Rating: Summary: Read Steve Alten Instead Review: This book started off well. It was intriguing, interesting, frightening; However, a 200 ft shark, even a 100 ft shark? Please...folks. I hated the author for doing that to me at the very end of this book. Even in paleontology it has been determined that the largest of the Megalodon grew only to app. 60ish ft. I know..."in the 1920s the shark must have been over 100 ft long." Folks, we live in the 21st century and we cannot forever believe the wisdom of children. Get over it. If you want great Megalodon stories turn to Steve Alten. "Meg" is terrific and "The Trench" is just as frightening and believable. I have kept both of these books... I left "Extinct" in an airport somewhere. SERIOUSLY...
Rating: Summary: He has the location on the money. Review: I live in south Mississippi and about a mile or so from the River spoke of in the book, and he has almost every single Mississippi Location Correct, from the River all the way to the President Casino and it's Marina, I am only on Chapter 6 for now, but it's been a good read from what I've read so far.
Rating: Summary: NOT a book to read at the beach! Review: I took my yearly vacation a few months ago on a Florida beach. As I was packing, I went to my "To read" book case, and just grabbed a few books. Extinct was one of the ones I grabbed. BIG mistake!!! HUGE!!!!! There I sat, 3 feet from the water, a sizzling hot day, the beautiful, cool water lapping at my feet, and I was terrified!!!! This is my favorite Charles Wilson book so far. It was gripping, realistic, and suspensful. (I finally did manage to go for a few swims, but I was VERY VERY cautious, and absolutely did not stop thanking Mr. Wilson for this little vacationus interruptus!) Highly recommended read.
Rating: Summary: Charles' WIlson Extinct Review: I just finished reading Charles Wilson's 'Extinct' and have found it most disappointing. It was unrealistic, adrenaline-low, uneventful, deceiving and poorly written. I have found three main reasons for explaining my dissatisfaction:1) Poor characters The story's main characters are pale and lack of a genuine, coherent personality, with the exception of the main female character, who is unfortunately portrayed as an irritating, semi-neurasthenic mother. The same applies to the young Navy ensign who, although he is in a difficult hierarchical position, barely stands up for his opinions -it is like if he had NO opinion whatsoever. And what about the involvement of the Navy? How could a US Navy admiral be possibly fool enough for going after a shark, however special? Would a real Navy-dedicated senior officer be irresponsible enough for putting his career into jeopardy for even wording his belief about an extinct shark species that could MAYBE still exist?? Notwithstanding his unfounded, personal, abusive usage of the Navy assets (computers, information database, personnel etc.)... 2) Unrealistic events and facts Also, beyond the fact that none of the facts seem realistic - how could a 200ft long shark possibly feed itself at ocean depths that are deprived of large-sized food elements?? How could Megalodon sharks raise to the temperate ocean surface from icy cold depths without dying? How could they survive swimming in estuary waters? What about a shark surviving a grounding on the river floor in its attempt at catching its human preys? etc... Tons of non-sense! 3) Deceiving writing style Vocabulary resources are scarce. If you still plan to read it, I advise you count the number of times the verb 'to frown' is used, whatever its form (as a conjugated verb, a noun etc.). It could be used 40, perhaps 50 times easily... Simply appalling and irritating! Too bad, because the storyline featured a few good ideas. Looks to me like the book was written in a hurry, without much concern for scientific coherence. I had previously read both 'the MEG' and 'The Trench', by Steven Alten, and there is no comparison. Go for Alten's if you have the choice.
Rating: Summary: This book might need to go extinct Review: Read the back cover of this book and you will begin to see the parallels with Benchley's master piece. Tourist town terrorized by gigantic man eating shark! Local hero and fisherman rush to save the day. I had just read MEG (another stinker check my review) and since this was actually set in my hometown I had to read this. Partly in hopes of seeing my home town well portrayed and partly in hopes of convincing me that the good marine biology thriller was possible. Wilson's shark is slightly more plausible than Alten's. At least it doesn't glow in the dark! All the action sequences are so rooted in unrealism that they just can't be scary. I'm thinking, giant shark thrashing around in a 6 foot deep freshwater river? Shark outrunning speedboat? Come on guys, some one has to be able to write about scary marine life.
Rating: Summary: Another masterful tale of suspense by Charles Wilson Review: Any book that deals with 'killer sharks' is going to get compared to Benchley's 'Jaws,' but I have to say that this book would have made a much better movie. A strong plot filled with tension and mystery, well drawn characters that you can care about, and overall extremely entertaining. The science linking back to just what these creatures are, and why they act as they do is written like someone who is completely comfortable with both paleontology and oceanography. A real weekend pleaser.
Rating: Summary: Giant shark thriller is missing giant thrills. Review: A big (and I do mean BIG) shark goes up river and begins feeding on swimmers and fishers in Biloxi, Mississippi. The book is as silly as it sounds. I will give Mr. Wilson the benefit of his obvious hard wark in researching how something like this could possibly happen, but sadly he does not manage to make his story easy to swallow, nor does he make it very suspenseful. Attacks happen, people either narrowly escape or are swallowed whole. It is hard to care either way. Also there is a twist, but anyone who has had a steady diet of this kind of material will see it coming from a hundred pages away. Reading this it is far too easy to see why NBC scuttled the mini-series. There really isn't enough material for a good saturday night movie!
Rating: Summary: unexciting shark thriller Review: Although the premise was interesting, the characters seemed to be cookie cutouts, and the "action" had me flipping pages quickly to keep from falling asleep. I couldn't identify with anyone in the story and this book said to me "made for tv mini series." either "meg" or "jaws" seemed to me to be much more compelling.
Rating: Summary: the giant shark attack Review: I think that this book was really interesting because it talks about a shark that may still exist in the remote depths of the ocean i read as two giant megalodon sharks are on the loose I did not like it as much as the Trench or Meg by Steve Alten
Rating: Summary: If you liked MEG, well here's a BIGGER ONE!!!!! Review: After reading Steve Alten's "Meg" I got into a sort of shark frenzy, and when I heard there was another book out there with the same subject matter I immediately purchased it on that premise alone. Charles Wilson's Extinct takes a much more serious approach, although slower paced. Also the design of the Megalodon here is a tad bit more plausible, and a hell of a lot bigger than the one found in Alten's book! The ending was great, no matter what you've heard. For fans of Jaws, Meg, Deep Blue Sea and any other sea creature book or movie out there here's another one to add to your list. And remember, if something bumps you while swimming in the ocean you never know what it might be...!
|