Review: The Hunt (Audiobook)

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 Rating:
My Review: Gene is a freak. He has emotions, sleeps in a bed, and can go outside in the daytime. And he is alone. All his life he just wanted to be like the other people. Instead he must pretend. And watch. And be careful. He survives by staying in the shadows and avoiding attention. But when he is chosen as a hunter in the very last heper hunt, he no longer knows how he can continue to follow the rules. The rules of survival must change because if the other hunters discover he is a heper, his life is over.
On the story...
The Hunt is a gritty and dark tale of a world where humans are becoming extinct. I expected adventure and heroes, but this one is a little bit deeper than what you would expect. While I found myself intrigued and disgusted by both Gene and the "people," I fell in love with the complex characters. I found the presumptions and view of the heper humans fascinating and found the people twisted. It is amazing how different the view is when they aren't vampires or monsters but "people." It took me a while to realize that I really didn't like Gene because I found him selfish. But understand, this isn't a case of an unlikeable character but that of one who has learned that it hard to survive and survival is the utmost importance. At the same time, it was emotional and dark at times and I was certainly sitting at the edge of my seat and gripping my steering wheel. This is most certainly a must read for those who enjoy darker dystopia novels.
On the narrator...
Okay. Let me start off with a story. During bar prep we had this lecturer for Oil and Gas who was very informative but gave many of us the case of the giggles because he had a serious downward inflection when he spoke. It made everything he said sound extremely sad and depressing. Think of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. I know that doesn't sound funny but it was funny because the downward inflection didn't fit the mood and tone of the lecture. I think he was my favorite lecturer of the entire horrible experience.
Okay fast forward to Mr. Sean Runnette... He gave me a serious case of the giggles. I'm sure you have guessed by now that Mr. Runnette has a case of the downsies. While his downward inflection wasn't quite as bad as the professor I'm referring to, he is very much in line with Eeyore. The book is a bit darker but the inflection is present during both good times and bad times. When the downward inflection wasn't present, Mr. Runnette had a monotone delivery. It seriously made me laugh though that wasn't the point.
That's not to say that I wouldn't recommend the audio. If you only have time for the audio, go for the audio because the book is well worth it. I found the downward inflection to be more funny that annoying.
Overall...
This is a must read. The Hunt grabs your attention and drags you into a world where things just seem quite impossible. I think Mr. Fakuda managed to create a story that stands out from the rest. It wouldn't matter that it was so different if it wasn't so well done.
P.S. This goes toward that Dystopia challenge that I forgot that I committed to. If you hadn't noticed yet, there are quite a few more to come :)