The prey by Andrew Fukuda

The hunt, bk 2. Simon & Schuster, 2013. ISBN 9781471117176.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Following the gripping The hunt, sees Gene and his companions surviving The Vast, travelling over a waterfall and fighting off the vampire predators that are hunting them. When they finally find a village of humans high in the mountains, they think that they are safe, but life there was not what he expected. There are no young boys; all the girls are subservient to the elders, who abuse them, and the punishments for minor infringements are harsh. Gene and Sissy must help each other to overcome the evil that pervades the settlement and fight off the invasion of predators.
Once again there is action galore, with the group led by Sissy and Gene fighting off the vampires in the dark, coming up with daring ways of escape and looking after each other. The escape scenes are thrilling and readers will enjoy descriptions of travelling in white water and hang gliding.
There is great character development alongside the action. Gene feels great guilt about the girl he left behind, and he questions what the Scientist, his father, was trying to do. He has to search his heart to do what is right and he grows in thoughtfulness and caring for others. Sissy plays an important role too, and there are a couple of sad moments. Understanding of the vampires grows and questions of what is best for the group versus the survival of the individual and power misused are explored.
This was an engrossing read, with plenty of action. It could appeal to reluctant readers and the cliffhanger ending will ensure that the next book in the series is read.
Pat Pledger