The Hunt

Gr 9 Up—The Cage introduced readers to Cora Mason, a young teen who wakes up in a desert with no memory of how she arrived there. As she explores her environment, she discovers that the setting changes from desert to tundra to farm to jungle. She meets four other teens, and eventually they are introduced to their jailer, Cassian, an alien who informs them that they have been abducted from Earth to be living exhibits in an otherworldly zoo. Cora and Cassian develop an attraction to each other, and Cora faces a difficult decision: choosing between Cassian, who could help her escape, and her fellow humans. The Hunt opens after the teens' failed escape attempt as Cora, Mali, and Lucky are punished by being placed in the Hunt—a safari-themed exhibit where humans and animals must serve the Kindred masters. Rolf and Nok end up in a dollhouselike exhibit where Kindred scientists poke Nok, interested in her human pregnancy. Lastly, Leon, the only teen to succeed in escaping, teams up with some black-market traders. Amid the dangers of their new confinements, Cora is selected to represent humanity in the Gauntlet—a series of tests to prove the worthiness of humans. But can Cora learn to trust the person in charge of training her—Cassian—who betrayed her during their escape attempt? Shepherd's latest series takes the famous human zoo concept from Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five and gives it a YA survival twist. Give to fans of dystopian novels looking for a unique twist or fans of Lynne Matson's "Nil" series.