Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton

I LOVED Michael Crichton’s Andromeda Strain, so of course I was excited to read his Jurassic Park. My high expectations were not at all let down. I haven’t seen the movie in a while, so I can’t compare it to the book, but the book is definitely a must read! It was one of those books that you couldn’t believe covered such a short amount of time, because so much happened during it, but at the same time, it wasn’t an unrealistic amount of activity.

If you’ve seen the movie, I imagine you know the general story (and if you haven’t seen the movie, you are either REALLY young or sheltered…) It’s a few years in the future, and scientists are going through biochemistry overload. They are learning about genes, DNA, and cloning. It’s to be expected that someone’s going to come up with the idea of cloning a dinosaur!

However, why just clone a dinosaur when you can clone a bunch of dinosaurs! And what better to do with them than make an amusement park-style zoo on a secluded island for people to observe the prehistoric animals at will. Dr. Grant, a fossil expert, is invited to this park with his associate Ellie in order to study the animals and perhaps offer some expertise. However, he is not expecting the danger that can be involved in a rushed project with security flaws.

Of course, you can put two and two together. Dinosaurs plus security flaws equals intense danger and constant action! OF COURSE I’m not going to give away the plot, because I want you to read this intense novel. Just know that the action in this book is not to be contended. Reading it at night before bed was a bad idea, because the action kept me up and excited throughout the night, and I didn’t get the best sleep.

So awesome plot, awesome action, of course I’m giving this book FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! I mean, I loved this book, it would be silly for me to give it less! Another fast read, but I may have just taken more time to read it because I loved it so much. Definitely not one of those books where you have to read each sentence three times in order to truly understand it

Reading Next:: To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf

The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton

Yep, still no picture because I read this book in one day, and am therefore still in Prague with the still not so good internet connection. However, if the fact that I read this book in a day (less than 24 hours actually) isn't enough to tell you how amazing it was, let me tell you, it was absolutely amazing! I have never read Michael Crichton before, but of course I have heard about him and seen his endless array of books at multiple book stores. I am so glad that this book was on this list - I NEVER would have thought to read it otherwise.

It starts with government officials looking for a satellite that they had sent out to space. It has landed in the small town of Piedmont, Arizona. Unfortunately, they are sure that the locals have already located the satellite and it is in one of the many homes in the city. And so, as they enter the main street, they encounter an amazingly odd thing. The street is full of people who are dead, just dead. There is no blood or anything. These two officials die almost immediately after entering the city.

The reason the satellite was sent out to space in the first place is because the government is afraid of the possibility that aliens could attack us with biological warfare. They could send a virus into the earth that we as humans are completely unexposed to and it would wipe us out near immediately. The satellite was supposed to collect extra-terrestrial viruses so we could study them and prevent this. (Un?)Fortunately, this satellite was successful. The citizens of Piedmont took it to the doctor when they found it, and he opened it, allowing the virus to spread throughout the city, killing the entire town almost instantly.

Well, the entire town but two people, an old man who suffers from multiple ailments and a young infant you has a clean bill of health. When the government began sending satellites into space for this purpose, they collected a group of 5 scientists who, if they found a virus, would be locked away in a completely sterile facility in order to study the virus. They would try to prevent any illness, if possible, or cure illness, if it had already infected anyone. Unfortunately, the citizens of Piedmont were incurable. If the virus didn't kill them, it got into their brain and caused them to go crazy and kill themselves.

Now these five scientists, members of Project Wildfire, are in this sterile environment. The virus is to be contained in boxes, the scientists using those cool glovey-thingies to study it, along with a wide array of instruments and computers. Along with them, the old man and the infant who survived the virus. They have no idea how this spreads, or how long it would take to spread beyond the city limits of Piedmont. If there is a malfunction, they could instantly die. If the disease spreads, others will instantly die. Will Project Wildfire save the nation, the world? Read it - really, read it - and find out!

There are many things I like that Mr. Crichton does in this book, besides the amazing plot. He has obviously done immense amounts of research. He has illustrations and facts and numbers that I don't understand for the life of me, but definitely make you feel like you are right there, locked underground, trying to solve this case for yourself.

This book easily earns FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! Remember, this is purely personal opinion. I'm sure some super smart scientist could read this and find a number of problems and malfunctions, but for someone like me it was exciting, realistic, and suspenseful. I highly suggest everyone reads this!

Reading Next:: The Adventures of Augie March, by Saul Bellow