What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hunt
Stephen moves to a new town to live with his uncle when his parents die, and his efforts to fit in are complicated by the bloodthirsty something that lives in the old Ball house
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1991
2 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 15, 2023
Wright serves up some camp with flair here, giving us a vampire romp that really hit the pulpy spot. After a brief prologue teasing us about events in the small town of Hunt, NY, that happened 10 years prior, the story kicks off with a car crash. Little Steven, a bright kid, is now an orphan after his parents died in the crash. Thankfully, his uncle Judd, the sheriff of Hunt, is there to take him in. Judd is still pining for his wife and small boy who disappeared 10 years ago and now lives in a small cabin outside of town with his dog Sam.
About the same time, a cat burglar breaks into an old, boarded up mansion in Hunt, looking for booty. When searching the basement, he finds a barricaded door, thinking this is where the good stuff is, but finds instead some hungry vampires! It seems for 10 years they have been locked in the basement, but now they are out and about! Strange deaths start to happen around town and Judd is clueless. If you read anything in the vampire genre, you know the drill here. Disbelieving townies suddenly faced with something outré. Wright makes no bones about pulp; this breaks no new ground. Yet, he really writes well and gives us some interesting, believable characters, all with a touch of dry humor that made this fun to read.
Do not expect a landmark vampire tale here, but this is not simply a knockoff of 'Salem's Lot. Wright does bring in a strange, surreal carnival that is a the heart of the 'infestation' but I will not say more to avoid spoilers. The ending was pretty abrupt, but other than that, the pacing was super. Call this one a comfort horror read! 3.5 fangs, rounding up!!
About the same time, a cat burglar breaks into an old, boarded up mansion in Hunt, looking for booty. When searching the basement, he finds a barricaded door, thinking this is where the good stuff is, but finds instead some hungry vampires! It seems for 10 years they have been locked in the basement, but now they are out and about! Strange deaths start to happen around town and Judd is clueless. If you read anything in the vampire genre, you know the drill here. Disbelieving townies suddenly faced with something outré. Wright makes no bones about pulp; this breaks no new ground. Yet, he really writes well and gives us some interesting, believable characters, all with a touch of dry humor that made this fun to read.
Do not expect a landmark vampire tale here, but this is not simply a knockoff of 'Salem's Lot. Wright does bring in a strange, surreal carnival that is a the heart of the 'infestation' but I will not say more to avoid spoilers. The ending was pretty abrupt, but other than that, the pacing was super. Call this one a comfort horror read! 3.5 fangs, rounding up!!
March 6, 2022
10 years ago: Cynthia Lucas is turned into a vampire, gaining her immortality. She then turns over her boyfriend's son, Jeffrey, as an offering to her master - the vampire who turned her.
Present day: Eight-year-old Steven's parents are killed in a car accident while driving in a bad storm, and he is sent to live with his uncle, Judd Lucas, the sheriff of Hunt, NY. Judd hopes he and Steven can develop a bond, especially since they have shared trauma - as he is still plagued by his son's disappearance a decade ago.
In town, there is one home that many will not go near - a home the subject of much conjecture - the All home. They are not simply rumors either, for locked in the basement are a group of vampires. A group whom, when unsuspecting petty criminal, Adrian Foote breaks into the All home, are released back into the world.
After that, all hell breaks loose in town; the owners of a local restaurant - husband and wife disappear, the owner of the flower shop is also nowhere to be found. Neighborhood boys go missing. A body vanishes from the morgue. Deputies never return from dispatch. And then there are the grisly murders.
Can Judd find out who or what is behind all this tragedy? And will he even believe it if he does?
---------------------------
I absolutely love horror, but the vampire subgenre is really just not my thing, however when I read the description on the back, I was eager to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. It was a very good book, and that cover is amazing.
I really loved that once the vampires were freed from the basement, the book had a bunch of little subplots, focusing on the people/families that ended up coming into contact with the vampires - I really enjoyed those little stories.
Towards the end though, there were just so many characters and way too much going on that it unfortunately became a little hard to follow.
Overall, a very good book though, even if you really don't care for vampires.
Present day: Eight-year-old Steven's parents are killed in a car accident while driving in a bad storm, and he is sent to live with his uncle, Judd Lucas, the sheriff of Hunt, NY. Judd hopes he and Steven can develop a bond, especially since they have shared trauma - as he is still plagued by his son's disappearance a decade ago.
In town, there is one home that many will not go near - a home the subject of much conjecture - the All home. They are not simply rumors either, for locked in the basement are a group of vampires. A group whom, when unsuspecting petty criminal, Adrian Foote breaks into the All home, are released back into the world.
After that, all hell breaks loose in town; the owners of a local restaurant - husband and wife disappear, the owner of the flower shop is also nowhere to be found. Neighborhood boys go missing. A body vanishes from the morgue. Deputies never return from dispatch. And then there are the grisly murders.
Can Judd find out who or what is behind all this tragedy? And will he even believe it if he does?
---------------------------
I absolutely love horror, but the vampire subgenre is really just not my thing, however when I read the description on the back, I was eager to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. It was a very good book, and that cover is amazing.
I really loved that once the vampires were freed from the basement, the book had a bunch of little subplots, focusing on the people/families that ended up coming into contact with the vampires - I really enjoyed those little stories.
Towards the end though, there were just so many characters and way too much going on that it unfortunately became a little hard to follow.
Overall, a very good book though, even if you really don't care for vampires.
October 17, 2018
I came into this book with mixed feelings. On one hand it was a Pinnacle horror book from the early nineties. These books were sort of in the same league as the Zebra horror novels of around the same period. Flashy covers with wild stories that we're good for a few laughs. Some were much better than others. The down side to this was that it was about vampires. I'm not a big fan. This was a winner though. The synopsis on the back cover was a little misleading. But everything came out all right.
The story is set in a town called Hunt. Young Steven is orphaned and is sent to live with his uncle Judd, the sheriff of Hunt. This is where I thought that it would turn into a story revolving around the kid and vampires. I was wrong. Little Steven doesn't have much to do here. I centers on his uncle and various towns people. Even the undead have less time allotted to them that I would of thought. I have to say that it worked for me.
There are small bursts of violence that keeps the pace moving along. The characters are likable and keeps you interested. There are a few sub plots that are fun. They of course intersect with the main plot nicely. I never read anything by T. Lucien Wright, but I would if I ever come across something else by the author.
The story is set in a town called Hunt. Young Steven is orphaned and is sent to live with his uncle Judd, the sheriff of Hunt. This is where I thought that it would turn into a story revolving around the kid and vampires. I was wrong. Little Steven doesn't have much to do here. I centers on his uncle and various towns people. Even the undead have less time allotted to them that I would of thought. I have to say that it worked for me.
There are small bursts of violence that keeps the pace moving along. The characters are likable and keeps you interested. There are a few sub plots that are fun. They of course intersect with the main plot nicely. I never read anything by T. Lucien Wright, but I would if I ever come across something else by the author.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews