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Natural Selection By Dave Freedman ( Hyperion )
Release Date: 2007-07-01
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $7.99
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Product Description
A team of marine scientists is on the verge of making the most stunning discovery in the history of man: a previously unknown predatory species, alive now, evolving just like the dinosaurs-and being forced out of its world and into man's for a violent first encounter. In their quest for answers, they engage a host of fascinating characters-experts in neurology and deep sea geology, flight-simulation wizards, and evolution historians-and set off together to exotic locales, experiencing love, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal along the way. When people start dying, the real hunt begins. Weaving science and thriller in a way not seen since Jurassic Park, Natural Selection is that rare blend of intricately layered research, rich characters, and tornado pacing.
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Mantas with TEETH
This was a page turner for sure, despite the tiny fonts! Easy to keep track of the characters. Semi realistic and believable most of the time. Scientific, but always with an explanation.
Great for both sexes.
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good quick read
I agree with others that the science in this book is questionable at best. In theory, the demonrays are plausible. Could something like that fly? I think not. However, this is a book of FICTION. If one tries not to get too haute about knowing more science than the author, one can actually enjoy this book, which starts out as a rolling drama and crescendos into a rather scary horror story.
I've been in science all my life and know animals well, since that is my job, but I enjoyed this book as just a good quick read. Might be a bit scary to read on the beach though. And that last statement is coming from a snorkeller! :)
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Good Creature Book
So after reading all of Steve Alten's Meg books I was looking around for another creature of the deep story. I had stumbled across this book a while ago and it seemed like something of the same genre. It took me a while to actually pick this up because of some mixed reviews. So on to the review. I did like this book. There are a few flaws here and there. One is that at the beginning there is a lot of just following and tracking with not a lot of anything really going on. You really have to get about 200 pages in before stuff starts getting interesting. Also on the back cover it says "When the scientists tracking it begin dying, the stakes are upped even further." It doesn't bother me that the back pretty much tells you some of the main characters are going to die but **Maybe Spoiler** I kept using that as a gauge to when the action was going to start and nobody in the group is killed till over 3/4 of the way in. If you are going to say that on the back then you assume that's going to be closer to the beginning but I just kept waiting and waiting and was just a little frustrating for me **End Spoiler**
The last 1/4 of this book is really good. Tons of action with some very good suspense. It took me maybe 2 weeks to get through the first 250 pages but read the end of it a three sitting span. So if this book would of kept up the action more then it would of been a 5 star rating for sure. Other than those few problems I did enjoy this and would recommend it to creature readers.
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4.5 actually.... ( rubiconreader )
This was one book that has been calling me for a while and I finally bought it. I've read books with fast plots before but... DANG!!! I loved how Dave just keep everything moving like lava. You can sorta tell that this is his first novel but... well... it IS his first novel and a beautiful start it is.
Publishers Weekly put "an awesome beach read" on the cover the the cloth version which immediately makes me think of some cheesy beach romance. This was anything but and I'm glad they changed it when they published the mass market. Anyway... reading about this new animal was fascinating and learing about the science (fact and fiction) was pretty thrilling. The story did slow down a bit for me when the animal makes it to land. That was a bit of a letdown but it wasn't long.
I stayed up many, many late nights enthralled with this story. I have a feeling you might as well.
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 High Concept trumps good writing
Negative Amazon reviewers have criticized the scientific inaccuracies and poor craft of Natural Selection. Positive reviewers emphasize the gripping story. This has been a relatively successful book and it proves that plot counts for more than good writing to the mass market. Good writing is an art. Good storytelling is also an art. Combine the two and you have William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, or Nathaniel Hawthorne. Natural Selection will not be read in a hundred years, but its popularity demonstrates the power of storytelling.
Even a good story has to be written well enough so the reader isn't jerked away from the plot because the writing is poor, the science obviously bad, or the characters do something grossly implausible. Dave Freedman has shown the knack for storytelling and his writing will undoubtedly improve on his second novel. The question that comes to mind, however, is where were the editors on his first book?
The Shut Mouth Society
The Shopkeeper
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