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woofer's review against another edition
5.0
I had bought Steve Alten's The Loch a number of years ago, shortly after finishing The Trench. I had tried to read it then, but it just wasn't grabbing me. But recently I picked it up again to give it another shot. I don't know what my problem was back then, but this time I could not put it down.
The Loch opens with marine biologist Zach Wallace diving into the Sargasso Sea with the hopes of discovering the mythical giant squid. He dies indeed discover the giant squid, but he's also discovered something else. what the US Navy has named Bloop. Before he has a chance to document his find, the creature attacks his submersible. During his escape, Zach dies but is resuscitated. This is the second time Zach had drowned. The first time was seventeen years prior, when, at the age of nine, something attacked him in Loch Ness. He knows it was Nessie that attacked him, but over the years he has come to accept what the doctors and other involved have told him, that he had become entangled in a coil of barbed, which would account for the teeth-like scars that encircle his waist.
The current attack also triggers his night terrors again, and he develops of phobia toward water, not a good thing for a marine biologist. His world spins out of control as his "partner" in the dive made it look like everything that went wrong with the dive was Zach's fault, which is not the case. Spiraling into depression and taking comfort from the bottle slowly had him turning into his father, who he hasn't seen in over a decade. But then, suddenly, he is summoned back to Scotland because his father is on trial for murder, and it isn't until he arrives "home" that he realizes his father, an abusive, womanizing alcoholic, has set him up. You see, dad's blaming Nessie for the man's death, and he's hoping his son will go out and find the creature to prove he's telling the truth. Is he? Maybe. As reluctant as Zach is to go chasing after a legend, that's exactly what he ends up doing because the body count is starting to rise. The big question he has and wants answered is why has Nessie suddenly started attacking and eating those people.
If you go into The Loch expecting a straight forward monster hunting novel, you're going to be disappointed. Yeah, that's a part of it, but there's so much more going on here. The novel is about family; it's about loyalty and conspiracies, and it's about history. Not being a historian, I don't know how much of the history laid out within the novel is accurate and how much is a result of creative license, but Alten weaves it all together seamlessly and delivers a thrilling ride. I see so many reviews comment on the historical aspect of the novel dragging it down, but you need that background in order to make the rest of the story work. Without it, the driving motivations of many of the characters becomes pointless.
I also see comments nitpicking the science and its inaccuracies, and to that I say, get over it. It's fiction, and while a certain amount of research is required, it is, after all, a novel. It's not a How To guide, and it doesn't claim to be a scientific text. The average reader isn't going to know all the intricacies of submersibles and diving gear, and quite frankly, I don't believe they care. What they are looking for is an engrossing, believable tale, and that's what Alten delivers. The only real stumbling block I came across in the novel is the dialogue. I've heard it said that writing for the ear is sometimes a sign of lazy or poor writing, that a writer should be able to establish a Scottish accent based on structure and rhythm. But Alten writes dialect, which can sometimes have readers wondering what he's trying to say. Would you rather read "Ah dinnae ken" or "I didn't know"? Or, for that matter, would you even know what "Ah dinnae ken" means? It takes some doing, but eventually you figure it out, and once you figure it out, it no longer becomes an issue. However, there is a learning curve needed, especially if you've never heard a Scotsman speak. For some readers though, it's enough to stumble them right out of the story.
And the only other thing I had issue with is the romance aspect, which I found to be a bit unbelievable. Zach's been away from Scotland for how long? And suddenly he's head over heels in love with his best friend's sister? There's nothing early on that prepares you for this, and there's a point in the novel where you get the impression that True is whoring out his sister. It's mentioned that the sister was thrown out of the house when she was sixteen. Wouldn't Zach have known this if he had such deep. long-lost feeling for this woman? But he doesn't. In fact, there's so much about her that he doesn't know and you feel he should if they have this history. You could probably cut out this romance aspect and not lose anything story wise.
All in all, though, The Loch is a thrilling adventure/horror novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and it's something I would highly recommend if you're into cryptid fiction.
The Loch opens with marine biologist Zach Wallace diving into the Sargasso Sea with the hopes of discovering the mythical giant squid. He dies indeed discover the giant squid, but he's also discovered something else. what the US Navy has named Bloop. Before he has a chance to document his find, the creature attacks his submersible. During his escape, Zach dies but is resuscitated. This is the second time Zach had drowned. The first time was seventeen years prior, when, at the age of nine, something attacked him in Loch Ness. He knows it was Nessie that attacked him, but over the years he has come to accept what the doctors and other involved have told him, that he had become entangled in a coil of barbed, which would account for the teeth-like scars that encircle his waist.
The current attack also triggers his night terrors again, and he develops of phobia toward water, not a good thing for a marine biologist. His world spins out of control as his "partner" in the dive made it look like everything that went wrong with the dive was Zach's fault, which is not the case. Spiraling into depression and taking comfort from the bottle slowly had him turning into his father, who he hasn't seen in over a decade. But then, suddenly, he is summoned back to Scotland because his father is on trial for murder, and it isn't until he arrives "home" that he realizes his father, an abusive, womanizing alcoholic, has set him up. You see, dad's blaming Nessie for the man's death, and he's hoping his son will go out and find the creature to prove he's telling the truth. Is he? Maybe. As reluctant as Zach is to go chasing after a legend, that's exactly what he ends up doing because the body count is starting to rise. The big question he has and wants answered is why has Nessie suddenly started attacking and eating those people.
If you go into The Loch expecting a straight forward monster hunting novel, you're going to be disappointed. Yeah, that's a part of it, but there's so much more going on here. The novel is about family; it's about loyalty and conspiracies, and it's about history. Not being a historian, I don't know how much of the history laid out within the novel is accurate and how much is a result of creative license, but Alten weaves it all together seamlessly and delivers a thrilling ride. I see so many reviews comment on the historical aspect of the novel dragging it down, but you need that background in order to make the rest of the story work. Without it, the driving motivations of many of the characters becomes pointless.
I also see comments nitpicking the science and its inaccuracies, and to that I say, get over it. It's fiction, and while a certain amount of research is required, it is, after all, a novel. It's not a How To guide, and it doesn't claim to be a scientific text. The average reader isn't going to know all the intricacies of submersibles and diving gear, and quite frankly, I don't believe they care. What they are looking for is an engrossing, believable tale, and that's what Alten delivers. The only real stumbling block I came across in the novel is the dialogue. I've heard it said that writing for the ear is sometimes a sign of lazy or poor writing, that a writer should be able to establish a Scottish accent based on structure and rhythm. But Alten writes dialect, which can sometimes have readers wondering what he's trying to say. Would you rather read "Ah dinnae ken" or "I didn't know"? Or, for that matter, would you even know what "Ah dinnae ken" means? It takes some doing, but eventually you figure it out, and once you figure it out, it no longer becomes an issue. However, there is a learning curve needed, especially if you've never heard a Scotsman speak. For some readers though, it's enough to stumble them right out of the story.
And the only other thing I had issue with is the romance aspect, which I found to be a bit unbelievable. Zach's been away from Scotland for how long? And suddenly he's head over heels in love with his best friend's sister? There's nothing early on that prepares you for this, and there's a point in the novel where you get the impression that True is whoring out his sister. It's mentioned that the sister was thrown out of the house when she was sixteen. Wouldn't Zach have known this if he had such deep. long-lost feeling for this woman? But he doesn't. In fact, there's so much about her that he doesn't know and you feel he should if they have this history. You could probably cut out this romance aspect and not lose anything story wise.
All in all, though, The Loch is a thrilling adventure/horror novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and it's something I would highly recommend if you're into cryptid fiction.
bgleason's review against another edition
3.0
The Loch is a wild romp through the Scottish Highlands blending old Templar Knight Intrigue, Monster lore, court room drama, and present day underwater scientific research into a cohesive whole. At times it may seem that the technicalities get in the way of the story and possibly they do but they are much needed explanations as to what is happening and how. The rich history of Scotland is shown through the eyes of a self proclaimed exile from the United States named Zachary Wallace, a descendent of the great and beloved Sir William Wallace of the Mel Gibson Braveheart variety. He also happens to be the first marine biologist to catch a glimpse of the elusive Architeuthis dux more commonly known as the giant Squid during his expedition to find said creature in the Sargasso Sea. Flash forward Six months we find Zachary’s estranged father accused of murder back home in the Scottish Highlands on the banks of the Great Loch Ness. Strange occurrences and monster sightings intermix with Zachary’s inability to get over his past with something that happened in the Loch 17 years before.
Over the course of 464 pages Steve Alten shows us the world that thrives around the Loch Ness with interesting characters we care about. The story is solid and the science seems sound. The only thing that takes a while to get used to is the Scottish dialect written out from page to page but that is the fun of this book that takes you into the world of Nessie and back out again. For whatever reason you pick up this book just remember one thing that no matter what you think that maybe something is below the depths just waiting for a reason to surface.
Over the course of 464 pages Steve Alten shows us the world that thrives around the Loch Ness with interesting characters we care about. The story is solid and the science seems sound. The only thing that takes a while to get used to is the Scottish dialect written out from page to page but that is the fun of this book that takes you into the world of Nessie and back out again. For whatever reason you pick up this book just remember one thing that no matter what you think that maybe something is below the depths just waiting for a reason to surface.
v_v_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
skippen's review against another edition
1.0
This book is really awful, but enough intrigue to get you through it. The mystery is always intriguing, but Alten spends more times badly describing PTSD moments, a court case, and info-dumping Scotish history, loads of quotations of Nessie sightings, than story-telling. Oh, and all the women characters are just reduced to sexual objects (the two that there are) with multiple descriptions of how "hot" they are.
Additionally, broken familial relationships mended at the drop of a hat with no reasons other than the climax of the novel was in progress.
I didn't expect much as it is Alten and a book about the Loch Ness monster, but this delivered even less.
Additionally, broken familial relationships mended at the drop of a hat with no reasons other than the climax of the novel was in progress.
I didn't expect much as it is Alten and a book about the Loch Ness monster, but this delivered even less.
summerseeds's review against another edition
3.0
Under no circumstances would I put this book on par with King Kong or The Lost World. That being said, it was an interesting little read. A fast-paced new take on the Loch Ness Monster myth. What bothered me most was the accents. I hate when authors try to write in anccents. It's so aggravating trying to decipher what is being said. Also the old-timey font used when going back to Wallace's journal was a huge pain. I honestly could not read half of it.
iceberglives's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Monsters in Loch Ness?!?! And they're attacking people?! Sign me up! Fun scifi thriller that you'll love if you like aquatic momsters.
shadow1ane's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
lochlinn13's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The action is fun, the pace is quick, the fusion of history and sci-fi is interesting. The female characters are overly simplistic, however, and no characters really grow all that much. Makes a fun, quick summer read.