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A review by dtaylorbooks
Hunted by Adam Slater
3.0
I was rather less than impressed with HUNTED. It had an interesting premise and it was pretty unique, and at times gruesome, but it didn’t leave much of an impression on me. Probably because it was written in a sort of easy reader kind of way, not very fleshed out. It kind of reminded me of those old school YA novels that I love so much (for their cheese). HUNTED wasn’t cheesy. It just wanted too great.
Callum is a character who’s curled into himself but despite that he isn’t tormented in school and gets along enough with the more popular people (that’s a bit Sueish but it’s not something that’s too prevalent and doesn’t actually aid the story any so it’s something I can look past). They don’t give him crap and they even seem to like him a little despite the fact that he’s done his best to shut everyone out (because teens like loner outcasts, obviously). He does end up having run-ins with one person in particular who is, of course, a bully, but his friendly neighborhood ghosts help him out. Or rather ghost, singular, and a grim. The ghosts Callum sees don’t usually interact with him.
He’s been able to see ghosts for as long as he can remember and as a result he doesn’t let a whole ton of people into his life because he doesn’t want them finding out about what he can do. Until Melissa who’s persistent in finding her way into Callum’s life to help him out. She’s your standard new age weirdo who does get made fun of and wears weirder than usual clothes and is really into the occult. Turns out she’s a beacon of knowledge and can help Callum figure out what’s going on better than he alone can. He certainly won’t get any help from his gran.
Gran who, of course, is hiding something. If you don’t know that from the get-go then you’re reading with your eyes closed. She’s kept things from him FOR HIS OWN GOOD and it’s pulling teeth to get her to tell him anything despite the fact that Callum’s neck deep in supernatural crap and trying to dig himself out of it. Still, nope. It’s for your own good. Trust me. No, gran. No.
HUNTED could be moody and creepy but not a whole lot of time is spent on those moments of the book. Like I intoned earlier the writing’s pretty simple and you get what’s going on but as a reader you’re not immersed in it so it leaves you wanting. At least it left me wanting.
I would have liked more. More characterization, more world-building, more focus on ghosts. Just more of everything. All of this is sprinkled throughout but it’s thin. As a reader you get just enough to get through the story but if you’re looking for a more in-depth horror story that will have you quaking HUNTED isn’t it. I wish it was, but it’s not. It’s simply okay.
3
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Callum is a character who’s curled into himself but despite that he isn’t tormented in school and gets along enough with the more popular people (that’s a bit Sueish but it’s not something that’s too prevalent and doesn’t actually aid the story any so it’s something I can look past). They don’t give him crap and they even seem to like him a little despite the fact that he’s done his best to shut everyone out (because teens like loner outcasts, obviously). He does end up having run-ins with one person in particular who is, of course, a bully, but his friendly neighborhood ghosts help him out. Or rather ghost, singular, and a grim. The ghosts Callum sees don’t usually interact with him.
He’s been able to see ghosts for as long as he can remember and as a result he doesn’t let a whole ton of people into his life because he doesn’t want them finding out about what he can do. Until Melissa who’s persistent in finding her way into Callum’s life to help him out. She’s your standard new age weirdo who does get made fun of and wears weirder than usual clothes and is really into the occult. Turns out she’s a beacon of knowledge and can help Callum figure out what’s going on better than he alone can. He certainly won’t get any help from his gran.
Gran who, of course, is hiding something. If you don’t know that from the get-go then you’re reading with your eyes closed. She’s kept things from him FOR HIS OWN GOOD and it’s pulling teeth to get her to tell him anything despite the fact that Callum’s neck deep in supernatural crap and trying to dig himself out of it. Still, nope. It’s for your own good. Trust me. No, gran. No.
HUNTED could be moody and creepy but not a whole lot of time is spent on those moments of the book. Like I intoned earlier the writing’s pretty simple and you get what’s going on but as a reader you’re not immersed in it so it leaves you wanting. At least it left me wanting.
I would have liked more. More characterization, more world-building, more focus on ghosts. Just more of everything. All of this is sprinkled throughout but it’s thin. As a reader you get just enough to get through the story but if you’re looking for a more in-depth horror story that will have you quaking HUNTED isn’t it. I wish it was, but it’s not. It’s simply okay.
3
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.