Scan barcode
jess_tries2read's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The moral of the story is super strong and resonant. The book doesn't offer any solutions to problems in the world, but it makes you wonder about the balance of new discoveries and technologies and how much net good they do. The author also did a great job taking a jab at the disastrous effects that arise from large companies cutting corners.
The action sequences were really exciting, which is the majority of the book so that is great. I also really love how grounded the book was. I loved all of the schematics, the computer code, and how granular the author was about the obstacles the characters were facing.
My struggle with this book is how good the movie is. I was really affected by the visuals and the John Williams score, and I missed that sense of wonder the main characters experienced upon seeing the dinos for the first time. I realize that is kind of the point; the horror and uncertainty these animals instills in people is opposite from John Hammond's expectations. But come on! It's dinosaurs! 🦖 That and the pacing of the ending was a little weird. There was so much action for so long, and the resolution in the end didn't match my expectation for how high stakes all the action was.
The action sequences were really exciting, which is the majority of the book so that is great. I also really love how grounded the book was. I loved all of the schematics, the computer code, and how granular the author was about the obstacles the characters were facing.
My struggle with this book is how good the movie is. I was really affected by the visuals and the John Williams score, and I missed that sense of wonder the main characters experienced upon seeing the dinos for the first time. I realize that is kind of the point; the horror and uncertainty these animals instills in people is opposite from John Hammond's expectations. But come on! It's dinosaurs! 🦖 That and the pacing of the ending was a little weird. There was so much action for so long, and the resolution in the end didn't match my expectation for how high stakes all the action was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism and Gun violence
elcolonel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Child death
emilywemily6's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really enjoyed this book. I read it after reading Dragon Teeth and was delighted to hear mention of Cope and Marsh towards the beginning of this story! The science behind this book is fascinating and pretty realistic from my uneducated perspective. And while the philosophical discussion from Malcolm felt a little overdone, it was very interesting to think about the implications of scientific discoveries on the wider world, especially when we can’t foresee the entire impact they have. The growing sense of dread and unease was spot on, and while it is slower than modern thrillers I was still entranced. I hated reading incorrect medical scenarios though- it takes a day or two for infection to set in, then another day or two for the infection to turn septic/systemic, so why did Malcolm’s wounds turn septic in like 6 hours?? Besides that, this book felt well thought out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Medical content
Minor: Classism
vi_holmes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you love the movie but wished it was longer, scarier, and that the attacks/deaths were more brutal, read the book!
I'd heard that it would be scarier, but I had no idea what I was in for finally picking up the book. I caught myself holding my breath during several scenes and stayed up until my vision got blurry because things just kept happening and I didn't want to put it down.
I only have a couple complaints. Mostly that the first 100 or so pages were filled with so much boring bs. I was here for science, dinos, and horror, I did not care to read all the lawyer bs with throw away characters that could have been discussed later in small paragraphs. Nor the times the action was broken up for Hammond and Wu to have the same argument again and again. I will tell you right now, I started skipping those in the last 150 ish pages and the reading experience vastly improved.
I'd heard that it would be scarier, but I had no idea what I was in for finally picking up the book. I caught myself holding my breath during several scenes and stayed up until my vision got blurry because things just kept happening and I didn't want to put it down.
I only have a couple complaints. Mostly that the first 100 or so pages were filled with so much boring bs. I was here for science, dinos, and horror, I did not care to read all the lawyer bs with throw away characters that could have been discussed later in small paragraphs. Nor the times the action was broken up for Hammond and Wu to have the same argument again and again. I will tell you right now, I started skipping those in the last 150 ish pages and the reading experience vastly improved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
clichemarker's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.75
"Life breaks free. Life expands to new territories. Painfully, perhaps even dangerously. But life finds a way."
This is a classic for a reason! The writing is a great example of showing not telling. Several complex concepts are thrown around and explained, rather than treating the reader like an idiot.
I wasn't a fan of how repetitive the story was. They would encounter a dino, escape the dino, talk for a bit, then encounter a dino. Rinse and repeat.
Otherwise, most of the characters were well written, even though there are a lot of them. The world building was incredible, and the deaths weren't overly gory.
"We haven't got the power to destroy the planet- or to save it. But we might have the power to save ourselves."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
foolishfish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
itsbaberuthless's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
4.5
I now get it when people rant about how a book was better than its movie. Jurassic Park means so much to me and I’m so happy I actually liked the book. It was so dark and gruesome and I hated everyone but the dinosaurs. My favorite thing was imagining Rexy sleeping leaning up against a tree by the river. Freaking cutie.
4.5 because in a book about dinosaurs there sure was a lot of misogyny and fat shaming.
4.5 because in a book about dinosaurs there sure was a lot of misogyny and fat shaming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, and Medical content
quirkko24's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
moxiereads's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, and Medical content
corncake's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Read for my "iliteracy" book club.
I actually quite enjoyed this read, which surprised me since I have never been a dinosaur kid, nor the movie's biggest fan (at least compared to other fans, I still enjoy the movie). But low-and-behold I found the book more enjoyable than the film! The only change from the movie/book adaptation that I completely understood was the changing of Lex's age. I didn't hate her character in the book by any means (although some of her dialogue made me question if the author had ever been around a six-year-old), but I can understand that other readers might find her annoying.I am saddened however that the film did not keep the park's creator, John Hammond, the corrupted and often cruel jerk that he was from the book. I found his character despicable and ignorant to his circumstances - I loved him. Having him be this way really drove in the point that I think the author was trying to make: how capitalistic greed can and often will lead to our own destruction. Sorry kids, it's not about fun times with dinosaurs, it's about Corporate greed - my favorite flavor!
Also Alan Grant actually likes children in the book!? ADORABLE!!
I do however think the author has a problem with repeating himself in several areas. This would conjure a sense of agitation while reading, feeling as if he didn't trust his reader's intelligence enough to remember details. The book can also be slow in some areas, but it does pull you back into the excitement rather quickly.
My overall thoughts: I found this book entertaining, immersive, and even quite horrifying in parts. Definitely worth the read!
I actually quite enjoyed this read, which surprised me since I have never been a dinosaur kid, nor the movie's biggest fan (at least compared to other fans, I still enjoy the movie). But low-and-behold I found the book more enjoyable than the film! The only change from the movie/book adaptation that I completely understood was the changing of Lex's age. I didn't hate her character in the book by any means (although some of her dialogue made me question if the author had ever been around a six-year-old), but I can understand that other readers might find her annoying.
Also Alan Grant actually likes children in the book!? ADORABLE!!
I do however think the author has a problem with repeating himself in several areas. This would conjure a sense of agitation while reading, feeling as if he didn't trust his reader's intelligence enough to remember details. The book can also be slow in some areas, but it does pull you back into the excitement rather quickly.
My overall thoughts: I found this book entertaining, immersive, and even quite horrifying in parts. Definitely worth the read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Cursing
Minor: Child death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Medical content