Project Paper Doll: The Hunt - Hardcover

Stacey Kade (www.staceykade.com) is the author of the Ghost and the Goth series, Project Paper Doll: The Rules, and its sequel, Project Paper Doll: The Hunt. She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and two retired racing greyhounds. Look for her on Facebook and Twitter (@StaceyKade).

4Q 4P J S Telekinetic and telepathic Ariane is half-alien, created by Dr. Jacobs with DNA recovered from the Roswell crash. Having escaped the facility where Jacobs raised her and trained her for combat, she is on the run with her human boyfriend, Zane. They know Jacobs will literally kill to get Ariane back and hope Zane's estranged mother, Mara, might help them. Unfortunately, Mara is being watched by Jacobs's even more ruthless rival, Dr. Laughlin, another creator of alien hybrids. Ariane decides their only hope is recruiting Laughlin's hybrids-less adept at passing for human than Ariane-but Zane considers it too risky. As Ariane and Zane struggle with their choices, Ariane's heritage, and their relationship, time is running out. What will happen to them? A cliff-hanger ending offers no answers. Kade has built a well-constructed world full of deep moral and personal questions. Ariane and Zane are layered characters, trying to cope in a world with few, if any, right choices. Because the first half of the book focuses on the characters exploring those questions, saving the action and violence for later, this series will appeal more to lovers of thoughtful supernatural romance than to lovers of action. It will also appeal more to readers of the first volume, as new readers will lack Ariane and Zane's background story, which could lessen the emotional impact of their relationship and their choices. Overall, this is a strong choice for those who prefer their dystopias with more contemplation and romance than action.-Rebecca Moore. The Hunt is a great book that will enrapture readers, keeping them on the edge of their seats. Kade shows the worst and the best of Zane and Arianne and does a great job of making their story relatable to a modern teenager's own life. Anyone twelve or older will enjoy this book and anxiously await the sequel. 4Q, 3P.-Michael Culbert, Teen Reviewer. VOYA"

Desperate and on the run from GTX, Ariane needs the secret, emergency cache that Mark, her stepfather, hid for her, but relief at finding it is short-lived when she discovers the letter he left with it. Two other scientific labs have been competing with GTX to craft test-tube babies from human and alien DNA, turning them into living, lethal weapons. Eliminating Ariane-the most successful-would also eliminate GTX from the competition. While Mark warned Ariane to travel alone, Zane won't let that happen. As they travel to Zane's estranged mother's home, their attachment grows, but there's no time to cuddle. Zane worries alien-enhanced Ariane sees him as weak, while she's afraid he'll see her as less than human. When focusing on their obsessions, the plot grows slack and the pace slows. Alternating narration becomes repetitious when both narrators recount the same events; Ariane's powers allow her to hear Zane's thoughts and learn his feelings for her, further quashing suspense. But the story regains traction when Ariane seeks out and confronts her angry, wounded counterpart, Ford, and her wounded cellmates, Ariane's relatives. Though not raised in isolation like Ariane, they have also been taught to reject their half-human origins. Overcoming a melodramatic start, this page-turner accelerates to a taut climax with full marks for the cliffhanger ending. (Science fiction/romance. 12-18) Kirkus"

The relentless sequel to Kade's The Rules (2013) hurtles Ariane and Zane further into danger and deception. After going on the lam from the evil research facility that created Ariane, she and Zane find themselves hunting down her only salvation: other hybrid creations. If Ariane can forge an alliance with the other hybrids, she may have a chance at a normal life. But her hunters threaten to outsmart her at every turn, and a steamy mutual attraction between Ariane and Zane means the stakes are even higher. With a breathless ending opening the door to more intrigue, readers will be eager to snatch up the next title. - Julie Trevelyan Booklist Online"