Rating: 
Summary: SHAME ON DOUBLEDAY FOR PUBLISHING GOOD IDEA NOT READY.
Review: Yes - this is a book by a first time author. Yes - the premise is interesting. Yes - there is action(however implausible and poorly rendered). But to say that MEG has only a few unoticeable "flaws" is like saying crucifixion is a merely unpleasant way to die. I had to force myself through it. To say the book is "wonderful", that it is "gripping", that it is a "page turner", is to argue that the Earth is flat and not round.
It doesn't matter how you spin it, or whether Matt Lauer talked about it on the TODAY show(since when did he become a book expert?), or whether Disney bought the movie rights, or how much media hype is behind the book - the novel must ultimately stand on its own. And it doesn't. The author of MEG had a good idea about giant sharks, but wasn't able, for some reason, to let it bake in the oven long enough. The dough is still raw. Sorry, nothing personal Mr. Alten, but better luck next time.
Rating: 
Summary: Meg is an excellent summer read!
Review: Meg proved to be an excellent summer read, combining the fascinating subject and possibility of a huge, prehistoric shark, with the page turning pace and plot structure of a quick turning Cussler novel.
Once you begin reading this book, you will be dissappointed only in the fact that it has less than 300 pages. Steve Alten has created an entertaining story which compels the reader to continue to pick the book up until it is done -- a great escape!
I have two criticisms.
One: on numerous occassions Alten refers to SCUBA tanks (which simply contain compressed air) as OXYGEN, even in the shallow water diving scenes. Pure OXYGEN, breathed at any depth can be deadly.
Two: I understand the need for a dramatic ending on a scale as large as Meg; however, while I appreciate the Jonah-in-the-Whale analogy, it is a stretch to have the hero performing gastric and heart surgery inside the shark, and then managing to escape.
Steve Alten leaves the door open for a sequel and I'll line up to buy it when it hits the shelves! Meg is a very satisfying read.
Jim Ferneyhough
Rating: 
Summary: Great for certain people
Review: It is a wonderfull book with flaws that mostly go unnoticed. The only people who have problems with this book are stuck up individuals who have nothing better to do than criticize and point out every single little flaw in it. There are better written books out there, but they get me so bored that I fall asleep while reading. "MEG" makes your imagination go wild, keeping you awake untill you finish. Sure, the characters are kind of flat, but they serve their purpose and they aren't forgettable. The characters stay in your mind for a long time. The author,Steve Alten, is still perfecting his talent so wait for his next few books, then you can call him whatever you want. Remember that the author still hasn't established his style. I liked this book, mainly because it was fun to read. Also, there was alot of suspense, but not enough. If you like fun books that keep you interested,then get this. If you like depressing love stories or strange demon exorcist type books then stay away from this book, for it isn't a story for the faint of a very weak stomach, or imagination for that matter
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!!! Very good writing for his first book
Review: This is a wonderful book if you feel like taking a trip out of reality but not to far. I have read this book and decided that it is extremely well write by a first time writer. It is a must buy book
Rating:
Summary: This book is an intellectual insult to all readers.
Review: I approached this book with great anticipation. I was not expecting first rate writing but I thought the story's premise was intriguing and anything had to be better than the latest Danielle Steele trash. Wrong. The story's premise was intriguing, the story line was not. The writing was unbelievably bad, the character development was non-existent, the dialogue was beyond stilted, the science was poor, the ending was...there are no words to adequately describe the sheer silliness of that ending. I cannot believe this guy got published. And where the heck was his editor? Readers should have the right to sue a publishing company for malpractice. Throw this fishy tale back
Rating:
Summary: Better than JAWS, more action than Jurassic Park:
Review: THE new action author. Buy the book, take it to the beach, and enjoy it for what it is, an action-packed page-turner that doesn't let up until the last page. Alten's weaves his yarn with suspense intermingled with intriguing facts. Not only did I love it but my 15 year old son, who hates to read picked it up and finished it in three days, a major accomplishment! Matt Lauer of the TODAY Show was right! BUY THE BOOK
Rating:
Summary: "Meg" is a crock
Review: I am a scuba diver and shark fan and also like Chriton, Clancy, and Ludlum. I approached this book because it seemed like an obvious match for my tastes. Boy, was I dissapointed. The gross factual errors, the poor poor writing, the ridiculousness of the plot, it was like reading a really bad saturday morning cartoon. You can learn more about sharks or megalodons by watching re-runs of Jabberjaws, the cartoon. I am baffled that anyone at all liked this book and can't believe that anyone gave this a 10 rating! Come on! Is this the first book you-all have ever read? No one in their right mind could possibly give this book anything higher than a 5, and that would be an incredible act of generosity! "MEG" is a waste of trees
Rating:
Summary: Complete rubbish with awful writing.
Review: Plastic writing that looks like a screenplay (and a poorly written one at that). Alten keeps up the pace but the writing is truly wooden - I've seen teenagers write better. Ludicrously laughable science and unsympathetic characters litter the book. Give this book to your worst enemy. It sucks. Bad
Rating:
Summary: MEG: A Terrible Novel of the Deep!
Review: Steve Alten's first novel, MEG, is the single worst book I have ever read! The plot is flat and in spots even dumb, the characters are forgettable, without a likeable one in the bunch (and its a BIG bunch): and the bad guys solicit no real dislike from the reader -- like the rest of the characters in MEG they are uninteresting, weak, and one-dimensional. The writing has no real style, and the book is full of annoying and awkward technical details that add little to the plot, and only draw attention to how poorly written this book really is. MEG relies too heavily on old tired cliched scenes from all of the various JAWS films, and those few scenes that promised to be thrilling fell flat. But perhaps the worst element of MEG is the dialogue. Never have I read such awful dialogue in a professionally published book! The dialogue is stiff, uninteresting, and unbelievable: people don;t actually speak and act/react like this! While reading MEG I kept expecting the author to surprise or dazzle me -- even a little twinge of fear. He didn't. And the ending -- my god, what a joke! This is the only book that has actually made me ANGRY because it was so bad! I want my money back
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book for the Summer!
Review: This book was very well done. The ending was cool. I really hope there is a sequel and a movie soon
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