Confessions of a Literary Addict

This review is spoiler-free!

This book was received from the author for review. All opinions are my own.

The Hunt by Alainna MacPherson
Series: The Hunt #1
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal
Release Date: September 21st 2019
Format: Audiobook, 6 hours
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Find it here: Goodreads || Amazon

Having been homeschooled until now, Maeleigh is nervous about starting at her new high school. She knew things would be different, but there was no way to prepare her for Gearden. Nor was she prepared to hear his voice in her head. Born deaf, she hasn’t heard anyone’s voice clearly before so why now? And how?!

That’s not the only weird thing going on in town. There’s a whole other society living amongst the norm. And she’s not just thrust into it, he tells her she’s a part of it, too. If that wasn’t enough, she now has to deal with someone out to harm the people she’s come to call family. Only, there are still too many secrets for her to navigate all that’s happening and know who to trust.

(Note that my rating is actually a 3.5, but Goodreads still doesn’t allow half-stars.)

I have to say, the absolute coolest thing about this book (and series, it’s a got a sequel coming out! Today, actually, according to Goodreads at the time of writing this!) is the fact that the main character is deaf. (Note: I don’t think she’s Deaf, at least by what I’ve learned, but I could be wrong.)

Do you know how many books I’ve read where the main character is D/deaf? None. (If there has been one, I don’t remember it at all.) Most of the time, the D/deaf character, if there is one at all, is a side character, never the main one. That particular detail is what made me give a resounding yes to accepting this book for review, because I wanted to read a book with a D/deaf character!

And, you know what? MacPherson didn’t disappoint. Our main character, Maeleigh, does not shy away from the fact she is deaf, nor is the story itself shied away from the fact even slightly. Which is wonderful! The way the characters in the story treated her is also fantastic, and I think sets a really good example for how teenagers should be taught to react to things like disabilities. And another thing? The story reads a lot like your typical popular werewolf stories, still without deviating from the whole deaf aspect. Despite not being D/deaf myself, I really appreciate that.

(Now, I’m not all that big on werewolf stories. They’re okay. I see them like I see fae stories: kinda redundant, not totally my thing, but will read if there’s something about them that sparks my interest.)

My main criticism is the length. Like you’ll find even with one my favorite series out there, I get disgruntled when the story ends too fast. I know there’s a sequel coming out, but I do feel like the first book hit a point and then when from zero to sixty with the pacing and then ended quicker than I think it should have.

Definitely recommend this one to those out there that love their werewolf stories, because I feel like this could be a great addition. Also recommend to anyone who hasn’t read a story about a D/deaf main character, because they’re aggravatingly absent from media, and it’s nice to have a change.