THE HUNTED OF 2060
This is my up-dated and *amended* review. I had a pre-published edition and the editing has since been fixed. My only unclear point is the Colonial Marn-is this a typo? If he is a "colonel," it is his rank. I will use the word "Colonial" since that is how he is addressed in my edition of this book.
2 stars
The back of the book:
Set in Alaska 2060. 3 Lovers. 2 Species. 1 Way to Survive.
Set in Alaska in 2060, when April enters her Sophomore year at University, she thought Robert might be the love of her life, but as she discovers, she is hiding something inside her, something the rest of the world believes to have died out. She struggles with who she was and who she is becoming as she learns of a family she never knew existed and of enemies she will have to outrun, outfight or outwit to survive. As April embraces her new identity, will she have to leave the life she loves behind?
In America, in the near future, a race of aliens trying to survive the death of their planet settles on earth. They are a peaceful race that has the ability to shift their DNA. The Rogue Militia fears and hates them, so the propaganda they put out in the American public is all negative. Their solution is to hunt down the aliens and exterminate the entire race. But of course a few survive here and there, and they mate with humans. The offspring are hybrids, and are able to take the shape of not any animal they touch as their parents could, but rather the main shape their parent took becomes their shape. April is a hybrid. Only she doesn't know it yet.
We meet April as she is just beginning her transition at 19. She has a steady human boyfriend named Robert, and as she changes to the beast for the first time, she meets Arken. He is a hybrid wolf as well. He is her wolf's mate, and Robert is her human half's mate. She wants Arken, but loves Robert. This is where the 3 lovers comes in, but I will spoil the fact that there is no sex, zero sex, not even the mention of sex (appropriate since it's YA), but somehow at the end, April is pregnant, and Robert is thrilled. Even though it's not his...yes, there apparently was a lot of sex, but it was never even hinted at. I don't mind the sex being off screen, but it should be something along the lines of "He pulled me into his arms and kissed me." Not "He pecked my cheek and held me close." That was it. The next morning they went to class. I thought to myself that I was glad the 19 yr olds weren't having sex! But they were.
Again, the whole "three lovers" is never, ever, EVER clarified. It is more love-triangle than lovers. She never even has sex with Arken, but they share one passionate kiss and this is apparently where April gets knocked up. That made me really angry because there is never any relationship or even the semblance of a relationship. We know he wants her and his pheromones make her crazy. That is all. Same with Robert...never, not once is there a passionate kiss between them and we are supposed to get that they are sleeping together?! WTF?! at the end, I was so shocked!
Now let me re-phrase I AM NOT UPSET THERE WERE NO SEX SCENES. I am upset and frustrated because there was enough of a relationship between both men that a pregnancy resulted. The reader should know if her heroes and heroine are sleeping together.
Moving on, the plot was good. Really had a lot of potential. In fact, I don't like sci fi and I enjoyed the concept and the idea of this story.
At age 19, hybrids of a race that landed on Earth about a few decades before this book takes place, begin their metamorphoses and change into a certain type of animal. April, our heroine, is transitioning into a wolf. She meets up with her twin sister (from whom she was separated at birth) Arquet. Their alien ancestors were hunted to extinction not long ago, and now the hybrid species is just trying to evade the Rogue Militia. I feel the book has a good dichotomy of April trying to reconcile both her human half, and her shifter half. The emotional and physical turmoil is there, her wanting to keep Robert in her life to anchor her. In fact I felt awful when she was captured by the Rogue Militia-but things happened too quickly, and too many shifters were lost to humans for it to be believable. The hybrids were stronger and stealthier than the humans, therefore the high number of losses on their side just wasn't believable.
I think the ending was pretty good, such a fantastic surprise to have "Colonial" Marn see the light, and help them turn around public opinion. And what happens with Bruce? He was a super hot, alpha male human who worked for the Rogue Militia, but helped them defeat the enemy. And April was attracted to him...but at the end, he went off to his bachelor pad. So, maybe he is in the next book?
My end result of this book, is that it has a great story arc, very new take on shifters and young adult lit. But I think certain parts of the story fell short.
The back of the book:
Set in Alaska 2060. 3 Lovers. 2 Species. 1 Way to Survive.
Set in Alaska in 2060, when April enters her Sophomore year at University, she thought Robert might be the love of her life, but as she discovers, she is hiding something inside her, something the rest of the world believes to have died out. She struggles with who she was and who she is becoming as she learns of a family she never knew existed and of enemies she will have to outrun, outfight or outwit to survive. As April embraces her new identity, will she have to leave the life she loves behind?
In America, in the near future, a race of aliens trying to survive the death of their planet settles on earth. They are a peaceful race that has the ability to shift their DNA. The Rogue Militia fears and hates them, so the propaganda they put out in the American public is all negative. Their solution is to hunt down the aliens and exterminate the entire race. But of course a few survive here and there, and they mate with humans. The offspring are hybrids, and are able to take the shape of not any animal they touch as their parents could, but rather the main shape their parent took becomes their shape. April is a hybrid. Only she doesn't know it yet.
We meet April as she is just beginning her transition at 19. She has a steady human boyfriend named Robert, and as she changes to the beast for the first time, she meets Arken. He is a hybrid wolf as well. He is her wolf's mate, and Robert is her human half's mate. She wants Arken, but loves Robert. This is where the 3 lovers comes in, but I will spoil the fact that there is no sex, zero sex, not even the mention of sex (appropriate since it's YA), but somehow at the end, April is pregnant, and Robert is thrilled. Even though it's not his...yes, there apparently was a lot of sex, but it was never even hinted at. I don't mind the sex being off screen, but it should be something along the lines of "He pulled me into his arms and kissed me." Not "He pecked my cheek and held me close." That was it. The next morning they went to class. I thought to myself that I was glad the 19 yr olds weren't having sex! But they were.
Again, the whole "three lovers" is never, ever, EVER clarified. It is more love-triangle than lovers. She never even has sex with Arken, but they share one passionate kiss and this is apparently where April gets knocked up. That made me really angry because there is never any relationship or even the semblance of a relationship. We know he wants her and his pheromones make her crazy. That is all. Same with Robert...never, not once is there a passionate kiss between them and we are supposed to get that they are sleeping together?! WTF?! at the end, I was so shocked!
Now let me re-phrase I AM NOT UPSET THERE WERE NO SEX SCENES. I am upset and frustrated because there was enough of a relationship between both men that a pregnancy resulted. The reader should know if her heroes and heroine are sleeping together.
Moving on, the plot was good. Really had a lot of potential. In fact, I don't like sci fi and I enjoyed the concept and the idea of this story.
At age 19, hybrids of a race that landed on Earth about a few decades before this book takes place, begin their metamorphoses and change into a certain type of animal. April, our heroine, is transitioning into a wolf. She meets up with her twin sister (from whom she was separated at birth) Arquet. Their alien ancestors were hunted to extinction not long ago, and now the hybrid species is just trying to evade the Rogue Militia. I feel the book has a good dichotomy of April trying to reconcile both her human half, and her shifter half. The emotional and physical turmoil is there, her wanting to keep Robert in her life to anchor her. In fact I felt awful when she was captured by the Rogue Militia-but things happened too quickly, and too many shifters were lost to humans for it to be believable. The hybrids were stronger and stealthier than the humans, therefore the high number of losses on their side just wasn't believable.
I think the ending was pretty good, such a fantastic surprise to have "Colonial" Marn see the light, and help them turn around public opinion. And what happens with Bruce? He was a super hot, alpha male human who worked for the Rogue Militia, but helped them defeat the enemy. And April was attracted to him...but at the end, he went off to his bachelor pad. So, maybe he is in the next book?
My end result of this book, is that it has a great story arc, very new take on shifters and young adult lit. But I think certain parts of the story fell short.
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2 comments:
Wow. This book sounds very problematic. I am not a fan of sci-fi or YA, so I'll pass on this one!
Diana ♥ Book of Secrets
This is from Ami, the author, some extra info/clarification:
"Actually, you were right the first time Robert and April never have sex. Arken and April share a sexual encounter only by their 'alien standards' ....which is tame compared to human standards.
When you read the edited version of the book you will see how the 'alien encounter' deposits a seed into her womb. But again, April and Arken never have human sex. There are also clear hints at her pregnancy through-out the story, though one has to pay attention.
I hope that clears up the point for you. For those who read only the edited version this seems like a mute point, but because you had to read through the unedited version, I understand why this issue was confusing for you.
Thanks for your time and consideration in my story and happy reading to you ."
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