of awful things do happen, though. Like the branding of the girls. It was not nice. And the thing they did to their feet! AH! *Shudders.* But also so good. I'm conflicted. I hated that there were a lot of rape in this village, though. We never got to see it, but I was sure it was happening.

I won't share more of the plot now. Have shared a few important things ;) But there is a lot more happening in this book. And it is all so amazing. You really must read The Prey if you have read The Hunt. And if you haven't read the first one yet, you must get on that ;) We get to learn so much in this book. But I also wished we had learned more. But it was also enough. The ending of this book is kind of awful. There is a small hope right at the end, last page. But it doesn't matter. Not when you think back to what happened the few pages before that. And yeah. I really need the third book right now!

There is a lot happening in The Prey. Lots of exciting things. Lots of death. Some happy things. But it was all amazing to read about. And I never wanted to stop reading this book. Wished it had been longer. But I cannot wait for the third book, so I'm glad there is another one coming out :) I really enjoyed this book. Even though I am giving it a four star, because I didn't love it as much as the first one. But it was still so good and a really great read. I'm glad I got to read it. And I will re-read it someday :)

Thank you to Andrew for writing these amazing books. And thank you to St. Martin's Press for letting me read and review this book more than a month before it comes out. You really must get it in January :)

[Книжни Криле · Rating 4 out of 5]

Продължаваме с вампирската дистопия на Андрю Фукуда! Днес ще говорим за „Плячката” и „Капанът” – втора и трета книга от трилогията „Ловът” (изд. „Orange Books”), чиято първа част представихме вчера. Предстои среща с оцелелите хора, които съвсем не са лъча надежда, който сме очаквали, както и неочаквани разкрития за същността и произхода на кръвопийците, които ще обърнат с главата надолу представите на Джийн за света в който живее. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[KuroNeko (Maud) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moults rebondissements, un tome 2 à la hauteur du tome 1 😊

[Sierra Abrams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prey by Andrew Fukuda
Book 2 in a trilogy
5/5 stars
(I tried to keep this spoiler free for those who haven't read the first book, but read at your own risk...)

Bear with me. I finished this book last night. I am STILL in shock.

Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I really genuinely loved the first book. (I rated it a little lower because I couldn't stomach some of the scenes...but really. It was BRILLIANT.) And that cliffhanger, right? Ok well this was worse.

ANDREW FUKUDA I LOVE YOU.

Currently sitting in my chair contemplating the meaning of life because of this book. And I can't say anything to you all because...well...you might not have read it. But really. It was right under my nose (see book for reference) the WHOLE TIME and I didn't have a clue. I thought I was guessing some things but then...nope. I've come to the conclusion that Andrew is smarter than 90% of all life on this planet....or he just knows how to weave a really great story. Or both. Either is fine with me. And totally believable.

Can we talk about how much I love Gene? Because I LOVE Gene. He is so incredible. I could kiss him. I love that this book has a male narrator - if it had been a girl, it wouldn't have had the same weight. I love female narrators, don't get me wrong, but I don't pass up any opportunity to read sci-fi from a man's POV. (See Tempest.)

And then there are the side characters - Sissy, Ben, Epap, Jacob, David...and some new faces. Clair, Krugman, the elders, the pregnant women. And we see some great returns, too, one of which I totally called. There was another I wasn't so sure about and...yeah. Zipping my mouth shut now.

Also - Sissy grew on me so much within the first 50 pages. I liked her before, sure, but now I just LOVE her. She's a rockstar. I want to be like Sissy. She has so much to offer to this story and I can say that she definitely eased some of my pain about that one character in The Hunt who made incredible sacrifices and made me SO SAD. Sissy was like a salve on my wounds.

Can you all just read this book? Kthxbai.

This book reminds me of...
Creepy men (seriously, I'm not joking)
Pregnant women (again, not even kidding you)
Prisons disguised as safe havens
Suspense that just hangs in the air even though nothing is happening and everything feels safe
One single word that I can't say because it gives away the entire ending (if you've read it, you KNOW)
Incredibly complex plot twists that blow my mind to pieces
Trains. Scary trains.
Incredibly amazing book boys that deserve to go into a hall of fame or something
Nearly drowning
Etc, etc.
(Basically all this book reminds me of is horrifying and creepy things, and somehow this is a good thing. Pregnant women, in of themselves, are not creepy, but his book....... *dies* Don't ask me how Fukuda did it, but he did.)

Summary
(Spoilers for the 1st book!)
For Gene and the remaining humans—or hepers—death is just a heartbeat away. On the run and hunted by society, they must find a way to survive in The Vast... and avoid the hungry predators tracking them in the dark. But they’re not the only things following Gene. He’s haunted by the girl he left behind and his burgeoning feelings for Sissy, the human girl at his side.

When they discover a refuge of exiled humans living high in the mountains, Gene and his friends think they’re finally safe. Led by a group of intensely secretive elders, the civilisation begins to raise more questions than answers. A strict code of behaviour is the rule, harsh punishments are meted out, young men are nowhere to be found—and Gene begins to wonder if the world they’ve entered is just as evil as the one they left behind. As life at the refuge grows more perilous, he and Sissy only grow closer. In an increasingly violent world, all they have is each other... if they can only stay alive.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seen At Scott Reads It

This is what you want then? I say. To be chased, to be hunted? To be their prey your whole life? Born prey, die prey? I look at them in turn. This is our chance to be more than prey.

I am now convinced that 2013 is the Year Of The Sequel. Every single sequel I have read that comes out in 2013 has been better than it's predecessor (Through The Ever Night, Asunder,The Prey, The Lives We Lost, Vortex). Notice also that all of these superior sequels are also the second book in a trilogy. Sorry that was me trying to act all philosophical and smart.


The Prey is a remarkable sequel that was truly captivating and it definitely outshines its predecessor. I loved how Fukuda introduced a whole new dystopian society in The Prey. This society was incredibly original and it seems like it was based on ancient Chinese customs. It was really interesting to learn how the "Duskers" came to be and how the world became so devastated.

The Prey was fast-paced with tons of action scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat. Andrew Fukuda starts off The Prey with a thrilling beginning that really enthralled me. For the most part The Prey was filled to the brim was unpredictable plot twists that I definitely didn't see coming. There was one plot twist which was very predictable but other than that The Prey was definitely unpredictable. The action scenes in this book were definitely addicting to read and I wish there were more of them. The ending of The Prey perfectly resolved everything and it has made me desperate for the 3rd book. One can only hope that I can score an ARC because I need to find out what happens next.

Fukuda's writing takes a bit of time to get used to because it is incredibly detailed. At first Fukuda's writing style irritated me at first but that's probably because I'm extremely impatient. I didn't want to hear a vivid description of the waterfalls, I wanted some awesome vampire battle scenes. At a few chapters I realized I was being utterly ridiculous because the prose was fantastic once you get used to it. Even though Fukuda's writing style irritated me at first, it soon became one of my components of The Prey.

One of my complaints about The Hunt was that it was mostly plot oriented and so the characters felt a bit undeveloped. In The Prey Fukuda adds a lot more character development but he still manages to keep the plot really entertaining. Sorry Gene but you are no longer my favorite character in The Hunt Trilogy. Sissy takes the cake for being the most take charge and dedicated character I have read about recently. Truthfully I think Gene should pass the title of leader of the group to Sissy because she is one kick ass character, I wish I could say that I had as much fighting spirit as she has.

I don't really have much critcism regarding The Prey and I am very thankful to St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. The Prey is an action-packed sequel that enthralls the reader in a frightening world beyond compare. Fukuda masterfully concocted a wildly original sequel that will leave readers of The Hunt begging for more.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just when I thought a series couldn't get any more weird, the sequel happens. The first book talked about vampires shoving elbows into armpits as a form of romance and scratching of wrists as a form of laughter. Well, in this one, the author explores the world of foot binding. What the actual F*CK??

This book picks up right where the first one ended - 6 humans have escaped the Heper Institute on the eve of the Heper Hunt and are running for their lives across the Vast (aka the desert) and into the eastern mountains. They finally make it into the mountains and the apparent safety of a village called the Mission, which is filled with other humans. However, the Mission is not the utopia the characters thought it would be. And the fact that the author kept referring to this supposed utopia they were searching for as 'The Land of Milk and Honey' was just annoying.

The culture at the Mission was just plain weird and I found it rather unbelievable. The village is run by a group of Elders, all old and overweight men, and the rest of the village is filled with young females, all in various stages of pregnancy (I think the author said 1 out of every 3 girls is pregnant). The Elders sit around drinking and eating all day long while the young females are left to keep the town running. However, most of the females have had their feet bound. Yes, foot binding! As in the ancient Chinese ritual of binding a young girls feet in an effort to make them smaller. If you need visual aids, check out the Wikipedia page on foot binding. Foot binding in Chinese culture signified male dominance, female confinement, and class rank. This society is very similar. The girls without their feet bound were looked down upon, lesser, and were confined to working the farm lands. Girls with their feet bound were the ones who were pregnant and enjoyed jobs in the village itself and catered to the Elders. And since there is only a handful of men, all old fat men, you can guess there is a lot of inbreeding in this society.

The author is half Chinese and raised in Hong Kong, so I can understand where the foot binding came into the story, but it still was just so weird in this world that he created. I just had a hard time believing that such a system would exist, especially in a dystopian book where people are living in the mountains. Another weird thing about the Mission is that the Elders would brand the women! Foot binding apparently wasn't enough, the Elders would brand women with either an X for demerit or a Smiley Face as a reward. 5 Smiley Faces meant that they could leave the Mission and go to a better place. Seriously, these ideas are both juvenile and far fetched.

This book gets a slightly better rating from me because it was so fast paced. I was so frustrated in the first book because of the lack of action in the first two thirds of the book. This book started off action packed and maintained that pace for the majority of the book. There were some moments that were a little slow, but for the most part I was thoroughly engaged. I just can't get over the weirdness of this world!

[nancy (The Ravenous Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE PREY by Andrew Fukuda was a novel that I highly anticipated reading because it's predecessor, THE HUNT was gruesome and highly addictive. I truly did not believe that any other book could be so unsettling and twisted, but I was wrong because THE PREY proved vampires are NOT the only thing to fear.

As I returned to this world of carnivorous vampires and remaining humans I am immediately thrust into the chaos that Gene and his tiny group are trying desperately to overcome. Escaping the vampires was one challenge, now they find themselves on a journey that they have no idea is going to end. Will it lead them to the land the milk and honey? and what will they find there? Believe me when I say that it is not what I expected and if I was disturbed by what they had endured while living among vampires it was nothing compared to the "stepford" girls and mysterious elders of the exiled mountain community they arduously encounter.

Land of milk and honey? How about land of abuse and lascivious old men? It did not take long before the creepiness of this community made my skin crawl as it's utopian facade faltered with issues that were too disturbing to ignore. Yet, I could not stop reading. I wanted to know what this mysterious community was all about and when my suspicions were confirmed and the cold, harsh reality was finally revealed I was still left stunned and speechless. Just when I thought I could not get any more disturbed Andrew Fukuda demonstrated that he could push that envelope a little bit more.

Despite it's disturbing nature THE PREY will pull you in and hold you captive. Yes, It's that good. Fast paced and well written with moments of pulse pounding action and heart break that will leave you swathed in tissue. You will also adore Gene, Sissy and the boys and want them to survive no matter what. This series is a must read for those that don't shy away from horror. It is the perfect mix of Vampires meet THE HUNGER GAMES, and while it sounds corny and oh so wrong you will totally understand and devour this series in one sitting.

[Wolf (Alpha) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book pretty well. I like how Sissy trusts Gene even more now, and how they become closer to each other. I like how Gene is smart and knows how to escape. I like how they get to the one place. I hate how Sissy is tortured and branded. I like how they escape and how Sissy and Gene come closer together.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well color me surprised! After really disliking the first one I really though there was no hope but WOW what a sequel!! See just goes to show sometimes you shouldn't ever give up on a series...more to come later..

Thanks Kristy for being my BBP and reading this one with me!!