Caitlyn lives in a world quite a lot like ours - with one major difference. Paranormal talents, while not necessarily common, exist in large enough quantity that the existence of them is known. However, many folks without the paranormal ability don't understand what makes Paranormals tick - and as anyone can tell you, what people don't understand, they fear; and what they fear - they seek to destroy. Paranormals are expected to register with the government - their rights are restricted and, at any time, they can be taken away by the government and forced to hunt for and betray other Paranormals. Brutality toward, and torture of, these Para-slaves is not only common, it is actively condoned. Caitlyn and her mother have been on the run for years - ever since the riots in which Caitlyn's father was killed, and her brother Daniel was taken. They've landed in a city this time, and are trying to blend in. Caitlyn discovers a plot by a rogue group of Paranomals to take over the country and destroy the Normals, however, and no matter how much danger it puts her in, she believes that people should all have the right to live in peace and she does what she can to stop these events. Can she find the culprit in time - does she have the strength to do it - and will her Normal friends have the strength of will to keep her secret?
This is a truly amazing book - it has so many levels. On the surface, it is an entertaining paranormal thriller - dig a little deeper, and it has elements of the need to understand that all people have the right to live in peace and freedom - freedom from control, freedom from hate, freedom from abuse. There are messages of friendship and loyalty, of standing up for what you believe in - all very important. Although this book is described as young adult, I would recommend that parents vet the book, or that readers be at least 15 - there are some situations that might be upsetting to more sensitive souls. However, I do highly recommend this book - I think there are a lot of important messages in it, and that it is something about which people should be cognizant. Please pick up this book - it is scheduled to be available 10/27/2011 - and do yourself a big favor and read it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Review: Imagine being on the run for your life. Imagine being only 15 years old and unable to trust anyone and knowing that there are people all around you that want you to suffer horribly. Imagine the only thing that you have done “wrong” is being born with a psychic ability. This is exactly what Caitlyn must endure as her and her mother run from the Government and ParaTroopers whose only goal is to capture and enslave all Paranormals.
Caitlyn had lost her father years ago during a riot, at the same time her brother disappears. Life on the run and never being allowed to stay in one place for very long is taking a toll on both Caitlyn and her mother. On top of everything else, Caitlyn’s mom’s psychic ability abandoned her the day of the riots, leaving Caitlyn to feel even more isolated.
Hope that Normals and Paras can ever coincide peacefully together is a thinning thread. However when Caitlyn meets Alex she feels an instant connection, even though he is a Normal and relationships between the two is nearly impossible. It is with his help as well as the help of another new friend, Rachel, which Caitlyn learns exactly what she is capable of and the level of strength and courage she possesses.
Filled with twists, turns and endless surprises, Hunted is a story that takes readers on an adventure of suspense and eye-opening awareness of discrimination and isolation. Toss in disloyalty, betrayal, loyalty and a bit of romance and readers have a story that they will quickly and easily loose themselves within.
Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield is an excellent story that I greatly enjoyed. Ms. Rainfield presented a tale that was unique from many of the other YA novels out there on the market today. For lovers of paranormal, YA and/or just a great story, Hunted is the perfect story to settle in with. The character of Caitlyn truly made the story and I loved her strength and courage. Ms. Rainfield did an excellent job of bringing her, as well as Alex and the entire cast of characters vividly to life upon the pages on Hunted. I highly recommend Hunted and can’t wait to read more from Cheryl Rainfield.
Quote: He’s standing, head thrown back, full lips curved in a wide-open smile. His skin contrasts with his crisp white shirt. Narrow copper bracelets glint along one of his arms. He’s so gorgeous, he must already be taken. But it’s his laughter that’s the best. It feels clean and pure, with no hidden malice or cruelty – just joy. I haven’t heard laughter like that in such a long time. It makes me want to laugh with him, to find the world beautiful.
Reviewed by: April
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
dayzd89
Posted January 23, 2013
Impossible to put down!
Cheryl Rainfield proves once again why she's one of my top favorite writers and personal heroes. In Hunted, she writes a suspenseful, nail-biting novel about Caitlyn, a telepath who lives in a world where it's illegal to have any Paranormal power whatsoever. I love Caitlyn as a character and the way she fiercely protects the ones she loves without a trace of selfishness. I cared for that girl!! And for everyone else she was connected to as well. There are some definite surprises in this book that I wasn't expecting, and I won't spoil them for people who haven't read it, but they were cleverly done in my opinion.
The reason why Cheryl Rainfield is one of my personal heroes is because she isn't afraid to speak out against abuse. At the end of the book, there's an author's note where she writes that she's a survivor of ritual abuse. I have so much respect and admiration for a writer that not only incorporates her own past in a story but speaks out against the abuse she underwent. There are very few writers that do this and they should definitely get more recognition!
Don't forget to check out her previous novel Scars and her latest work, Parallel Visions. They are both equally exciting to read.
*I was lucky enough to receive a copy from the author for a review. Thank you again Cheryl!*
I was first introduced to this author when I picked up Scars, from Netgalley. It was a reviewed at an earlier date on my blog. I was gripped by the main character's voice and pain in this novel. I did not hesitate to read Hunted when Cheryl Rainfield very generously offered it to me to review.
The premise was different, in that it offered a paranormal tone, yet the stories are very much the same in that there is affliction, persecution and the necessity of hiding one true self.
As an X-men fan, I was instantly gripped by the story from the beginning, where our main female character, Caitlyn, is running with her mother from an agency intent on apprehending those with special abilities. She finds herself in another town, going to a new school, facing down bullies, making friends, slowly gaining trust in her small circle, fearing betrayal at every turn.
The action was fast paced; sometimes too fast for my liking, which is a strange thing to write. But sometimes it felt like there was something missing in between action scenes, that maybe would have explained some of the thought processes a little better.
The writer did write successfully with a teenager's voice, with situations becoming maybe a little more dramatic than they should have been, but believable to me. I am not so old that I don't remember the earth shattering moments of those years, that now seem so trivial, surrounding friend squirmishes, and boyfriend actions or lack of. Not to say that the book centered around that; that is very far from the truth. The story is infused with situations which were very serious, as a full out war with potential catastrophic results was on the verge of erupting.
I found the relationship forged between Caitlyn and Alex to be believable, though was momentarily confused by the scene where Alex shows intense prejudice against paranormals, when prior to that moment, he seemed truly to be sympathetic, or at least neutral.
On the whole, I had a hard time putting this book down, which is definitely the same issue I had with Scars. The story was gripping, and very engaging to the very end.
Another recommended read for YA readers, without a doubt, and I look forward to continue reading more novels by this author.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Hunted by author Cheryl Rainfield. When I read her novel Scars, I knew that she would definitely be one of those authors to look out for. So when I got the chance to read Hunted it was no surprise that I was jumping in my seat and did a little happy dance *la winky face*. However, what I was told on the back didn’t exactly give me the information to the one question I needed answered: What exactly is a Paranormal? Somewhere in the back of my mind, I assumed it was somebody who could see ghosts and that would be it. Boy was I wrong! Instead, they’re people who have superhuman abilities (that is the best way I can describe it to you).
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how this fits into the plot. This is the best way I can describe it and I’m not sure if you’ve seen it (but I’m just gonna assume that you have), but there was that one season of that TV show Heroes where everybody with unnatural abilities were being rounded up by the government to protect the wellbeing of everybody who is normal. And that, dear readers, is exactly what Hunted is. Except that Hunted is set in a world where it is completely okay to round up Paranormals, and we get to see what kind of a world it is from the point of view of a Para (short for Paranormal) on the run; our main character Caitlyn.
So when the novel began, I was surprised to see that we were just thrown into a fast paced car ride where Caitlyn and her mother are being hunted by Government Troopers and Government Paras. Already I was enthralled and had to read on. One of the main points in the novel was Caitlyn’s brother Daniel, so you can imagine my surprise when we end up meeting Daniel only a few chapters later. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will tell you that Daniel was so not who I expected him to be. And when you read the novel, you will see why.
There were a few points in the novel as it proceeded where I was confused with how Caitlyn and her Mother were getting away with so many things via the internet and mailing system, when the government is said to have been watching and scanning everything. A part of me wishes that we got to see more detail on how they got away with schemes like those, but: c’est la vie. Besides that, as the novel progressed and we got to see what a Government controlled high school looks like, I found that out of Caitlyn’s limited amount of friends, I was really disappointed with her love interest Alex. But I only felt this way after a short scene in the novel where he spoke about the Para’s the way that most Para-haters did. However, as the novel continued, I was starting to fall in love with him. Not only does he have such a tragic past, but his willingness to put himself in the face of danger for Caitlyn’s sake had my heart melting.
The story itself was full of so much drama and mystery. I personally can say that I loved all of the suspense that came with the plot and characters, not to mention all of the superhuman powers and abilities that just made the novel above and beyond. I would recommend this to fans of Dystopian government controlled worlds and to fans of the sci-fi/romance genre. Hunted is definitely worth a read.
Magluvsya03
Posted April 10, 2012
Let me start by saying that this book is pretty awesome, but not in a fairy tale type of way. It’s quite deep and dark, but I think the fact that it’s got such a realness to it is what makes it so good. Think holocaust and/or slavery but with paranormals. Some people are gifted, called Paras and they are hunted, persecuted, treated terribly, and have some awful things done to them just because they were born that way! It all started when the world found out some people had these gifts and then had the Cleansing. It’s as bad as it sounds.
Caitlyn and her mom are on the run, on a desperate way to save themselves from the government who will either kill you, torture you until you die, or enslave you to work for them to hunt others just like you. This kid makes me want to be brave and have half of her guts! She knows that there are some non-gifted humans who sympathize and even support the Paras but with the terrible circumstances, it could mean death for them just because of association. Caitlyn takes some high risks but it’s the right thing to do, even if it means forfeiting her life. And to top it off, she falls for a non-Para and this could literally mean death if he finds out, or worse!
This is also a story for abuse victims learning to get help where they can and having a friend to lean on, regardless of the chance and risk, can mean the whole world! AND it’s got twists, turns, crazy good plot, and a total surprise that will slap you in the face! Honestly, I really wanted to hug Caitlyn, I think she needed it, but the end, she found a network of people who were willing to be there for her, no matter what… And that’s worth it all!
I think everyone should read this, wether it be a teen, who is bullied in school, or the bully, for you can learn a valuable lesson, or an adult, as you can learn that a smile or even a hello to a stranger can be a lifeline! Yes, it’s a hard subject, but it’s something everyone should be aware of, and the paranormal side just makes it down right adventurous! And fun too! I think I’d like to have the ability of move things, without touching, telekenetics empaths, telepaths, and clairvoyants have something that may be a little overwhelming!
5 paws for me!
Ambur
Posted March 23, 2012
Well, my first thought after finishing Hunted was...wow! I think I honestly said "wow" out loud, too. :P This book had such a powerful feel to it & the overall message was incredibly moving.
One of the best parts about Hunted was the paranormal aspect. There are people with paranormal abilities living amongst people without them. Unfortunately, "paras" as they're called are persecuted, & treated horribly! If the government captures them, they're forced to find other paras & report to their handlers. They have tracking devices in their tongues, & electric shocks are used to punish them for not cooperating, or for not doing well enough. It was so sad to read about the way the paras were treated, & it makes you think of the groups of people in the past, or even recently, who've been mistreated because of their race, their sexuality, their religion, and countless other factors that make them different. It's horrible when you think of how people are persecuted because they're different, and Hunted puts that into a whole new perspective. Being different doesn't stop someone from being a human being & the way that victimization is justified is often through "otherness," where you distinguish someone as different and make them out as the enemy. There's also the whole "for-the-greater-good" mentality, which pops up in a lot of places, and can have some seriously horrific consequences.
Now, I just want to be clear, while it was easy to see the ways other have been mistreated, this wasn't a sad book. It's a powerful one, & it has some amazing characters. The main character, Caitlyn, is a telepath, so she can read people's minds...although, she usually chooses not to, & instead uses her power to try & protect her mother & herself. I loved getting to see the other characters' thought processes through her. It was incredibly interesting. Also, because Caityln's a para you can put yourself in her perspective, & you get to feel what it's like to belong to a persecuted group and to be constantly on the run.
I didn't expect Hunted to have such a large focus on the prejudice and violence between paras and normals, but once I started reading it, I was so glad that it did. Without them, it still would have been a fantastic story, but with them, it became more than just a brilliant story. It became a story full of meaning, one with a powerful message of acceptance, & unity. It was even more moving once I read to the end, & saw that the author, Cheryl Rainfield, used her own past experiences to write the book. While, I didn't read that until the end, it made the overall book sink in even further. It makes you realize that there are still a lot of people out there who are persecuted, victimized,& bullied. It makes you want to stand up for the people who are being mistreated, & to stop it if you get the chance. I think it's pretty incredible for a book to leave you with that feeling.
Hunted is a wonderful story. It has an intelligent and brave heroine, and leaves you wanting to make a difference...to stand up for the underdog...to stand up for equality...to stand up for your beliefs. It makes you want to speak up, & support others. I completely recommend Hunted. It's not often that you get the chance to read a remarkable story that entertains and inspires.
*This review is also posted on my blog, Burning.x.Impossibly.x.Bright, as well as on some of my other social media accounts.
*I received a reviewer's copy of Hunted to participate in its blog tour.
