Skin Hunter

Skin Hunter

by Tania Hutley

5 out of 5

Synopsis
She didn't want to do it... But she was desperate.

Trying to escape the dangerous streets of Old Triton, the buried city, Milla takes the ultimate risk

Could a dead girl's identity be her way out? A ticket to a richer, brighter world high above the muck and gloom of her old life?

Now she's part of a high tech contest, with a prize beyond money, fame and everything she has ever known. A chance to become something... new.

But if anyone finds out who Milla really is, she's dead.

The other competitors come from privilege, their faces and bodies tweaked to perfection. Rich and handsome Cale could be the most dangerous of all. Why is he so interested in a scarred, ugly "sinker" like Milla?

To survive, she needs to be brave.

To win, she needs to evolve.

Just try and stop her.

Skin Hunter is an upper YA science fiction novel - a futuristic, dystopian thrill-ride with a spark of romance.



Review
Milla has always lived the harsh life of a sinker. Now, she has the chance to steal a dead girl's identity, and win more than she could ever dream.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Milla lives in Old Triton, the dangerous, run-down city that squats in the dark foundation of their over-populated country. Milla and other "sinkers" have to fight for work, fight for food and safety. Theirs is a miserable existence, with no chance of improvement. Milla is already scarred from the poor working conditions, and things are never going to get better.

Above them, New Triton exists. A place of endless wealth and perfection, where people are always looking for the next popular trend, the next body mod or technological advancement.

Seeing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, when a New Triton girl dies in her arms, Milla steals her identity. Milla soon gets swept up into the mysterious Skin Hunter competition run by the Morelle Corporation.
It turns out that Skins are a leap forward in technological advancement, part machine and part animal, which accepts the users consciousness.

It was great to watch Milla get used to her skin, and quickly fall in love with how powerful and whole it makes her feel.
I loved how she never took anything for granted, and remained wary that any moment, everything would get ripped away. It was understandable that she was slow to trust those around her, having to fight years of survival instinct.

I loved the world that Skin Hunter was set, and how it was expertly laid out for the reader.
It always felt like there was a lot of depth and history going on, but the background builds slowly, when necessary, and never overwhelms the reader.

Likewise, the plot gradually builds on the foundation, and at the end you realise there is a much bigger story about to unfurl. Part of me expected to feel at least a little robbed, that the whole of Skin Hunter only brought us to the beginning of this story; but I was really enjoying following Milla, and how she was adapting to the new world.

I definitely recommend this, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

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