I loved this one. Dark and foreboding, this is a story of a really messed up family. I love the dynamics of watching this family interact and dealing with Olivia. I definitely want to read more by Gardner.

What a fun, crazy ride. A book I didn’t want to put down.

After sifting through all the accounts of family dysfunction, acts of revenge, dangerous car rides, and scattered body parts; I thought to myself “hey, my upbringing may have been boring, but at least it was normal!”

I have read and enjoyed three books from the Jolvix series by this author. Here, she replaces robots with psychopaths. :) :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Book got better as it went along, totally different from her Jolvix books but still intriguing with an exciting ending. Skews a bit towards YA, so if that genre isn't your thing this one probably won't be either. And it's really dark. Twistedly dark.

Told via multiple narrators, we have the Hunter family: Psychiatrist Angela, wannabe true crime writer Cameron, and their two children, Eliza and Ezra. Eliza is best friends with new girl Olivia. The Hunters appear to have it all together with their picture perfect life, and Olivia wants nothing more than to escape her awful life and join theirs. But is it really that perfect? And is Olivia what she seems on the surface?

This book started off slowly and then picked up momentum until the absolutely shocking ending. You know something surprising is going to happen after the prologue, but how it all unfolds is part of the fun. There's some humor scattered throughout and there are quite a number of jaw dropping moments. If you're looking for dark, quirky, and unpredictable, this is definitely one to pick up.

Such a fun quirky read about a very deranged family! From the outside the Hunters are your typical family of four but they have a new secret at every corner and aren’t what they seem! Olivia befriends Eliza Hunter and desperately wants to be included in all the family doings until Olivia reveals a little of her darker side and Eliza ends the friendship. That doesn’t stop Olivia from dating Ezra the brother and they fall hard for each other, how far will Ezra go for Olivia? Plus the parents have just as many secrets!! Wild ride!!

Excellent character development and each have likeable and unlikeable traits, kept me wanting to read for sure!! My first by the author and definitely won’t be my last!!

Thanks to netgalley and mirror house press for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was overall a good thriller and certainly kept me on my toes. It was a bit disturbing at times and I was more than a little creeped out by some of the actions by one of the main characters.

They Are the Hunters was my first book by Faith Gardner. It will not be my last. Especially if we can continue this story where it left off. The Hunters are the perfect family. They are rich. They are well respected. They are liars. Really, only one has any redeeming qualities at all. Their downfall is almost satisfying. When a teenager works her way onto their lives, it doesn’t sit well with only one of them. The ending left me wanting more.

It had been a while since I've read the synopsis so I only remembered the main concept of it, but oh my God. After I finished the book, I looked at the synopsis and it's really a summary not a synopsis.
I'm thankful for my short term memory for this, otherwise I'd be reading the same thing twice.
Now, returning to the book. It honestly lacked a sense of balance. The author kept playing at the threshold between intriguing dark characters and why-is-everyone-acting-like-a-weirdo?
What started compelling turned lame so fast, the characters were weird just for the sake of being weird. I don't know who told them being a psychopath is cool, reading Ezra's parts where he were trying so hard to find evidence he was a psychopath was really uncomfortable. He was mentally ill, that's for sure, but you could see how he was trying to act weird just to fit a certain profile.
Eliza kind of stood out because of how normal she was, a true teenager with angst and mommy issues. Her parts were grounding among the freak show happening with the other characters.
The parents were super lame, both of them grated on my nerves, they didn't have any depth and apart from glaring characteristics, like, the dad's rapping and the mother's indifference, they really didn't add to the book.
Also, this had to be said; the plot was absolutely weak. The book was depending mostly on the gruesome details rather than an actual storyline. The concept was murder and we went from there, no sequence whatsoever.
I had high expectations but was sadly disappointed.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This was reviewed by one of my Goodreads friends and I trust her so I started reading immediately. I love a good compelling thriller and this was that. I had a hard time putting it down mostly because it was so disturbing. It’s well written and drew me in because of the teenagers. Especially Ezra, I couldn’t believe his thoughts and then the book was next level crazy! I was shocked and found it put together rather convincingly. I recommend it. 4.5⭐️
Thanks Mirror House Press via NetGalley.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I’ve read and enjoyed some but not all of this authors books they are hit and miss.
The book felt cringy and hard to get through I came back and left it a number of times before abandoning it.
I’m giving a mid rating due to DNFing the book.
Thanks so Mirror House NetGalley and the author for an arc.

This was a good book! The first chapter immediately drew me in. This story is told from multiple POVs, where some characters have more information about the goings on than others, making for a fast-paced thriller. Giving this book 4 stars because the ending fell a little flat for me; however, I enjoyed the story otherwise!

Thank you to Netgalley and Mirror House Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book releases tomorrow, 1/11/24!

Faith Gardner is the very talented author that I'm on automatic request for her books after the Jolvix series. Now this one, my friends, is different and not easy to sum up, but in a dark, fascinating way I still enjoyed her writing...not the subject matter of it because it is an unsettling look at the darker side of people with a touch of cringing humor...sometimes a little corny. This family is dysfunctional, but not in a societal way, just a "what's wrong with these people?" kind of way.
The Hunter family appears picture perfect, but... I'm not going there or I will give it away. Told in all POVs, Angela and Carson's household includes 2 children Eliza and Ezra. When Eliza makes friends with Olivia, she begins to see some serious and dangerous issues with her. The Hunter family decides to take Olivia into their home to keep her out of foster care. She begins to fall for Ezra after Eliza backs away from her. She's planning a murder under the roof, but they are killers too. Unlikely and unexpected ending, but I like a twist!!! I'm not sure any of the characters were my favorite, but if I had to pick it would be Eliza since she wised up.
Thank you Mirror House Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath a tree. ~ William Blake (The Poison Tree)

Olivia West wants to be a Hunter. Her life in the Paradise Springs trailer park is misery compared to hanging out with her bestie Eliza Hunter. Olivia should be careful what she wishes for. There is more to the Hunter family than meets the eye. They, in turn, may find that they have met their match in Olivia. William Blake's poem echoes throughout along with "The Telltale Heart" and a pinch of "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe, and (one of my favorites) Dostoevsky's masterpiece Crime and Punishment.

If you have enjoyed the Jolvix Episodes, be sure to try this one. Full disclosure: I was one of those newsletter subscribers who voted for Faith Gardner to write this book. It was quite a ride.

Thank you to Faith Gardner, Mirror House Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh! What a ride! (could be taken both ways)

Synopsis
Eliza and Olivia are fast friends with two different worlds: Eliza has a happy family while Olivia is abused constantly. Until one night, Eliza isn't sure if befriending Olivia is worth all the hassle or not.

What I like
The pace was fast, the story and writing were super engaging! There was no dull part in the story and it didn't matter that it has like 5 different povs lol
Yesterday I regreted leaving my kindle at work because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT. And boy, it didn't disappoint!
You wanna talk about morally grey characters? Look no further! They are all here! Talk about the positive and negative traits of all the Hunters plus Olivia, I could stay up all night tbh.
And oh the ending!! I really am gonna look for author's other books because this one's such a chef's kiss!

What I don't like
The summary is a bit misleading, I was hoping something similar to the movie Ready or Not, but despite that, the book was great.

Final thought
This one's a fun read, go get the book now!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a wild ride from the start. We're following a family that seems perfect from the outside, but they've all got secrets and we're slowly learning them as the story progresses. Meanwhile, we're also getting the perspective of the best friend of the daughter in the family. She wants to murder her abusive father and she's using the family to do so. What she doesn't know is they've killed before and have no problem doing it again 🫣

I'm a thriller girly, so this book sounded right up my alley, but it slightly missed the mark for me in its delivery. We got POV chapters from every character and the plot really felt like it went all over the place. I also felt like there weren't any WOW plot twists that made me want to keep reading. In fact, the thing that really kept me holding on was the fact that it felt like a messy reality show that I couldn't look away from.

Breakdown:

Characters- I didn't like any of the characters and I feel like none of them were truly fleshed out enough for me to care about them. We had the outcast daughter, the psychopath son, the pill popping mom, the creepy dad, and the evil best friend and none of them felt authentic to me.

Plot- I see what the author was trying to do with the plot and some of it worked, but it did feel a little messy. I will say that I enjoyed the story overall, which is why I still rated it above a two story. It was enough to keep my interest.

Writing- The writing was wholly enjoyable. I would likely pick up another book by this author even if this one didn't entirely hit the mark for me!

"Here’s the secret they never tell you about getting everything you want: once you get it, you live in fear you’re going to lose it."

In a departure from her Jolvix series, Faith Gardner introduces the Hunters, a family living the seemingly perfect life on the surface but actually so far beyond dysfunctional, killers and psychopaths haunted by the consequences of their actions, their inner monsters shadowed with darkness.

"Passion is a flame that inevitably dies. But loyalty burns forever. And secrets can sew two hearts together."

All of the main characters were unlikable, highly untrustworthy narrators. Sixteen year old Eliza, who seemed to be the only one with a hint of conscience, was a weak FMC who needed to grow up and strengthen her resolve and determination. Eventually, she learned who she was and, more importantly, who she wasn't, but it took too long to get there. Her brother, Ezra, was so easily manipulated and insufferable as he descended into madness. Was he a psychopath or merely the victim of one getting in his head? Their father, Carson, tried to play a hip and modern dad but he only came across as cringey, especially with the rap music he always played. The only family member who seemed to have any sort of backbone was Angela, Eliza and Ezra's mother and a psychiatrist, as she took the weight of the world on her shoulders along with the problem solving responsibilities that came with it. And, of course, the master manipulator, Olivia West, Eliza's best friend, Ezra's girlfriend, honorary Hunter. The girl you love to hate, she treated everyone around her like her own personal puppets. The only character I liked was Izzy, Ezra's friend and later Eliza's, and I wish she was more than a side character but at least she played a more significant role in the bonus epilogue offered on the author's website.

"Sometimes, in life, you come to a place where it’s you or someone else . That’s nature. That’s survival. It’s simple math. You or them. Who do you choose?"

With secrets and lies, betrayals and revenge, this book had potential but ultimately didn't work for me. It felt very YA and that's not what I was expecting especially with the insight into psychopaths. The heart of the story started late so things moved quite slowly before anything truly memorable happened. The numerous points of view weren't confusing to follow but the alternating voices broke the continuity of the flow and slowed the pacing. I think this would have worked better with more of the focus on just one or two viewpoints with maybe minor contributions from the other characters. Although I was ultimately disappointed overall, I would recommend this to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with dysfunctional families and questionable friendships. I much prefer the author's Jolvix novels and I look forward to seeing what's next in that world.

* Special thanks to Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available January 11, 2024. *

I'll just preface my review by saying I have loved everything that Faith Gardner has written, so when this one seemingly strayed into YA territory I said "uh oh!". But no worries - of course she came through!

Almost everyone in this book is a psychopath or psychopath adjacent. But the characters are also so normal, they could be your neighbors. There's a little bit of an origin story for the parents, Angela and Carson, and the secret that binds them. There's nerdy Ezra, perfect daughter Eliza (okay, maybe not in her black hair/clothing phase), and new-in-town girl Olivia, who is just looking for a friend. And a collision course that brings them all together.

The writing is tight, with bits of humor that break up what would otherwise be a very macabre story of a hereditary inclination toward unaliving humans. But with the greatest of intentions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mirror Press for an advance reader's copy for review.

Quirky! Fun!

Faith Gardner wanted to surprise her readers with something different. Which meant stepping outside the Jolvix series. We all gave a collective gasp! An author trying something different? Rarely, if ever does that work.

But she generously and cleverly gave us a choice of genre, and the majority responded loud and clear, requesting a straight up thriller (including me).

So you’re asking….did it work? Absolutely!💃

The Hunters are the typical American family. I say this with a note of sarcasm as you quickly realize there’s no such thing as a normal family.
All families have a unique quality that makes them different. Whether that’s good or bad is up to you to decide.

Now back to The Hunters. Angela and Carson are married with two teenagers, Eliza and Ezra. Eliza’s best friend is Olivia, she spends more time with the Hunters than she does in her own home. Kind-hearted, the Hunters think she’s a sweet girl who just needs their help.

Boy, were they wrong! And they’re about to find out the hard way! (That’s all you’re getting from me on the premise).

My favorite character was Angela! She stole the show for me. She was hilarious trying to deal with her house, career and family (including Olivia). Oh, and her valium!🤣 I’m curious who your favorite character will be (or was)!

Such a fun, witty read. It has everything you’d expect from this author. Her style and keen sense of humor truly stands out.

Personally, I believe her talent would shine no matter what genre she tried. This book had the thriller aspect along with a bit of YA, (not a fav of mine but I was ok with it), family drama and a boat load of offbeat humor!

Can’t wait for more from this amazing author! Thrillers, dystopian, whatever it is I’ll be first in line!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press

This is the first book I have read by Faith Gardner but I already ordered more because I'm in love with her writing. I couldn't put this book down. It was entertaining, addictive and consumed my day! The family is dysfunctional and messed up but I enjoyed every minute of it. I can't wait to read the other books. This is a MUST READ!! I Highly recommend this book.

Also I absolutely loved the cover of this book.


Thank you NetGalley and Mirror House Press for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

A crazy family for sure! This was my first time reading from this author and I now need to go through their backlist. I really enjoyed this. I flew through this. This was everything I needed!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I didn’t enjoy the authors writing style, and didn’t find myself pulled into the book. There were too many POV’s for me, and Ezra’s POV was insufferable, which I know was the point, but I just couldn’t stand his chapters. This one didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free arc in exchange for an honest review.