Scan barcode
judassilver's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Excrement and Grief
mollysticks's review against another edition
3.0
So the last 50 to 60 pages of this book were action packed and great! I actually cared about these Utahraptors at the end. The first half of the book was not a good narrative or well written but it was intriguing to my scientific tendencies so I kept reading and I'm glad I did because it became pretty exciting although still not well written. Who knew dinosaurs could have so much drama?!
jamesmalik's review
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I love where this book went, at first I thought the whole book was gonna be mini nature documentary for every chapter, well it was still that. but the relationships these animals developed really gave it a sense of purpose to the story. Like I wasn't just reading this for the cool dinosaur happenings. I really did care for Raptor Red
beingshort's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
popcorndiva's review against another edition
3.0
3 Stars
This was just okay. The book read like reading the captions on a documentary, which isn't a bad thing but also it's just not the most compelling and interesting way this story could have been told.
What this book lacks in great writing, it does make up for with an interesting concept and a unique plot. I really enjoyed reading the story and I was never quite sure what would happen next.
This book won't be for everyone. I'm a dinosaur lover so this appealed to me for that reason. If dinosaurs aren't really your thing, then this may be a pass for you. However, if you choose to read it, I think you'll find a unique and interesting story!
This was just okay. The book read like reading the captions on a documentary, which isn't a bad thing but also it's just not the most compelling and interesting way this story could have been told.
What this book lacks in great writing, it does make up for with an interesting concept and a unique plot. I really enjoyed reading the story and I was never quite sure what would happen next.
This book won't be for everyone. I'm a dinosaur lover so this appealed to me for that reason. If dinosaurs aren't really your thing, then this may be a pass for you. However, if you choose to read it, I think you'll find a unique and interesting story!
erfenden's review against another edition
4.0
Raptor Red is, at its heart, a romance story about a widow trapped between her desire for a younger suitor and her devotion to her sister. The widow just happens to be a raptor.
The back of the book has a line from People magazine making the inevitable comparison to Jurassic Park, which had come out a few years earlier. It suggests that Robert Bakker is a more daring author and Michael Crichton as this book is written from the alien perspective of a dinosaur protaginist.
He may be daring but Bakker is not the author that Crichton is.
While the writing is not Crichton-level good, it is a decent, entertaining story.
As far as the non-human perspective goes, I think Bakker captured it awkwardly. He spends a great deal of time describing the mechanics of raptor musculature, the heat exchange of blood vessels in dinosaur legs, etc. Character motivations are constantly broken down into instincts described in programming terms. It feels very scholarly and mechanical, which detracts from any feeling of immersion I might have as the reader.
That is to say, I'm less interested in know /how/ the raptor stalks its prey, I want to know what it /feels/ like to be a raptor stalking its prey.
I had fun with Raptor Red but I'm unlikely to read it again or recommend it to anyone.
The back of the book has a line from People magazine making the inevitable comparison to Jurassic Park, which had come out a few years earlier. It suggests that Robert Bakker is a more daring author and Michael Crichton as this book is written from the alien perspective of a dinosaur protaginist.
He may be daring but Bakker is not the author that Crichton is.
While the writing is not Crichton-level good, it is a decent, entertaining story.
As far as the non-human perspective goes, I think Bakker captured it awkwardly. He spends a great deal of time describing the mechanics of raptor musculature, the heat exchange of blood vessels in dinosaur legs, etc. Character motivations are constantly broken down into instincts described in programming terms. It feels very scholarly and mechanical, which detracts from any feeling of immersion I might have as the reader.
That is to say, I'm less interested in know /how/ the raptor stalks its prey, I want to know what it /feels/ like to be a raptor stalking its prey.
I had fun with Raptor Red but I'm unlikely to read it again or recommend it to anyone.
ezraindustries's review against another edition
5.0
This book follows the perspective of a female Utahraptor. It is a fascinating, and scientifically accurate (as accurate as it can be) story. It's amazing the level of interest and investment you'll come to have in a character that is not only not human, but never utters a word of dialogue. A must read.
jkkb332's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this. I rooted for Raptor Red every step of the way. The way some parts of the story were told from the perspective of the other animals really helped me create a well-rounded picture of her world. I learned so much from this book. There were some parts that seemed a little like a Dino lecture but the topic was so fascinating, and presented in such a relatable way, that I didn't mind at all. If there are more books like this out there, I must find them.