Reviews

The Maw by Taylor Zajonc

Only show reviews with written explanations

lavender___'s review against another edition

4.0

Going into this was I was expecting a quick read about cave creatures and a surviving expedition, but it was SO much more. I loved the way the author really thoroughly researched the subject and combined that research with his own expertise on outdoorsman-ship. The characters felt way too real and I knew the type of person the author was portraying to a tee. I was also really happy with the way the author talked about Africa. It’s often an exploited continent in horror lit (and elsewhere…) so the respect and way in which Africa was treated made me really appreciate what was being done. The slow discoveries and unraveling story were chilling and did NOT prepare me for what was coming next. I was in awe of the grand room thousands and thousands of feet below the surface, and the way it utilized foreshadowing was satisfying. A UNIQUE and well executed novel that exceeded my expectations!!

anastasiaf's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

3.55 but round up to 3.75

I didn’t really like it. It didn’t fulfill my caving itch, my survival itch, wasn’t scary or super thought provoking. It just kind of was.

SPOILERS BELOW

Spoiler

The cave itself felt very confusing and more commercial big cave than actual caving.

Maybe I didn’t really like the audiobook narrator, but god was it boring yet complicated at many points.

Pretty silly not to give our main character some caving training. I know it’s because he’s the audience surrogate, but still.

I haven’t read Journey to the Centre of the Earth so maybe this hits more of that sort of pacing and story which was different from what I was expecting/wanting.

In the psychedelic trance, I didn’t get how they came to certain conclusions about history - like I get their thought process but it doesn’t mean that they were right about the woman having her brain transformed while there. That was all “deduced” from a single phrase from someone else. No other evidence and seems like a huge leap (though an interesting premise). I wish there had been more to support it.

Love the idea of exploration and following explorers but this one felt really colonial and yucky.

I really like the cover art (red with black squiggles)

Would not really recommend to anyone, unless you’re looking for an exercise in editing or something (aka edit this book and make re-writes to make it better)

—— reading reviews ——

Agreed (and to my point that doesn’t feel like a cave novel) it never really feels claustrophobic.

Yeah I didn’t get how they fell through the floor and then managed their way back. I’d love to read this again with a cave map.

Yes, more adventure than horror. Yes sci-fi

Yeah weird that the book just glosses over the fact that MC had a relationship with a student. Yes at university but still!

Lol one reviewer said “the main plot sounds like a drug trip about connectedness the author had one time and wanted to base everything on” and I totally agree.

Actually yes, the survival aspect did feel very dire at points, so maybe some horror there.

Agreed there was a little too much happening. You can’t really remove the virus as that is part of the tension when they see the dead elephants and them being locked in, plus how we illustrate MC’s love interest’s new medical powers. Maybe we get rid of the psychedelic cave or at least make it a little less? Maybe we remove the collapse and/or consolidate a little bit from when they’re stuck to finding the Delor cave.

I actually totally bought this millionaire having brought the YouTube guy and allowing the stunt.

Agreed that the epilogue was a let down, but honestly I wasn’t as mad as some others because I think they did discuss this point, about sharing knowledge rather than burdening others with this power. Didn’t they? During the dream sequence talking about shamans?

Agreed, it took a long time to actually get to the cave. Not sure we needed such in-depth story on the prep at the base camp.

I think someone mentioned the characters felt like “types” in movies and on reflection I agree. They felt very one dimensional, one purpose, etc. No real character growth from anyone really (even the YouTuber, he had a brief moment of humanity but ultimately lost that depth in the epilogue)

Apparently the guy is a real life explorer. I wish he was better at writing.

Interesting. One of the Amazon reviews (mostly very positive, unlike GoodReads and StoryGraph, but one of the 1 star ones) said “it must be a young adult book” and honestly, I think it might have been better if written that way.

To be fair, the description says it is for fans of Clive Cussler and Michael Crichton, both of which I haven’t really read.

katevaliant's review against another edition

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4.0

The idea of being a caver is absolutely terrifying, which is exactly why I picked this book up. Those small spaces and dark, flooded chambers are tense. I've been craving another story about creepy caves since reading The Luminous Dead, and this one fit the bill but was a different kind of creepy.

When Milo gets the chance to go into a newly discovered supercave to chase after an old adventurer he used to obsess over, he can't pass up the opportunity, even if the ex he can't forget is coming along as well. However things aren't quite what they seem as they quickly find signs that they aren't the first modern explores to find the cave. But if none of them made it out, can Milo? The situation quickly turns dangerous as a storm moves in, throwing them into a fight for survival.

I liked that this one didn't make the ultimate mystery hiding in the cave too obvious right away. It was also tense watching as the group struggled to survive. Those who love Journey to the Center of the Earth will get a kick out of this story since it quotes that book several times and in some places it felt like it took inspiration from it at times.

jdcorley's review

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

A creditable Cussler-esque adventure story, with a mysterious supercave as the environment. The hallucinatory parts of the experience eventually end up not adding up to much - in the last chapter all that the hero can think to do with his new insight into the universe is make money in a biotech company. After the revelation of what actually is going on at the bottom of the cave, the rejection of the cosmic horror and madness of it makes you feel like the build up was for nothing.

Also the book is oddly cruel to a number of its characters for reasons that don't seem to add up. If it's the main character feeling this way, then shouldn't I think less of him for it? Shouldn't that be called out when his consciousness is expanded? It's odd that in all the realizations he doesn't come to any about his fellow expedition members, people who the audience has hopefully started to care for too.

Anyway, it's interesting but the horror elements are too modest to be of use to horror fans. Only real adventure-heads need to read it.

Content Warnings

macandgeese's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

avangron's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-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? No

3.0

oopsadaisy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

shamson's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Content Warnings

raptorq's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I don't usually leave written reviews but this book is... so bad I want to save someone the struggle. I don't think the author even realizes how racist and culturally insensitive it is, among other things: colonial explorer obsession, the basis for the MC's relationship with the love interest being that she was his student traumatized by the power dynamic. What. Not to mention the Nazi reenacting, tribal tattooed white guy side character who everyone is mildly annoyed by but turns into a saviour. I was strung along by moderately interesting descriptions of geology and caving (the main plot sounds like a drug trip about connectedness the author had one time and wanted to base everything on) but everything falls apart when characters interact. Felt like a lot of self-insert fantasies all the way through to the end. Don't get me started on the dream sequences.

Content Warnings

yarnbandit's review

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3.0

Ha ha the nerd scientist is *fat* and likes *anime,* ha ha, what a *nerd*. So glad the author told us he was fat and liked anime so we’d know what a nerd he was.

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