5.0 out of 5 stars
Exiting Reading Material, February 2, 2011
This review is from: HUNTED (Paperback)
That was exiting reading material! I couldn't put the book down. Every time the chapter finished there was danger lurking, so I had to keep reading. The suspense was kept up pretty much throughout the book. Since the action was during the Apache war there was quite a lot of killing involved. Hank Barone, however, skillfully lets the reader feel the emotions that come with such gruesome actions which makes some of the killing kind of humane.
The main characters Zach and Elena are 15 year old teenagers who despite losing everything keep on going, conquer fear and deal with other feelings along the way.
I enjoyed reading about the adventure they had in the ancient Indian ruins. The setting of the scene was described very lively. I was glad to read that they encountered not only enemies but also made friends.
There is a surprise change of narrative where the author switches to the surreal which turns some of the book into science-fiction. It's an interesting aspect and it will no doubt appeal to many readers with a young mind.
Overall it was an exiting read. It made me want to go out camping and explore the wilderness.
Mr Barone included the first chapter of his new book 'Vanished', so I decided to order his next book too. It sounds like another great adventure. Can't wait.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Hunted: A Page Turner, February 14, 2010
This review is from: HUNTED (Paperback)
From the first page to the last, author Hank Barone has created a fast paced YA novel that will keep your heart thumping. Zach Malone, a 15-year-old New Mexican farmer's son is thrust into an Apache war during the mid-1800s. He rushes home to find his dad dead and his home destroyed. Atop his horse, Sundance, with his dog Lobo acting as scout, Zach rushes to warn Elena de Alba, his best friend, of the threat.
Elena has Apache trouble, which Zach and his animal companions rescue her from. The duo escape and hide in the Gila Cliff Dwellings. The Mogollan people lived in carved-out rock homes centuries ago, and then mysteriously vanished. Barone's descriptions of this amazing monument and surrounding forest will make you want to book a flight tomorrow.
When Apaches discover Zach and Elena's whereabouts, the hunted teens run, soon to find refuge in a "misty veil" in a wall of rock. With Lobo and Sundance at their side, Zach and Elena embark on a hair raising adventure that explains where the Mogollan people went while providing the reader with an adventure that makes the Apache war seem like an attack by cute bear cubs.
Hank Barone knits characters and scenarios expertly together into a woven tapestry of an adventurous escapade. Hunted feeds our fear of wild animals and strange indigenous people as Zach and Elena struggle with their growing feelings of love.
The only downside to Hunted is that it ended. The upside is the promise of another novel, Vanished, available soon.
Michael L. Thal
Columnist for LA Examiner
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