Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. I really loved the book and its characters. I can see that the author spent a long time on worldbuilding and forming 3 dimensional characters. This was already on my wish-list for the year, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. I loved the read and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

We Are Hunted is a gory thriller set on a private island with mysterious creatures and an even more mysterious history.

We follow Femi and his brother Dapo as they attempt to mend their relationship and try to bond with their father. I enjoyed this aspect of the story, however it was a little repetitive in the beginning. I will say that the teenage angst felt so real.

I do wish this had been a shorter novella because the story was really interesting and had me gripped at times. I just felt that I couldn’t become fully immersed due to the repetitive nature of the challenges the group faced. I think this story has an excellent premise and I loved the inclusion of a bonus scene and looking forward to seeing how this story will change and progress.

Tomi Oyemakinde is a really great writer and I can’t wait to explore more of their books. I think this story will really appeal to younger readers getting into the horror thriller genre.

This was good, I enjoyed my read, the characters and plot were good but I wasn’t overwhelmed with it unfortunately

This was like Juarassic Park but taken to new levels of gore and tension. I really enjoyed the ending for its boldness and the suspense was well-maintained. Something was just missing for me though sadly.

We Are Hunted is a dark dystopia that kept me guessing for a long time and serves as a warning to those who choose to genetically change nature without asking whether they should. Richard Jenkins, a rich tech entrepreneur, has discovered an island and created a resort where he has re-engineered the natural habitat. Femi's dad has been invited to a conference on the island and his mom thinks that this is the perfect opportunity for him to bond with his perfect and obedient older brother and his disapproving dad. At first Femi marvels at the glass dragons and other creatures, but the veil is pulled from his eyes when he meets Valoisa, who claims to be a native from this uninhabited island, and the lies begin to unravel. The novel swiftly turns into a battle for survival as Richard's control over the environment fails and the beasts resort to baser natures - kill or be killed - and the bloodbath begins.

I loved exploring the world of this book and exploring the family dynamic, overall I enjoyed it and liked the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for the eARC

I thought We Are Hunted was written well and the way the story played out felt like a rollercoaster of emotions. I liked the direct approach this novel took but I also felt it was slow paced at times.
I really enjoyed how the events played out in this novel, I was surprised at how the main character felt like they took the back seat at times and it felt like a unique way.

I did enjoy this book but I think I would’ve liked it more if I was a child. I found that I was often relating to the older brother and the dad rather than the main character. But for a younger audience I think this book would be great. It has very good thrill moments and some scenes that really made me shiver. It also really didn’t pull its punches which I appreciated and had me though a rollercoaster of emotions. I would recommend this book to younger teens.

This was fine, but unfortunately I was expecting more!

It started off well, even if I was a little confused as it was a little slow moving to introduce the Island and the creatures and to set up the plot. However, when it began to explore the creatures and begin to thread some plot points it began to conjure some intrigue however I feel how the rest of the story was executed was poor. I feel like it was a lot of quick moving action with brutal descriptions of dead bodies and not a lot of focus on a story. Half the time they were going so fast I hadn’t even realised the setting had changed! Additionally, so many characters were killed off yet I couldn’t really bring myself to care as we didn’t really get to see or form a connection with many of them. They were just there one minute and dead the next.

I think the family dynamic was good and I loved seeing the relationship between Femi and Dapo out on the page.

Tomi Oyemakinde follows the excellent boarding school set horror thriller The Changing Man (2023), which we have covered in the past, with We Are Hunted which successfully blends horror with science fiction. In this sophomore effort the posh atmospheric boarding school is replaced by a secretive island, which only the super-rich ever visit, but due to top level secrecy are not allowed to talk about it, share photos or videos. Is it all smoke and mirrors or is this remote location truly a comparison to Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park? It is and it isn’t. Don’t go expecting to see a rogue brontosaurus sauntering past, but there are certainly creatures which have been genetically altered in strange ways and are very well described and whilst not as threatening as Crighton’s velociraptors, are not something you want to bump into whilst on an evening stroll. Once We Are Hunted picks up the pace it does get gory, with many holiday makers savaged, torn apart and eaten.

The action starts with seventeen-year-old Femi and his brother accompanying their father on a secretive business trip to the island, the three are looking to bond and instead get much more than they bargained for when the security systems fail and the island wildlife encroaches and threatens. There is a lot of fun technology in We Are Hunted as Femi is sucked into a deepening mystery in which a local girl he meets hints at what is going on under the surface. Meanwhile Femi has to deal with family problems, the girl he has a crush on whilst trying to stay alive. In the background he dreams of being a musician and abandoning school to follow his dream, whilst not being able to tell his father. Femi was a sympathetic and believable teenage character and I had a great time on this crazy dangerous island. AGE RANGE 12/13+

This basically felt a bit like a rehash of Jurassic Park but with hybrid animals rather than dinosaurs! It's a decent thriller with plenty of tension but the pacing is off and there's nothing too innovative or surprising - even the surprise ending! The discussions on religious faith felt a bit shoe-horned in, and many of the characters, themes were underdeveloped. Be prepared for the graphic descriptions of humans being savaged and dismembered by the wildlife. I was disappointed as I read the debut by this author and expected more.

Loved this book, the story was really unique and not something I’ve come across before. It was quick paced, I really enjoyed the characters and how their personalities came through without having pages and pages of ‘background’.
The ending was amazing!

I liked this, the concept was dark and secretive, I didnt really know where it would go. Femi struggles a lot with juggling what he finds out about the island and with appeasing his dad/brother. He really doesnt know how to handle any situations that rapidly arise for him.

This had a very modern lord of the flies feel to it by the end which I dont mind cause it was interesting and provided high stakes.

I really enjoyed this!
Nothing like I’ve read before. I’ve never actually seen Jurassic Park but I’m aware of the idea. I have however seen Jurassic World which I want to say is a similar thing.
My favourite part was the family dynamic. I’m so so glad Dapo and Femi got to bond during the story. That side of the book was so wholesome and very much needed.
I do feel like we got a lot plot development and character development too, mainly with Femi.
This wasn’t like anything I’d read before and so it was fresh to me and intriguing.
The writing was good and easy to flow through.
I had a fun time!
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the arc! Would read more from Tomi in the future!