Andrew Fukuda

The hunted ones, led by Gene, find refuge from the vampires with other humans hiding in the mountains, but it soon becomes clear that there is evil here, too, and Gene and Sissy realize that all they have is each other-- if they can stay alive.

The Prey

Monicap

My thoughts from 2021:

This book is definitely weaker than the first. Much of the dialogue is expository and clunky, wooden almost, and absent are the emotional beats from even expository dialogue in the first book (for example, in the first book Gene remembered once asking his dad why they didn't turn and become like everybody else; he still exposited that turning was A Thing and What It Required, but it was still about Gene's longing for normalcy and conformity).

Speaking of longing for normalcy and conformity, I do wonder if this book was trying to make some kind of point about those? With the Mission and it's bylaws, the references to the Land of Milk and Honey, Fruit and Sunshine, the Promised Land, Genesis... I just, idk, it seemed like there was a point trying to be made about religion and conformity but I don't think it really came through.

The other aspect about this book that I found made it much weaker than the first is it seems like Fukuda forgot about his characters' context, or lack thereof. There's a piano in the Mission, which Sissy points out as being suspicious that they have one, "how did they get it, why do they have it?" sort of thing. But Sissy grew up in a literal mud hut surrounded by a glass dome and vampires, she has no context for discerning weird or suspicious and more to the point how exactly does she even know what a piano is. And that kind of thing was littered all throughout the book, especially the part at the Mission. I found the journey to the Mission to be much more compelling. It might be a sagging middle issue, but I also wasn't to enthralled by the end of the story so idk.

(view spoiler)[While I didn't recall the final-page revelation of the first book, I did remember it from this book, and I thought it had explicitly spelled out that Gene and Sissy were siblings. I guess it technically doesn't, though I'm still fairly convinced that's the case, which is why I reacted: "Nooooooooooo" at a point while I was reading. I was kind of hoping that there wouldn't be any romance between Gene and Sissy, just Epap's jealousy and a desire for closeness, platonic intimacy from Sissy. But alas, no. (hide spoiler)]

Let's see... I'm miffed Gene cut off the explanation for Epap's name. Krugman is suittably disgusting, I absolutely believe him capable of orchestrating the Mission and believing he's doing something good. I do wonder what, if any, difference there was to getting five Merit Marks or Demerit Designations. (I mean, I guess all roads to lead to (view spoiler)[the Ruler's Palace (hide spoiler)]so probably there's no actual difference, but I wonder what the girls at the Mission thought the difference was. 

I know it seems like I'm just complaining, but really, this book is still worlds better than some other YA titles I've revisited, it's just not as good as the first one either. Nor as good as I thought it was in 2013.

 My thoughts from 2013:

OH. M. JESUS.
I didn’t review the first book in this series because I… it’s just… it’s… I’ll try.

Plot: 5 out of FREAKING 5
(view spoiler)[Like, okay, they got away from The Hunt and they arrive at the Mission. I did not believe the Mission for ONE SECOND. As soon as we met Krugman, I assumed he was a villain, and thus everything he said was lies.
Did not believe what they said about the Scientist. At one point, Sissy said something along the lines of “I didn’t believe it at first, either,” to which I said, “Well, I don’t believe it at all.
And then when all the truth came out of the secrets and I was like “YESSSSS! I was right all along!”
And then Ashley June came along, and even though I knew what they’d done to her, it was. SO. HARD. TO READ.
I hope I didn’t spoil anything. I might’ve. I might encase this entire portion in a spoiler catcher. (hide spoiler)]

Characters: 5 out of FREAKING 5
THE HEROES:
Gene: Man, I love me some Gene. Like, every five pages, whenever they mentioned the Scientist, my heart would break for him. But the way he dealt with it. The choices he made in response to all the shit he was given. Go Gene. Go. I love you. I lurve ya so bad.
Sissy: I REALLY fell in love with her character in this book. I mean, the way she went about taking care of it. And the way she would sacrifice herself for her family. And, like Gene, the choices she mad in response to the shit she was dealt. Man. God, I love these characters.
Ben: Ben is my favorite. I kinda feel like he’s MORE than just a little brother. Kinda like he’s my son. And the fact that I lost track of him in the last chapter and WHERE THE HELL IS HE??? He better not be dead, Andrew Fukuda!
Epap: was annoying, a little, but then he really pulled through.
THE VILLIANS:
Krugman: Let’s think about. His name is Krugman. With a K, no less. How on earth could he NOT be a villain? Plus, like the first thing he said was “The Scientist is dead,” and WE knew that wasn’t true, plus, he was just overall slimy in this… he’s just got a very slimy way about him.
Ashley June: So, in the beginning, when we meet Crimson Lips, she kinda hints at what happened to Ashley. But we don’t know for sure. As the book goes on, this idea is blossoming in the background. It’s there, but we don’t really notice it. Then, in the last chapter, when the SHIT is going DOWN, we get HIT in the FACE with it.

And, lastly, ze Romance: 5 out of FREAKING 5, man!
So, we get a love square here. Now I, I really enjoy love squares. Some peope aren’t a fan of them, but me? I love em. So we have Ashley June, who is this ghostly, looming presence in the back of Gene’s mind as his relationship with Sissy grows… intense. And on the other hand, we have Epap, who is this presence, looming over Sissy’s shoulder as her relationship with Gene grows… intense. It’s very cool, very well done, and I mush enjoyed it.

And also, that FREKAING GENE AND SISSY PLOT TWIST IN THE LAST TWO PAGES. I should’ve seen that coming. I really should have. At least I figured out before I turned the page and Gene spelled it out for us, but man, I am kicking myself right now.

So, I’m just giving this a 17 out of 15. where did the extra two points come from, specifically, you might ask?
Well, I don’t know. Maybe there overall AMAZINGNESS. Maybe it’s just for shits and giggles.
We’ll never know.

Barbara Rosas

Este libro es mucho mejor que el primero pero aun así no me atrapo mucho.
Las cosas en este libro son mucho menos inesperadas y el libro toma muchos giros inesperados que me dejaron con la cabeza dando vueltas. 
Gene y Sissy son mucho más sensatos y mucho más inteligentes (hablo principalmente por Gene ya que no pude conocer mucho a Sissy en el primer libro).
***Peligro de Spoiler***
No me espere ese final ¡Ellos dos son la cura! mi pregunta es ¿no serán hermanos? me gustan los dos juntos pero no sé, me entra la duda(aún extraño a Ashley June).
Odio la maldita misión ¡Al final van a ir donde el gobernador! no sé como val a salir de está y si vas a seguir muriendo. No conocía muy bien a Jacob pero aun así no quería que muriera ¡Era tan solo un niño que soñaba con carruseles!
No sé que pensar del padre de Gene ¿aparecerá en el último libro o estará muerto o transformado?
Sabía que Ashley June iba a aparecer transformada pero, pero, pero... ;-;
Odie a Epap, no podía descuidarse así, Sissy es su hermanastra y han vivido todo este tiempo juntos y aun cuando trate de olvidarla por su enamoramiento no puede olvidar que le salvó el trasero muchas veces. Ame la parte en que Gene le saco todo lo malo a la cara, nada de ser suaves, a veces la gente necesita que le muestren lo que han hecho aun cuando la manera sea cruel. Normalmente en los libros no se hace esto y todo es suave y dulce, en la realidad no siempre se puede hacer así y eso es lo que me gustó de este libro, esa cercanía a las reacciones que tenemos, las verdaderas.

The Prey

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