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Eruption Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Michael Crichton (Author), James Patterson (Author), Scott Brick (Narrator),
Amazon Charts #15 this week
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The biggest thriller of the year: A history-making eruption is about to destroy the Big Island of Hawaii. But a secret held for decades by the US military is far more terrifying than any volcano.

“The book is a classic summer beach read...Eruption will revive the art of speed-reading...told with a singular voice that is a compelling amalgam of the two writers.”—USA Today

“Eruption is an epic thriller…fast-paced and deeply considered…a cinematic story rooted in science and infused with plenty of heart, tackling big themes like love and loss.”–Time

The master of the techno-blockbuster joins forces with the master of the modern thriller to create the most anticipated mega bestseller in years.

Michael Crichton, creator of Jurassic Park, ER, Twister, and Westworld, had a passion project he’d been pursuing for years, ahead of his untimely passing in 2008. Knowing how special it was, his wife, Sherri Crichton, held back his notes and the partial manuscript until she found the right author to complete it: James Patterson, the world’s most popular storyteller.

“Red-hot storytelling... The action scenes will make readers’ eyes pop as the tension continues to build."–Kirkus, starred review

“Explosive…the summer’s ultimate literary mashup.”—Washington Post

"Takes readers on a thrilling journey."—BBC

"Beachbag-ready."—Boston Globe

“A seismic publishing event…all the elements of a summer blockbuster…it’s a thrill and the pages practically turn themselves.”—Associated Press

“Eruption is this summer’s literary version of a blockbuster action movie.”–Los Angeles Times

"Breakneck and plausible."—Publishers Weekly

Previous slide of product details
  1. Listening Length
    10 hours and 32 minutes
  2. Author
    Michael Crichton, see all
  3. Narrator
    Scott Brick
  4. Audible release date
    June 3, 2024
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Little, Brown & Company
  7. ASIN
    B0CKNM2RS7
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 32 minutes
Author Michael Crichton, James Patterson
Narrator Scott Brick
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date June 03, 2024
Publisher Little, Brown & Company
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0CKNM2RS7
Best Sellers Rank #16 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#1 in Action Thriller & Suspense Fiction
#1 in Mystery Action & Adventure
#3 in Suspense (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
15,225 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the characters compelling and engaging, while others say they are mostly foreseeable and boring. They also describe the plot as wonderful, hard to follow, and scary. Opinions are mixed on the writing quality, pacing, and content. Some find the book very well written, while other say the language is too technical and the book feels like a second draft.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Volcanic historyPlotWriting qualityCharactersContentPacingEngagingnessWriting style
14 customers mention "Volcanic history"10 positive4 negative

Customers find the book's volcanic history interesting. They say the author does a great job explaining geography and science.

"...The story itself is fun, moves quickly, and does have a lot of interesting information about volcanoes...." Read more

"Exciting, factual information, Hawaiian culture. Fun read." Read more

"...summer read I would have given it five stars but the geology was more fantasy than factual" Read more

"...I love the maps of Hawaii on the front and back inside covers that show different locales on the island to help follow the story...." Read more

359 customers mention "Plot"227 positive132 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot. Some find the saga wonderful, suspenseful, and entertaining. They also appreciate the unusually short chapters. However, others feel the ending is contrived, the story is hard to follow, and obstacles are inserted at key plot points without proper foundation. They feel the agent seems to be trying too hard to be scary.

"...The suspense was mind-blowing. The authors are familiar with the Big Island of which I, too, have familiarity...." Read more

"...Obstacles were inserted at key plot points without having a proper foundation laid...." Read more

"...The unusually short chapters also kept me reading. I was hoping for an unexpected twist at the end, but didn't get it. The ending was good...." Read more

"...The chapters are extremely short- a few pages at a time- making for easier reading. It will certainly make an awesome action-thriller movie...." Read more

172 customers mention "Writing quality"100 positive72 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book. Some find it well-written, while others say the language is too technical and the explanations are difficult to visualize. They also mention the dialogue is horrible and repetitive throughout, and the characters feel flat.

"...A fabulous book! The use of the short paragraphs is excellent but very few can carry it off...." Read more

"...Unfortunately, there is so much technical jargon and so many explanations you have to visualize (I couldn't) you just have to play along...." Read more

"...The book is well researched as are all Crichton books and the writing is very good...." Read more

"...This was but one mere example of the horrible writing and poor science that exist throughout this book...." Read more

128 customers mention "Characters"52 positive76 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the characters in the book. Some find them compelling and inspiring, while others find them unengaging.

"...Relationships are sketched in, barely enough to stir empathy...." Read more

"...Ot course, the clarity of the characters--we all know individuals like those portrayed by Patterson in this book puts us in the middle of the great..." Read more

"The story was great.It seemed to end fast and without closure on the characters I had enjoyed...." Read more

"...Once I started reading this I couldn't put it down. The characters were believable and so was the story line...." Read more

122 customers mention "Content"57 positive65 negative

Customers are mixed about the content. Some find the knowledge and research brilliant, the technical aspects of the story very well done, and the volcano information good. They appreciate the attention to details and accuracy. However, some find the book predictable, anticlimactic, and contrived. They also say the story line is completely unbelievable.

"...well, there are too many glaring misstatements of basic science...." Read more

"...The book is well researched as are all Crichton books and the writing is very good...." Read more

"...I enjoyed the read, but my issue was with internal inconsistencies...." Read more

"...Crichton’s tradition of blending reality with fantasy in a unique blend of science, science fiction and suspense...." Read more

66 customers mention "Pacing"43 positive23 negative

Customers are mixed about the pacing. Some find the book fast paced, while others say it's a little slow in the beginning. They also say it lingers too quick on major events and feels like a second draft.

"...may look a little intimidating but the chapters are small, and the pace is quick so it's hard to put down...." Read more

"...The story itself is fun, moves quickly, and does have a lot of interesting information about volcanoes...." Read more

"...a good job finishing it this book can be very boring in parts and a slow read, took me longer to read, and was not one of those books that makes you..." Read more

"The story was interesting and fast paced...." Read more

32 customers mention "Engagingness"19 positive13 negative

Customers are mixed about the engagingness of the book. Some mention it's hard to put down, while others say it has them on the edge of their seat page by page.

"...Once I started reading, it was easy to understand. IMO, hard to put down...." Read more

"It was very difficult to put this book down. It had you on the edge of your seat page by page! I think I finished the book in a matter of days...." Read more

"This is an exciting book that is very difficult to put down. Patterson seamlessly finishes the story. A great collaboration...." Read more

"Screen play in the making. Enough said. It was hard to put down, although it was completely implausible and there were plenty of plot-holes...." Read more

31 customers mention "Writing style"19 positive12 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style. Some find the book a wonderful combination of the talents of Michael Crichton and Patterson, with a great voice from Crichtonia. However, others say the short chapters make the book feel shallow, hard to follow, and choppy. They also say the book is not up to Crichtone's standards and damages his legacy.

"Excellent book! Brilliant to incorporate Michael Crichton and James Patterson. I do have a bone to pick, however!..." Read more

"Exciting read, but little depth. Short chapters, some only 2 or 3 pages, make reading a bit choppy but translate easily to scenes in a movie...." Read more

"Great read. Very exciting Michael Crichton at his best, made you feel as if you were really there...." Read more

"Speeding thru time, this story is gripping, very well done with decent dialogue and healthy suspense hanging over personal issues and political..." Read more

Disappointing
3 out of 5 stars
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.
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Top reviews from the United States

TJ Mobile Audio
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast-Paced, Entertaining, Okay Science Themes
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
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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Kevin D Miller
4.0 out of 5 stars Didn't Disappoint. Awesome Collaboration by Two Heavy Weights
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2024
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I'm a fan of Michael Crichton and this book didn't disappoint. I've read several books by James Patterson and love his writing as well. It's a unique and awesome collaboration of two amazing authors no doubt. The book is well researched as are all Crichton books and the writing is very good. I could not recognize where Crichton left off and Patterson picked up. I felt the characters needed a few more layers to draw the reader into caring more about them. The suspense was intense, kept me turning pages. The unusually short chapters also kept me reading. I was hoping for an unexpected twist at the end, but didn't get it. The ending was good. I'm a fan of solid endings that end well. I wanted this book to be a solid 5 star but after I finished I resonated around 4.5 stars. I do highly recommend however.
2 people found this helpful
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Gloria T August
5.0 out of 5 stars The Sinews of Catastrophe
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2024
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Excellent book! Brilliant to incorporate Michael Crichton and James Patterson. I do have a bone to pick, however! I have a huge amount of work to get done but I abandoned it all to read Eruption cover to cover. A fabulous book! The use of the short paragraphs is excellent but very few can carry it off. But the divisions into short paragraphs is essential in heightening the tension of which Patterson is an absolutely master of. Ot course, the clarity of the characters--we all know individuals like those portrayed by Patterson in this book puts us in the middle of the great disaster. Yes, that is how people would respond, we're sure of it, because we have met such people in similar circumstances. It points to the brilliance of the fiction writer but few can carry it off with such panache as Patterson can. The suspense was mind-blowing. The authors are familiar with the Big Island of which I, too, have familiarity. The book was not separated from reality. My brother who lived in Haiku, near the volcano, spoke of the park rangers and others who easily filled the boots of the Crichton-Patterson characters. When a fiction writer can so beautifully cross the divide, taking the reader with him into neo-reality, he is a first amongst the world's writers. He is, simply, finally, a great writer. It was not fiction, this book, it was real enough.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Margaret LAWSON
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping and factually accurate. Definitely worth reading this.
Reviewed in Canada on July 2, 2024
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Gripping book. A definite page tuner. I gave this book to someone who loves volanoes and has been to the Big Island of Hawaii many times. He says this book is definitely worth reading and that this book is factually accurate.
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Beach life
2.0 out of 5 stars Guess I "over-hyped" it in my head.
Reviewed in Mexico on June 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
It was ok, extremely slow in the beginning then picked up about 3/4 of the way through. I'm sure it will be a movie but it just had too many main characters and just characters overall to keep up with. A LOT of characters died, guess I wanted more miraculous saves and surprises that didn't come. The ending was fast, too fast, almost like the writer was bored with it. It was just done, the end.
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大島秀郎
1.0 out of 5 stars カバーに破れが
Reviewed in Japan on July 20, 2024
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カバーが5センチほど破けていました。封筒に入れる際ではなく、もともと破れていたようです。読むには支障ありませんが、本好きの私はがっかりいたしました。。。
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James Corlett
4.0 out of 5 stars Two of the best authors in the past 25 years.
Reviewed in Canada on June 12, 2024
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It was fascinating, based on facts.
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Sue
5.0 out of 5 stars Received fast..
Reviewed in Canada on July 26, 2024
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Birthday gift,well loved..
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