The One by Kiera Cass

Publisher’s Summary: The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

My Take: OMG! I loved every bit of this book! Well, I’m actually quite upset with a death in this book, so I can’t say I loved EVERY bit of it (that death was extremely sudden) but, other than that, I loved it. This was one of those happy fairytale fluffy books…and I feel like I needed it! I think I had a smile on my face throughout the whole book, but I will admit that there were a few moments I had tears running down my face. And I can’t tell you how many times Jaime from Two Chicks on Books had to hear me giggling out loud while I was reading this book. Basically, I had a lot of emotions going on while reading this final book in The Selection trilogy.

One thing everyone wants to know about is the love triangle. Well I’m not going to spoil, but it’s pretty apparent right from the start who she’s going to choose. That’s one thing about this book; there are not a whole lot of surprises. So once you start to read, you’ll know.

My favorite thing about this book was how I was reminded that Cass is really good at character development. I think that is why so many people are invested in this series; it’s because you learn to love the characters. Well in this book I grew attached to a character that I never would have guessed would happen. And she ended up being one of my favorite characters. America really grows a strong independence and an understanding of how she can make a difference in the situation she is in. There are some decisions she makes that causes drama, but those all worked out perfectly in the end.

The end of The One was just insane! That ending happened extremely fast and tied up all the loose ends and I loved it! Kiera Cass did a fantastic job and I’m more than satisfied with this book and the series and I highly recommend them.

In the After by Demitria Lunetta

Publisher’s summary: Attack.
Not isolated.
Fate of Americans: unknown.
Amy is watching TV when the world is attacked by Them. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to survive—and even rescue "Baby," a toddler she finds in an abandoned supermarket.

Then, after years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream, with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she'll lose Baby—and much more.

You'll tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.

My take: This book was so freakin’ good! I loved it! And I’m so super excited and I’m definitely going to be impatiently waiting for book #2.

When I first started reading In The After, I’ll have to admit that I was a little worried because I started reading this book not too long after I read The 5th Wave, and I was afraid I would be unfairly comparing the two books. But not long into the story, the book took a different, super strange turn that freaked me out! And, I knew from that very moment that I would love this book. And I was right!

This is one of those books that you wonder throughout the story who the protagonist, Amy, should actually trust. And I can’t say that I was too surprised by the betrayals, but there definitely are some crazy ones.

I loved the character named Baby, but it was REALLY distracting for me to keep referring to her name as “Baby.” There’s not much I want to say about the other characters in this book because the book starts out with just Amy and Baby (all alone for like, I think, 2 or 3 years) and I don’t want to give up any spoilers.

There were a couple things that transpired and that came together in the end that truly surprised me, and I was totally loving it! And I absolutely love the way the story actually ended…it leaves my brain reeling over how insane the next book will be, and I can hardly wait!!!

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Publisher's summary: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My take: This book is amazing! Really, I’d have to say it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year!

Whenever I tell someone about this book, I always paint a picture of the first scene in the book because, for me, it totally sets the tone for the entire story. And I knew I’d love this book right after that scene transpired.

What makes this book amazing? The whole premise of the book is awesomely unique, the characters were very well developed and the execution was perfect!

As far as the characters go, I’m not quite sure if I’m really all that fond of Cassie, the main character, because her actions were really flip-flop to me. One minute she’s being super mean to pretty much every dude her age she interacts with, and the next minute she’s changing how she reacts to the other dude (can’t say cause it’s a spoiler). Yes, I know in her internal dialog she notices this character trait about herself, but she doesn’t really do anything about it, and it still bugged me. Plus, I’m not thrilled with how she feels about one of the characters by the end of the book. There are 3 other POVs in this story (all 3 are male character POVs), but two of them are kind of spoilers so I’m not going to talk about them (other than to say that one of those 2 is my FAVORITE POV.) The one male POV that I am OK with discussing is Zombie’s. I’m actually really fond of his character, and I think he rocks! OH! And pretty much all the other side characters from Zombie’s POV are my favorites too. I was always thrilled to be in is POV.

The ending is the BEST and I loved it! I’m so excited about this book…I truly believe it 100% deserves the hype it’s been given, and I know this one will be a big hit!

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Publisher's summary: In Cia's dystopian society it's an honor to be chosen for The Testing. But it’s not enough to pass the Test. Cia will have to survive it.

It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a United Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half-memories of The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings (”Cia, trust no one”), she bravely heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever. Danger, romance—and sheer terror—await.

My take: Holy flippin’ crap! This book was downright craziness! I’m having the shakes right now thinking about everything that happened in this book, and I’m having severe separation anxiety because I want Independent Study (book 2) now! If I were put in “The Testing,” I don’t think I could control my temper one bit; I think I’d probably hemorrhage right then and there and start acting like a raving lunatic. In fact, while reading The Testing, in one moment I’d feel like I wanted to jump right through the pages and go on a frenzied rampage, and then in the next moment I’d feel the complete opposite and I wanted to curl up in a ball and have an internal freak out.

In the very beginning of the book I wasn’t fully invested in the story, and it took me a few tries to get drawn into the story, as I’d start and stop reading. Which is really weird because it wasn’t very far into the book before the story takes a turn that really sparked my interest and got my full attention. At that point, there is this one particular thing that happens that actually had me leaping from my seat in shock, and I was stuck.

I can’t really talk too much about the characters in The Testing because I have some really strong feelings about a lot of those characters. This is one of those books that had me changing my original feelings for some of the characters by the stuff that transpires by the end of the story. So, by talking about the characters, I’d be revealing major spoilers, and you know how much I hate to do that! In fact, my feelings for some of the characters were so strong that I’ve gotten into a few heated battles with some blogger friends, particularly Jaime from Two Chicks on Books.

This is a book I would totally recommend! And if you are struggling with the beginning, don’t let that hold you back because the story’s phenomenal!

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Publisher’s summary: No one survives the Fade.
They have taken everything, destroyed everything.
The only safe place left is within the wall of light called the Arclight.

No one survives the Fade.
If they call you, if you leave, you're lost.

No one survives the Fade.
They're trying to get in.

No one survives the Fade.
But she did.
She doesn't remember how.
She doesn't remember anything.

Marina survived the Fade . . .
but for how long?

My take: The moment I saw the cover of Arclight I was really intrigued and could hardly wait to read this one! And I actually ended up really liking it! I had the ARC but I ended up listening to the audio on Audible.

I absolutely love the way this book starts out. You get the feel right from the very start that Marina is kind of the odd-girl-out, and that there is a good reason why everyone looks at her like she’s a bad omen. And right when all this opening craziness happens, we get to meet a bunch of characters that are introduced into this high stress environment…including the main character Marina. Then to top it all off (along with the really cool story/character introductions), we get a feel for what the people in this story are protecting themselves from (The Fade.)

Throughout the story every scene moves smoothly and kept me entertained. There were just a few things that I had troubles with. Once we start to get a feel, or start to see a picture of The Fade, I had a hard time visualizing them in my mind. And then, when we finally do learn a lot more about The Fade, the new information just kept messing with the image that I already created in my head. Hopefully, we will get a clearer picture of The Fade in the following books. My only other problem is that I listened to Arclight pretty much right after I listened to Mila 2.0, and there were a few similarities (not much really) between the two books and the Narrator for both books is the same. I’ve listened to another book read by Tara Sands and she’s a really good Narrator, but I just felt like these two books had a similar feel to them. (Of course, the only reason I may have noticed these similarities is because I listened to both books back-to-back.) Other than those two things, I really liked this book.

The paranormal/dystopian aspect to Arclight is very different from everything else out there and I really liked this aspect of the book. I’m really looking forward to the next book so I can learn more about The Fade.

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Publisher’s summary: It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

My take: What the heck? Did all that just really happen? That is THE craziest ending EVER! Seriously…THAT was insane!

When I first started Angelfall, I sensed that it might be a really dark book because it seemed very grim. And, as I got further into the story, things just got insanely crazy. Angelfall is one of those types of books that make you wonder if you’ll have crazy dreams or even nightmares after reading. But even during the most insane moments…moments that should have had me totally freaking-out…Susan Ee had a way of writing them so they weren’t quite as disturbing as they could, and probably should, have been. I haven’t figured out how these brilliant authors are able to do that, but she did it brilliantly well.

The characters are very well done in this book. I really liked and admired the main character Penryn, and I pretty much grew attached to Raffe from the moment he was introduced. But it was Penryn’s mother who was the most fascinating. I want to know if she really is psycho, or if she really has demons controlling her. The things that woman does throughout the book are both disturbing and comical.

There’s not much more I want to say about Angelfall other than it’s a really small book and a very quick read, I would highly recommend it and I'm dying for the next book in the series.

Fragments by Dan Wells

Publisher’s summary: Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity's time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means—and even more important, a reason—for our survival.

My take: The moment I started Fragments, I was immediately immersed back into the world that Dan Wells created. This series is so awesome! I’m dying to get my hands on the last book in the trilogy! A year is just way too far away.

Even though I was happy that we get to follow along in Kira’s POV (so we know what the heck she’s doing after the way Partials ended), I was even more thrilled that we got a lot of the book from the POV of Marcus. Kira’s story is very important to the trilogy because it’s a huge link to everything, but I felt like Marcus’ story moved along a lot faster and kept the story entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, Kira’s story is very entertaining, but there was a lot of traveling, investigating and hiccups along the way in all of her parts, so it didn’t move as fast as what was going on with Marcus. I do have to admit that some of the craziest scenes in the book are still with Kira, but one of the suckiest scenes is with Kira as well. I could hardly believe that Dan Wells would even go there. It was actually quite cruel! So, basically, the whole book was pretty phenomenal.

One of the things I love most about these books are the intense action scenes and discovering how complicated the world has become. But what I love most about this book is that a lot of the loose ends about what truly happened to the world start to tie together, and it’s actually crazily insane. You’re left wondering what the heck the humans were thinking when they made all these crazy decisions.

There is a twist that is revealed pretty close to the end of the book that I actually figured out pretty early on, but it was still a shock to see that it was true. And how it all happened is pretty crazy in itself.

So enough about talking in riddles. The way Fragments ended is set in a way that is blatantly obvious that the last book in the trilogy is going to be awesome! I can hardly wait to experience it too!

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Publisher’s summary: She could save the world—or destroy it.
Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.
With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?
As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….

My take: I’m obsessed with Poison Princess. Really…no lie! I’m totally and completely obsessed. Who would have thought that someone would take the 22 trump cards from The Major Arcana Tarot deck, create characters from them, and then write a totally awesome book? There are so many things that make this book fan-friggin-tastic, and I’ll do my best to tell you why without revealing spoilers.

The whole story was very well done. It starts out in the point of view of this obviously psychotic and creepy dude who has just lured a girl into his home, and that had me terrified of what might happen next. But you don’t get to find out what happens next until quite a bit later because the next scene is in the point of view of the popular girl at school, Evie, who is returning after the normal school summer break. Except Evie’s summer break (little do her friends know) was anything but normal…she spent her summer in a mental institution and has no doubt in her mind that she’s truly insane. But is she really? It’s when the apocalypse happens that she realizes that she might not be so crazy after all.

One of the things that makes this book so phenomenal is the characters. And, even though I can’t say which character I like best because I have so many favorites, each one made me want to learn more about the characters of the tarot. So it’s pretty cool that The Arcana Chronicles website shows all the trump cards and the story character associated with each card. If you want to head on over to The Arcana Chronicles website, go to Fun Stuff and just click on a trump card to flip it over to see if Kresley Cole’s introduced that card in her series. Oh, one last thing! I do want to especially mention one character…Jack Deveaux! Boy is he drool-worthy but, at the same time, what a complete jerk!

There’s action, heartbreak, and romance in Poison Princess…and more than enough complications throughout the last half of the book to make the story move really fast. And then the end is so unbelievably well done! It ties everything up but, at the same time, it leaves you suspended with a phenomenal cliffhanger. It was awesome! This is a must read…like right now. Or, listen to the audio if you like because that’s what I did.

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Publisher's summary: It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death.

Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.

Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at first. Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist?

Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and sci-fi elements to create a captivating adventure—and a love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

My take: Just like the first, I absolutely loved this book! But I’m actually quite pissed off with Veronica Rossi because of the way this book ended, and I’m desperately, impatiently waiting for the last book in this trilogy.

I don’t know if I could say that this book was better than the first, because I love them both in different ways. But this continuation of the story only made me more of an obsessive fan. Through the Ever Night doesn’t quite pick up right from the end of Under the Never Sky, but it picks up right at the perfect spot. I absolutely love how the beginning played out, and I’m now smiling just thinking about it again. But almost immediately, Veronica Rossi starts throwing in plot complications left and right that keep the story quite entertaining.

I grew even more attached to the characters in this second book than I already was after reading Under the Never Sky. Particularly Roar! I liked Roar from Under the Never Sky, but I fell for his character big time in Through the Ever Night. I’m still very fond of both Aria and Perry, but there were times they each made me a little nervous because I did not always agree with their actions. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s a character I wanted to learn more about from UtNS who makes an appearance in TtEN, and that part in this book was CRAZY!!! Then there’s this new chick in TtEN who’s thrown into the mix who causes all sorts of complications! And I can’t forget that there’s a character from the first book who I (surprisingly) ended up liking by the end of this second book (another spoiler that I will not divulge), and they might end up being one of my fave characters.

The last part of the book was phenomenally insane! It was intense and action-packed, all the while pissing me off with how the story was going. The whole book was absolutely amazing; I’m super excited for the last book in this trilogy, and Veronica Rossi just gained a major fan of her series.

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Publisher's Summary: A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable--they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash's long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they're caught, they'll be executed--but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

My take: Wow! This book rocked!!! I pretty much knew the moment I picked up this book that it would be one of the darkest books I’ve read in a while, and I was right. I wouldn’t say that it’s as dark as it is scary, but this book takes place in a horribly dark world. A lot of people have characterized this book as a vampire book, but the creatures in Black City are called Darklings. And, in my opinion, Darkling is a much better word for them because they are a different type of creature altogether.

The twist in Black City is purely epic! I was completely shocked, stunned, and left sitting in utter disbelief. Get the picture? The twist is easily the best (or at least one of the best!) story twists I have ever read. Not only was I was caught totally off guard by it, but it brought about many different new complications to the story, which made Black City even more amazing that it already was.

Both Natalie and Ash are great characters. They are from two completely different worlds and their lives collide, literally, in the very first scene of the book. Black City alternates between the POV’s of Ash and Natalie, and it was the perfect balance that kept me entertained from the very beginning to the very last page.

Black City ends in an awesome cliffhanger but, at the same time, it gives you a little taste of where the story is headed so you’re not left completely out in the dark. I can hardly wait to see what other people think of this one.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Publisher's summary: Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

In her enthralling debut, Veronica Rossi sends readers on an unforgettable adventure set in a world brimming with harshness and beauty.

My take: My mind is scattered in all kinds of little pieces as I’m sitting here trying to think of everything I want to rave about this book, and I’m having a really hard time sorting them all out in my brain. First of all, I’m kicking myself for taking so long to read this book because I gave myself all sorts of excuses for holding off on reading this one, but this book should not have been left collecting dust on my bookshelf waiting for me! It’s a disgrace I tell ya! There were way too many books that I should not have put in priority over this one, and I’m truly angry with myself that I did just that; especially, after personally meeting Veronica Rossi at more than a few book signings! And now I’ve become a super-fan!

“What the…?” Yep! That’s exactly what I said to myself near the end of this book. Who would have thought that I would have been pitched that stunning twist near the end? There really isn’t much that I can say about this book that was really very predictable but, even then, I did not at all expect the twist that jumped out at me, and it took me a few moments to truly wrap my mind around it. It completely caught me off guard, and I was just as shocked as Perry…maybe even more so! But he seemed to take it better than I did! Then I found it pure craziness with the way Perry handled this shocking news, and I was completely baffled that this was the only resolution to the problem. And, yes, I’m trying to say all this without giving you any details (to avoid spoilers), so I hope you get what I’m trying to say here.

I love how Aria calls the people that live outside the Pods “Savages.” It defines them perfectly! And I actually find it quite funny that she has to explain herself to Perry. There are Outsiders that are way more savage than others like Perry and Roar, but I cannot deny that the way Perry lives and what he does to survive is anything but brutal.

The world that Veronica Rossi built, Under the Never Sky, and the way the story flowed, were just perfect! It seemed like each chapter made the next chapter better, and I grew extremely attached to the story and characters by the last few chapters. Not only was the story amazing, the characters were extremely well developed. I admired Aria for her strength and determination, and for how much she grew from the beginning of the story until the end. Aria ended up becoming one, kick-butt chick! But I can’t say she wasn’t ALREADY one tough chick because, from the very first moment she was thrown out of Reverie, the things she went through were just truly horrifying. And Peregrine (Perry) was the perfect male protagonist for the story, being truly savage but at the same time (deep down) he wants to do what is right. But I will have to admit that I was concerned throughout the story whether Perry’s intentions were actually selfish or whether he really was making the right choices. There is also this kid who ends up being kind of a tag-along character, and I could not help but like him, and Talon (Perry’s nephew) is also a super sweet kid. I cannot forget Roar! What is there to not like? I can't think of anything. And then there are a few more characters that come along a little more than midway into the book that I grew a soft spot for.

Then there are the completely savage beasts that come into the story! They’re absolutely freaky and utterly crazy, and I’m shuddering just thinking about them.

What I love most about this book is that we get a post-apocalyptic book, with science fiction/ paranormal elements to it. The story has a great, complicated romance in it that plays a fun part in the book, but the best part is it's not just the romance that makes this story amazing…it’s the whole freakin’ story.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Publisher's summary: 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?

My take: Now this book was bizarre! There are quite a few books out there right now where humans are just about extinct, but out of all of them this one is TRULY unique!

I knew this book was really different from the moment I started listening (I have the audio book) as I immediately started getting the chills and wondered if I even had the stomach to listen to the rest of the book without getting too creeped out. Right from the start, the main character is describing the rules he absolutely must follow to survive in a world where vampires are the dominant species and where “hepers” (humans) are pretty much extinct. He describes an absolutely horrifying scene where a heper breaks one of those rules and is attacked and devoured by a classroom full of vampires!!! So, basically, Gene (main character and human) has to pretend he’s a vamp! Luckily, though, it wasn’t too creepy after that particular scene!

Andrew Fukuda has created a type of vampire in The Hunt pretty much unlike anything else out there. For one, a human could never have a relationship with one of these vampires!!! These vampires sleep, but not in coffins or in the ground…they sleep in “sleep-holds” on the ceiling. But the weirdest difference for me is how these vampires kiss each other! When a male vampire “kisses” a female vampire, he does it by sticking his elbows into the female vampire’s armpits. Bizarre! Right?

From the start of this book until the finish, the whole story was very compelling. I was hooked from the moment Gene was chosen for the hunt, and I could hardly wait to see how the heck he was going to keep the other vampires from discovering who he really was during the “training sessions” for the hunt! And, no, the training sessions didn’t go well for Gene!

One thing that really pissed me off about the book is how Andrew Fukuda emphasized how super “smart” this Gene is. And the reason it pissed me off is because there were so many times throughout the book where I thought Gene was just a big idiot. In fact, I got unbelievably frustrated with him on multiple occasions just because of the stupid things he did…his decision making was so stupid, it was even worse than what I think would be common sense even from someone like me who wasn’t raised to hide that I’m a human from a bunch of vampires!

Anyways, my favorite characters actually come into the story way later, so I can’t talk too much about them. There is one character in particular that I thought showed true promise, but then that character just ended up pissing me off.

The end of The Hunt has a crazy awesome twist, and I’m dying to see where the story will lead and where that twist will take the story!