Rating: 
Summary: quite different in reading level than others
Review: I rate this book low for lack of a better choice.My 4th grader, who is a very capable reader, didn't finish it. She *loved* the other Dinotopia books, and was looking forward to reading this one. But we agree entirely with the review of Maria Brooks, who points out that the language in this particular one is a level up from the others in complexity. Consider the first page, which has words like "unnavigable", "proportionately", "brackish", "homogeneous", and "hue". Yes, these are words that I'd like my 4th grader to be familiar with, but when she doesn't know them, it really slows her down. And that's the first page out of three hundred! She had a wise teacher who said that if you pick up a book, and there are five words on the first page you don't know, then put it down for a year. So that's what we'll do with this one. If your child can handle these words, then go for it. If plot and character development are as good as the others, it'll be great. So the one star is mainly for the inhomogeneity in reading level of the series, and the expectations for it by its fans that are not supported.
Rating: 
Summary: Exceeded My Expectations
Review: I've read some of Alan Dean Foster's earlier works and found them to be well-written, but just not my type, I suppose. My friend and I are always exchanging good reads, and this came up in the conversation. I haven't read any of the other Dinotopia books, but I totally fell in love with this one. It has all of the elements of a good story: exotic settings, secret civilizations, kidnapping, rescue, pirates, and keen suspense. It took it a while to pick up at the beginning, but it just soared for the remaining pages. A page-turner to the end, this exceeded my expectations with flying colors.
Rating:
Summary: Dinotopia Lost:: A Review
Review: In the southern areas of the Indian Ocean, there exists an Atlantis, not solely for humans, but for what was previously thought extinct - dinosaurs. These unlikely companions co-exist in harmony, though not all of them, and have worked over the ages to build the grandest utopia ever. The peoples of this 'lost isle' have long since shed ideas such as money, violence, and self interest in favor of a better civilization. So when a group of murdering, pilfering, greedy - in short, the scum of the earth - pirates somehow land their ship amidst the dangerous coral reefs, the citizens of Dinotopia are in grave danger from the outside world. What follows is a standard adventure story, filled with multiple kidnappings, breathtaking chases, unexpected turncoats, and eye popping surprises. The reader is reeled in from the beginning, and given a mental thrill that stays long past the end of the page. Yet, with a few careful additions, Alan Dean Foster creates a tale that far surpasses any standard story.
Here, aside from providing entertainment, Alan Dean Foster also conveys a concept with a philosophical bent. Dinotopia is painted as heaven on earth, would this have been something we could have attained? Just as Dinotopia is the perfect society, the pirates represent humanity; which, from their actions, lead to the questions, do we destroy everything in sight if we cannot have it? Is our self interest so encompassing? Are we really as vile as those pirates are? There will be many who do not look beyond the veneer of an engrossing novel, but for those who do, Dinotopia Lost offers much re-reading value.
Rating: 
Summary: A long, enjoyable, interesting novel
Review: is a good way to describe this book. It is a good book for people who have read Dinotopia books before and new people.
Rating:
Summary: The language style of this book is not for young readers
Review: Our family adores the Dinotopia books, both from the original author and the offshoots. However, we found this book an extremely difficult read for our nine year old, who is a fantastic reader. Some sample phrases we struggled with: an inherent psychological disinclination; hygienic accoutrements; unable to eschew an innate clumsiness; elegiac stream. This book needs a disclaimer that it isn't appropriate for young readers. In struggling with the language, we kept losing the thread of the wonderful story.
Rating: 
Summary: A Book Worthy of Edgar Rice Burroughs
Review: The idea of a "Lost World" somewhere on Earth is by no means new, however, in this day & age, is somewhat dated. In reality this is an interesting idea but is only averagly written. We would accept this from a book written in the 1930's but not really from one written in 1997. I can only recommend this as a book to read if you've run out of everything else.
Rating:
Summary: Great book that keeps you on the edge
Review: This book goes where Dinotopia people are not frequent visitors; the rainy basin, home of the carnivore dino's. When foreiners venture into the Rainy Basin with 4 Struthie dino's, and a baby T-rex, throw in a couple of angry T-rex parents looking for a meal and you've got a great book! I recommend this to any readers of Dinotopia.
Rating:
Summary: this is a good Fantasy book
Review: This is a fantasy book. Why anyone would be upset that it carries a fantastical theme I cannot even begin to fathom. If anyone complains that the vocabulary is a bit rough than they should put the book down or pick up a dictionary. The only way that the wee ones ever learn english is by reading advanced words in context. I didn't just acquire a few hundred word with every birthday people, I read and learned them. This book is probably directed towards an older age than the others in the series but why does that make it bad!?!? You give it A star because it's made for an older audience than you expected? Your the ones that need to grow up.
Rating:
Summary: this is a good Fantasy book
Review: This is a fantasy book. Why anyone would be upset that it carries a fantastical theme I cannot even begin to fathom. If anyone complains that the vocabulary is a bit rough than they should put the book down or pick up a dictionary. The only way that the wee ones ever learn english is by reading advanced words in context. I didn't just acquire a few hundred word with every birthday people, I read and learned them. This book is probably directed towards an older age than the others in the series but why does that make it bad!?!? You give it A star because it's made for an older audience than you expected? Your the ones that need to grow up.
Rating:
Summary: very good, and very exciting
Review: This is a great, great book. I loved every moment of it. The entire time I was reading it, I was either sighing, because I would rather be in Dinotopia then our world, or my heart was pounding through my chest. The book was very descriptive, without spending too many words giving useless details, and the scenes were almost visible. It was almost like I was in the book, watching what was going on, which only a small number of books have done for me. The plot is excellent, and has a nice, fulfilling ending. Foster brings the reading-level up, which overall made for a better book, in my opinion. Some of the other Dinotopia books were quick, fun romps, but this was a full-scale novel, and it was extremely good. I recommend it to everyone.
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