The Hunted

Peña, M. D. (2015). The hunted. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

This book is the sequel to Matt de la Peña's The Living. It picks up where the first book left off with Shy escaping the mysterious island he ended up on after this employer, the Paradise luxury cruise ship, sinks after a Tsunami hits it. He is accompanied by Carmen, Marcus, and Shoeshine (the mysterious man who helped them escape the island), and headed towards the decimated California shore (it was hit hard by an earthquake in the first book) where they aren't too optimistic about finding their families alive. The population of California has also been hit hard by the Romero disease and Shy knows the secret to its origins and purpose. This secret follows him as they make land and try to navigate through gang-controlled regions, encountering terror and dead people everywhere. Someone out there doesn't want Shy or his friends leaking the secret behind the Romero disease and will stop at nothing to keep them quiet.

I enjoyed reading the first book, The Living, and liked how this book picked right up where the first left off. The author continues the story of Shy's love interest in Carmen and also keeps up the pace of adventure and adrenaline. His descriptions of the catastrophe in California make this apocalyptic sci-fi story all too real. Shy's attitude and personality are fresh and believable and engage there reader. I think readers will also appreciate the depiction of a main character who is Latino, but not tied down by any stereotypes.

Matt de la Peña's website:
http://mattdelapena.com

Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbLji0fKfoQ