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plantybooklover's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Let me start by saying, I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick easy read, with lots of action/adventure/speed. I appreciated that the author didn't dwell on too many overly long descriptive scenes to "set the mood"
Essentially, the story starts with our protagonist, a precocious teen, Molly joining a summer dig in Montana, expecting to learn more about dinosaurs and hopefully impress her boss- a grad student, Sarah. A quick trip into a cave to avoid a storm leads to the discovery of a possible new species, which quickly escalates into a search across several countries, ending in Japan. Along the way, interesting discoveries are made, with just a hint of danger to keep it exciting.
I enjoyed how this story mixes beloved mythical creatures with the modern world, emphasizing quietly that what we know is true, but there is likely more that we don't know about our world and environment. In addition, it shows that people indeed are not always as they present, and that there is more than just what is seen on the surface.
A few things that made this- less enjoyable for me- there is frequent switching of narrators without a very clear identification as to who is now narrating. I enjoyed the different points of view and thought processes but didn't like having to often go back and re-read to figure out who was now narrating.
Beyond this, the characters, even the one who ends up being the rouge character are compelling as individuals, and even though not a lot of writing is spent in character development, and the characters are a little bit "flat" and not super well fleshed out, I still found them likeable and believable. Kudos to the author for her description of MS, I was able to figure out the diagnosis from her descriptions, very early in the book- I appreciated that this wasn't the main focus of the story, and felt that the placement and details were just a perfect amount to give meaning and relevance to that character's actions.
The book seems poised for a part 2, so I am hopeful that this is in the works!
Essentially, the story starts with our protagonist, a precocious teen, Molly joining a summer dig in Montana, expecting to learn more about dinosaurs and hopefully impress her boss- a grad student, Sarah. A quick trip into a cave to avoid a storm leads to the discovery of a possible new species, which quickly escalates into a search across several countries, ending in Japan. Along the way, interesting discoveries are made, with just a hint of danger to keep it exciting.
I enjoyed how this story mixes beloved mythical creatures with the modern world, emphasizing quietly that what we know is true, but there is likely more that we don't know about our world and environment. In addition, it shows that people indeed are not always as they present, and that there is more than just what is seen on the surface.
A few things that made this- less enjoyable for me- there is frequent switching of narrators without a very clear identification as to who is now narrating. I enjoyed the different points of view and thought processes but didn't like having to often go back and re-read to figure out who was now narrating.
Beyond this, the characters, even the one who ends up being the rouge character are compelling as individuals, and even though not a lot of writing is spent in character development, and the characters are a little bit "flat" and not super well fleshed out, I still found them likeable and believable. Kudos to the author for her description of MS, I was able to figure out the diagnosis from her descriptions, very early in the book- I appreciated that this wasn't the main focus of the story, and felt that the placement and details were just a perfect amount to give meaning and relevance to that character's actions.
The book seems poised for a part 2, so I am hopeful that this is in the works!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Minor: Medical content, Murder, and Alcohol
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