I don't usually have much time for reading due to family & career commitments, but I heard about this book on the radio and thought I would enjoy a good summer read. I wasn't wrong!
I remember reading Jurassic Park many years ago, and I found the science parts to be dense. The plot was interesting, but the story telling took a lot of time. I haven't re-read it in my adult years, but in my teenage years Crichton's sciencey nerddom really seemed to slow the pace of an otherwise thrilling plot. This is not to say I didn't appreciate his scientific insights or research, but it wasn't the star of the show to me.
Eruption flips the script on that style. The science is plentiful, but it lurks just below the surface and is believable enough for the pedestrian reader to easily suspend disbelief, but the science elements are never belabored to the point of detracting from the plot.
Of course, this is not a pure Crichton novel, so the difference in style may reflect Patterson's storytelling style. Nonetheless, the plot elements, the brainy research, even some of the tropes are pure Crichton. I am normally skeptical of a posthumous work being published, but Patterson really dug into this one and did his best to do justice to his predecessor and posthumous collaborator. The only places where the melding of styles felt a bit awkward to me were parts that had been obviously updated since Crichton's death in 2008 - references to social media influencer-types, billionaires with space exploration companies, the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea, and so forth. These were clearly necessary efforts by Patterson to modernize the plot, but they too often leaned into simplistic tropes. I suppose they were only distracting to me because I knew Crichton passed away in 2008, and wouldn't have had a hand in crafting those parts of the story.
In interviews, both James Patterson and Sherri Crichton were coy about what portion of the book was due credit to Patterson vs. Crichton. I would guess at 60/40, with the larger share being Patterson, but whatever that percentage, it was an enjoyable read.
The only reason I would ding this book at all was a pair of comments my wife made a few chapters into her reading. She has a PhD in biology and environmental sciences and I trust her insights on these things. A very minor spoiler alert is required before I share these two comments, though I'm keeping the details general and not spelling out how these two details influence the overall plot. Her first comment was that the mechanism of transmission of an herbicide via a virus, which features prominently in the plot, makes no sense from a biological perspective. Her second comment was that while the military or government could screw up a lot of things, there is no way they would store hazardous material near an active volcano.
That said, if you can suspend disbelief on those two points, you will have a very enjoyable read. I finished the entire book in less than a week, which is unheard of given my usual schedule.
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Disappointing
I was so excited to give this to my husband for Father's Day but when I opened up the book was warped. I tried to straighten it up, so disappointed! By the way the packaging was fine.
Top reviews from other countries
Margaret LAWSON
Gripping and factually accurate. Definitely worth reading this.
Reviewed in Canada on July 2, 2024
