Jurassic, Squared

The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Great Zoo of China succeeds at one-upping Jurassic Park in concept and non-stop action. According to the author, Matthew Reilly, the movie Jurassic Park inspired him to become a writer; this makes all his books, in a sense, tributes to the movie.

The book is everything the author wants it to be, an over-the-top, explosive, cinematic exploration of imagination. Is it Michael Crichton or James Rollins? Not quite. But it is just like reading an adventure movie--and the female hero is fantastic.

It's actually quite a feat to provide just enough violence, just enough romance, just enough plausibility,  just enough suspense.  And it's actually a pleasure to root for the heroes and boo the villains--that's part of why we read these kinds of books. It's not deep, but it's fun. Bravo! And I'd like a sequel.

I received a digital galley of the book for review from the publisher and Netgalley.


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