Rating: 
Summary: The Worst Thing I've Ever Read. Period.
Review: I'm serious about that. ... The comic strip Beetle Bailey is more militarily accurate (and frankly, more mature too).Not only does it seem to have been written by a team of apes with crayons, it's also unnecessarily vulgar. I don't have any problem with gritty language in a book aimed at mature readers; but this book's plot is aimed at pre-teen level, and much of the language used is pretty foul. If you're interested in military thrillers, try elsewhere. Tom Clancy, for instance. As for this lump of trash I can only recommend it as good kindling.
Rating: 
Summary: Like Reilly's "Ice Station"? Then go directly to "Area 7"!
Review: While "Area 7" stands perfectly alone as an extremely intense military novel, it works even better as a companion piece to Matt Reilly's earlier novel, "Ice Station". Both of the survivors from Capt. "Scarecrow" Schofield's Marine unit from "Ice Station" days (Sgt. "Fox" Gant and Sgt. "Mother" Newman) are present for the action that takes place at Area 7. In this novel, Schofield has his Marine unit on hand to help protect the President during his visit to a secret military base hidden away in Utah and known only as Area 7. What the President, his Secret Service and the Marines don't realize until too late is that Area 7 just happens to be the home base for a secret plot to overthrow the government. This uprising is led by a courtmartialed Air Force officer who calls himself "Caesar" and heads up a radical Air Force group known as "The Brotherhood". Schofield and his unit soon find themselves in the fight of their lives. What takes place during the next 300+ pages is totally unbelievable (just like the the plots from Reilly's other two books) but filled with action and zooms along at a frenetic pace. Not that there's anything wrong with that - it's just that it's almost comic-bookish in that sense. One can almost visualize the "Bam", "Oof", and "Kaboom" dialogue balloons used so effectively by the old Batman television show in the background of some of Reilly's scenes. And of course, as found in Reilly's other novels, there's plenty of blood flowing and more dead bodies than a Schwarzenegger movie. Descriptions of real (and unreal) military hardware abound to impress the techo-geek in all of us! If the reader will just suspend his or her powers of disbelief for a while then he or she will find "Area 7" an enjoyable experience. The only reason that I gave "Area 7" four stars was because there was a little too much similarity to "Ice Station" for my liking. I would have liked to have seen some new ground covered and a few more characters developed. That probably won't be a problem for most Reilly fans, and especially shouldn't be an issue if this is the first book by Reilly that the reader tries. RECOMMENDED
Rating: 
Summary: Leaves you begging for more!
Review: Area 7 by Matthew Reilly definatly earned its place on my top five favorite books. I can not explain how vivid the imagery is, how much action is packed per page and is still retains a phenomenal plot without spoiling due to the constant action. On the critical side, the book's plot is incredible. It TRULY makes you sit back and say, woah... that COULD happen. On the entertainment side. The book is better, yes BETTER than watching a modern fight movie as far as the wonderful descriptions etc. Overall, I would give this book a 9.9 out of ten... and that's ONLY because nothing is perfect ;-)
Rating:
Summary: Please
Review: Out of boredom I picked this book up. I put it down soon after. I made it throught most of it, but it will be the last Reilly book I ever attempt. I enjoy escapist fiction once in a while, and this book had all the ingredients...a hero, his sidekicks, the bad guy, his henchmen, chases, etc. But please. Is a ragtag bunch of underarmed Marines really going to beat what Reilly essentially proclaims to be the greatest commando team in the world, a team VASTLY outnumbering the Marines? I was unable to suspend disbelief any longer for more rocket chases or lunar firefights or boat races. And what... are words like POW! and KaBoom! doing in there? There is probably other more inventive or descriptive terms that could be used. Perhaps Mr. Reilly should take some of his advance and invest it in a nice thesaurus.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting Close-Quarters Action
Review: I'm a huge fan of military book whether they be fiction or nonfiction. I'm also a big fan of tactical action games, so it's no surprise I enjoyed this book very much. I actually read it before Ice Station (the first Scarecrow novel), but enough background information is given to easily follow along. Although the character development is a bit under par, the amount of action more then makes up for it. Not a very deep, but a very good read.
Rating:
Summary: Scarecrow returns!
Review: Capt. Shane Schofield is settled into his new assignment, after his Ice Station adventures, as head of the President's Marine Corp escort when the poopy hits the fan again...and the reader is pulled along into another rip roaring, action packed Reilly thriller. Readers of Ice Station will be happy to see that Schofield is joined by Mother and Fox along with the almost return of Book. Together they must defend the President, the country and the world for that matter, from a renegade group of Air Force personnel. If the Prez's heart should stop beating it all goes to hell. Though out-numbered, out-gunned and taken almost completely by surprise, Scarecrow and his crew make a game of it. Reilly strength is in his descriptions of combat. There is a firefight that lasts about 70 pages. Taking place on several fronts and different levels you won't welcome interuptions. Sure Reilly's books break the laws of military strategy, physics, gravity and logic but so what. You pick up books like this to be entertained and if you aren't too much of a stickler for details you will be.
Rating:
Summary: Area 7 blows you away.
Review: How many times do you read on the cover of a book all those promises of excitement adventure and action only to be disappointed at the end? This book has no comparison in the extreme action adventure and suspense novel. If I turned the pages any faster the book would catch light. The characters are absolutely superb and I would like to see Lucas or Spielberg bring this to the big screen or in fact any of his novels.
The only disappointment came when one realises they have finished the book. Come on Mr Reilly write another as I cant hold my breath much longer.
Rating:
Summary: Great Comic Book Action
Review: Lock the doors, disengage brain, and have the time of your life. So, it's not great writting. The characters don't live long enough to worry about development. Its just action, action and more action. So, like the rest of Reilly's books get it and enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Like a comic book without the pictures
Review: This is the third book I've read by this author and probably the best of the bunch, which isn't really saying much. The general plot of the story is very intriguing, but he never develops it. There were so many different ways he could have gone, but he decides on creating 3 or 4 subplots and that's it. The story ends up being somewhat confusing (who's the bad guy in THIS chapter?). If you're just in it for the action and have time to kill, this book serves its purpose. But if you're looking for something half way plausible, with more than just a dash of character development, you might want to look elsewhere (like anything by Vince Flynn).
Rating:
Summary: high octane thriller
Review: this book is just flat-out exciting, sure it unrealistic. But after all that not why I read it. If you looking for something that could happen, this book is not for you. This reads just like an action movie. If you like those type of things this book is for you.
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