The Prey by Andrew Fukuda
With death only a heartbeat away, Gene and the remaining humans must find a way to survive long enough to escape the hungry predators chasing them through the night. But they’re not the only things following Gene. He’s haunted by Ashley June who he left behind, and his burgeoning feelings for Sissy, the human girl at his side.
Their escape takes them to a refuge of humans living high in the mountains. Gene and his friends think they’re finally safe, but not everything here is as it seems. And before long, Gene must ask himself if the new world they’ve entered is just as evil as the one they left behind. As their enemies close in on them and push Gene and Sissy closer, one thing becomes painfully clear: all they have is each other…if they can stay alive.
Gene and his companions finally arrive in a human colony, seemingly safe from the vampires (or Duskers as they’re called here). And there are numerous questions that no one can answer, and those that do are most likely lies. The Mission itself (the human colony) is surrounded in mystery and frustratingly few answers. The females are treated worse than cattle, and I found myself angry through most of the book at Gene and the others’ reactions. The Hunt (first in the trilogy) was edge-of-your-seat suspense and horror. This time it was emotionally-driven drama, suspense, and mystery.
Second in Fukuda’s thrilling series, The Prey further develops the characters and the dystopian world of vampire-like Duskers. This YA horror trilogy is wholly unique, exhilarating, and riveting, with plenty of chilling action and adventure. And both The Hunt and The Prey are easily some of the most memorable books I’ve ever read. I eagerly await the final installment.
The audio version is read by Sean Runnette. Unfortunately, he has a very slight speech impediment/lisp that made it a bit distracting. Though after a while, I got so into the story that it wasn’t noticeable.