The Prey (Hunt Trilogy, #2)

by Andrew Fukuda

[layawaydragon]

I won a copy of both books, The Hunt and The Prey through a giveaway on The Reading Date.

CW: Rape, Abuse

Sadly, this book did not live up to The Hunt. It wasn't horrific, suspenseful, or tense. It wasn't unique and fell back on the standard world building. The characters are now so-so at best. It sunk to bringing another insta-love romance was forced and created a love triangle to exceed the YA trope and trends quota. What really dragged the book down and made these factors worse was just how long they spend in The Refuge. It's pointless. Cutting it short would've solved or at least helped rather than making it feel stretched so far it broke with a contrived plot and stupid characters running around like headless chickens.

I'll be continuing to finish the series off but man, this book really suffers from the latest YA schticks and suffers from middle book syndrome. I'm hopeful but resigned to The Trap. **Crosses fingers**

-Sissy is ridiculously good with the daggers. Like unbelievably, Mary Sue-ish. Her 180 about leaving? Pissed me off when it happened. Should've just caught them while in The Village or when they didn't have a chance but to go back so they didn't have to have that stupid moment. Same with Gene. Felt like it had to happen to force the bond between the two and make the surprise appearances shocking.

-Gene...**sigh** Did you have to go all brooding emo romance interest? I liked you better has a fake vamp. And your brain worked better then too. At least you have Sissy to save the day for you.

-The Boys: Dear fucking god, what is wrong with you? How do you just brush off all your life experiences and act so dumb? Okay, Ben is young and did stupid shit before, he's exempt. The rest of the lot? Meh. And it's so convenient how shit like Ben's little legs only come up to amp the tension. At one point they're literally dead weight. They feel more like plot devices than people. Oh, and the message about tribalism, and never leaving someone behind.

-Vamps: Still liking them. Their resourceful and a real threat; Their contraptions are pretty cool. I'm wondering what's going on back in their metropolis. Not their fault it was obvious the main human cast was making it out by the skin of their teeth and being melodramatic. But what is with Ashley June into a vamp? That better have a fucking purpose and not more stupid, useless teen drama. Again, showing up earlier would've helped.

-There wasn't as much tension and suspense as The Hunt. The kids were slow to pick up obvious signs and clues, and it was just a bunch of useless running around. The Village could've been cut short for a tighter, more reasonable book. Staying that long makes it very grating and obvious as an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

-I asked for world building and I got it. Can't say much and it's hard to judge since other issues brought it down. If it just rolled through instead of dragging it out like it was the biggest surprising twist every that the kids are understandably not getting...I mean it's not the worst or stupid. It's just not that...unique or special. Building it up to be something it's not, just makes it come off worse.

-Didn't like the budding new romance. It felt forced with no spark. They're better off friends or siblings. Plus the love triangle. Oh god, come the fuck on! Useless stupid uncompelling shit. And both boys don't fucking get it... One of them “avails themselves to the girls” in the village. These girls are branded prisoners in a breeder farm. They are brainwashed, unable to say no and rewarded for being pregnant. Sounds like fucking rape. Or at the very least, really fucking creepy and skeevy. But the guys argue over it as a jealous act harming their girl, Sissy and don't think the implications through. (pg. 144 and 183 respectively)

Plus, Ashley fucking June!