The Huntsman is a futuristic novel of adventure and action, but Hill's characterizations go beyond the superficiality of many science fiction works aimed toward the adolescent audience. Hill does a fine job of portraying attitudes which often result from fear and oppression. Even though the plot is simple and predictable, the book offers a solid base for discussion of the basic need for personal preservation versus the spirit of unity for collective progress. Also, through his association with Baer, Finn comes to appreciate the idea that differences of physiognomy sometimes mask admirable qualities. The young hero learns to overcome prejudice and to accept others for their inner qualities rather than judge them by outward appearances.

Hill's use of dialogue in The Huntsman may be distracting to some readers. Even though he apparently intended to make the speech seem more natural, the poor grammar of his characters...